Featuring over 5,000 attendees, roughly 60 technical sessions, and a total of 35 booths, the fifth edition of Samsung’s showcase of technologies designed to empower developers and creators to build the software and services of tomorrow transformed San Francisco’s Moscone West convention center into a crossroads ‘Where Now Meets Next’.

The exciting AI, IoT and mobile advancements unveiled during the two-day event—encompassing, Bixby, SmartThings, UX/UI design and more—will enable partners and developers to create seamlessly connected, intelligent experiences across software, services and devices. The resulting innovations will have the power to change the lives of consumers around the world—ultimately making connected living a reality for more people.

In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of five factors that made SDC18 unforgettable.

#1 Announcements of Exciting Developer Tools

Day one of SDC18 began with a flurry of exciting announcements revealing advancements that will enable partners and developers to unlock the power of AI in their products and services, and demonstrate the true value of connected living to their customers.

Keynote speakers including DJ Koh, President and CEO and Head of Samsung Electronics’ IT and Mobile Communications Division, explained how new additions such as the Bixby Developer Studio and the new and improved SmartThings Developer Workspace will strengthen the world’s most powerful technology ecosystem, and help the company foster an ecosystem of open innovation that spans every aspect of people’s lives.

The speakers also offered a first look at Samsung’s new One UI, as well as the company’s highly anticipated Infinity Flex Display. The former features an intuitive interface that makes interactions with your device more natural, and makes it easier to focus on tasks at hand. The latter features a revolutionary foldable design that lays the foundation for an entirely new kind of mobile experience.

After introducing the exciting new developer tools and resources, the speakers encouraged attendees to experience them for themselves in the exhibition zone.

#2 Expert Insights

Day two of SDC18 kicked off with a bang as Samsung employees and leading lights of the worlds of gaming, film and mobile technology discussed technologies that could dictate the future of their respective fields.

(From left) Sarah Bond, Head of Xbox/Microsoft; Thomas Ko, VP at Samsung Electronics; Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games; John Hanke, CEO of Niantic.

The conference’s Spotlight Session was led by a presentation on Samsung’s latest gaming and AR innovations and partnerships, followed by a panel discussion on the future of gaming that featured Sarah Bond, Head of Xbox/Microsoft, as well as John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, and Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games.

(Clockwise from top left) Marc Mathieu, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics America; Dag Kittlaus, CEO of Viv Labs; Sally Jeong, VP at Samsung Electronics; Nobutaka “Nobu” Ide, CEO of Wacom.

Other keynote speakers headlining day two included Nobutaka “Nobu” Ide, CEO of Wacom, and Spike Jonze, director of the AI-inspired film “Her”. Mr. Ide led a captivating presentation that examined how Samsung’s S Pen is reshaping the ways in which consumers interact with their device to get things done. Mr. Jonze sat down for a fireside chat on the intersection of AI and humanity, and described why he, as an artist, believes that developers should prioritize maintaining the human element when developing AI technology.

#3 A Firsthand Look at Samsung’s Latest Innovations

Samsung packed the conference center with a wide range of exhibits that offered attendees all they needed to know about innovations including SmartThings and Bixby, as well as Samsung’s mobile services, Smart TVs, Tizen, and more.

The interactive exhibits allowed attendees to experience the company’s latest mobile, display and home technologies, and spotlighted innovative ways that partners have utilized them to build dynamic solutions. Featured technologies in the mobile section included devices such as Samsung DeX and the Galaxy Watch, as well as apps and services such as Samsung Pay and Samsung Health.

Other sections of the booth showcased Samsung’s Smart TV services and digital appliances, and highlighted exciting ways to develop IoT, Smart TV and wearable services using the Tizen OS. Visitors to the Tizen section were offered in-depth introductions to TizenRT and the Tizen TV and Tizen .NET SDKs, including rundowns of available APIs, SDK tools and resources.

#4 Fun and Interactive Activities

Each SDC features a full slate of engaging sessions that demonstrate innovative ways for developers to build apps and services utilizing Samsung’s latest technologies. This year’s sessions slate placed Bixby, SmartThings and Samsung’s new foldable UX center stage. Samsung and industry experts answered participants’ every question through fun and informative lectures, panels and discussions.

But the interactive fun didn’t stop there, as SDC18 also included exciting competitions, giveaways and challenges that made the entire experience that much more memorable.

The Bixby Developer Showcase was one such example. In the lead up to SDC18, Samsung challenged developers to come up with first-class Bixby experiences, for the most dynamic submissions. On the second day of SDC18, the competition’s finalists presented their Bixby Capsules, which demonstrate the AI technology’s incredible potential. Competitions like this demonstrate exciting ways that Samsung and developers are making Bixby better.

Each SDC also features a wide array of workshops and activities that allow attendees to get up close and personal with Samsung’s latest innovations.

This year, the interactive workshops were held within the confines of the Code Lab, located at the center of the conference hall. Covering the ins and outs of developing for Bixby, SmartThings, Samsung DeX and more, these in-depth workshops offered attendees the opportunity to hone their coding skills with the aid of Samsung’s experienced instructors. Notable examples included workshops demonstrating how to create a Bixby Capsule for a service, as well as how to build SmartThings apps with TizenRT.

#5 A Peek at Life-changing Projects

Some of the most inspiring exhibits included at this year’s event spotlighted Samsung initiatives that are affecting change in communities that many attendees call home.

The exhibits demonstrated interesting ways that Samsung technologies are being used to create life-changing solutions. One of the most attention-grabbing examples was the booth for Rehago, an innovative training system (created through Samsung Germany’s “Life’s a Pitch” startup competition) that helps hemiplegic stroke patients during recovery.

Other standouts included the exhibits for Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow program, which encourages students to use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to develop solutions to issues affecting their communities; Project Pontis, which enables Samsung Smart TV users with physical limitations to control their TV via brain waves; and uSound, an app that helps detect the risk of hearing loss and improves quality of life through communication and education for those affected by it.

And thus concludes another successful Samsung Developer Conference. For more information on the topics and innovations that were discussed at the event, be sure to check out Samsung Newsroom’s recap of SDC18’s keynote speeches. And don’t forget to check back here for more updates on Samsung’s latest AI, IoT and developer innovations.

Developers, especially, appreciate the seamless mobility that Samsung DeX brings to their work. And now, with the new Linux on DeX app, Samsung is making it even easier for developers to code on the go.

When it was first demoed at last year’s Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco, Linux on DeX generated significant buzz within the developer community by presenting a simple and convenient way to use Samsung DeX to build apps within a Linux development environment.

The combination of Samsung DeX and the Linux on DeX app adds new levels of flexibility to developers’ work by allowing them to connect their Galaxy device to a monitor using just an HDMI adapter, and instantly enjoy a fuller computing experience when on the go.

Linux on DeX frees developers from their desks by allowing them to access a PC-like Linux development environment anytime, anywhere. The app enables them to work on both Android and Ubuntu-based Linux distributions. Samsung provides a modified version of Ubuntu for Linux on DeX users, and has been working closely with Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, to provide the best experience.

SDC18 attendees observe a Linux on DeX demonstration at its booth.

After testing the app on-site at the event, SDC18 attendee Ericka Jackson said she was impressed by the level of flexibility that Linux on DeX provides.

“I play around with a lot of microcontrollers like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, so being able to have Linux on a more portable platform will be a lot of fun, because then I can take it and access Linux environment outside of my own network,” said Jackson. “It was really impressive. I’m looking forward to playing with it.”

Linux on DeX will be available as a private beta beginning on November 12. Users who are interested in joining the beta program may register here starting on November 7.

For more information on Samsung’s latest developer innovations, including exciting new tools and SDKs, check out Samsung Newsroom’s complete SDC18 coverage, linked here.

*The Linux on DeX beta is currently available to Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy Tab S4 users running Android Oreo and above.

Samsung has been working to expand its gaming ecosystem to make Galaxy devices the go-to platform for gamers. The all-new Galaxy Store, for example, will become the single destination for all digital items related to Galaxy devices, making it easier and more convenient to discover and download everything from new games, to applications, themes, fonts and more.

With developers in mind, the company is enabling high-performance game development through its Galaxy GameDev program, which features exclusive tools and technical support.

• Vulkan API equips developers with the right tools to deliver a high-quality gaming experience. An enhanced iteration of Vulkan announced at Samsung Developer Conference 2018, offers 10 percent improved performance compared to the OpenGL ES, taking user gaming experience to the next level.

• GPUWatch aids developers in their monitoring and measurement of performance between Vulkan and OpenGL ES. It’s now packed with new features, such as overlaid measurement results and real-time information on-screen – all made possible without separate installation or PC connection.

Along with key partnerships with some of the world’s biggest game companies such as Epic Games, Square Enix and Niantic Inc., Samsung has created an unparalleled mobile gaming platform that makes having fun on the go easier than ever. Check out the motion graphic below to see all that’s new with Samsung’s gaming ambitions from Samsung Developer Conference 2018.

Not so long ago, consoles and PCs were the only platforms powerful enough to deliver the best gaming experiences. But as the computing and graphics capability of smartphones continue to improve, the experience of gaming on mobile devices can now rival traditional platforms.

The statistics speak for themselves. There are an estimated 2.1 billion mobile gamers around the world; 56 percent of them play games on their phone more than ten times per week.

As the Galaxy smartphone is the world’s largest platform for Android games, Samsung is in a unique position to shape the future of mobile gaming. Our aim is simple – create immersive and unique experiences for gamers across the globe.

Our commitment to push the boundaries of mobile gaming led to the establishment of Galaxy GameDev in 2016 – a program dedicated to supporting global game developers and partners.

Since the program was announced at SDC 2016, it has helped over 50 partners, including Unity and Epic Games, optimize their offerings. By providing cutting-edge tools to developers, such as 64-bit and Vulkan API, GameDev set a new standard in the quality of mobile gaming. The launch of Fortnite for Android with Galaxy Note9 is just one of many examples of the program’s enormous influence on the gaming landscape.

Building on the progress made to date, we are ready to take mobile gaming on Galaxy to the next level. At the core of our vision are three principles – help game developers to create best games, help users discover great games, and help the game industry to grow its great ecosystem.

To turn this vision into reality, we are taking steps to provide the best support for the game development industry and game developers.

In the coming year, Galaxy GameDev will expand to include even more cutting-edge tools, including GPUWatch and GameSDK with Android P.

To help our gaming partners easily deliver their latest creations to their fans, we are launching the Galaxy Store Seller Program. For users, the brand-new Galaxy Store, the only store in Galaxy, will simplify the steps to find new games on Galaxy phones and more exclusive benefits.

And finally, we are strengthening Samsung IAP by enhancing the fraud detection system, settlement system and the seller dashboard. Our partnership program called Made4Samsung that started in the US will also expand globally, providing more opportunities for developers to commercialize their games.

The future of mobile gaming is limitless and now is the perfect time to join the world of Galaxy. Together with the developer community, let’s become the game changer.

We’ve all dreamed of a futuristic world where the boring chores of day-to-day life are handled by robots at the touch of a button or by a simple voice command. Whether it’s managing a busy calendar, making sure the laundry gets done, or having the latest headline news and a cup of hot coffee ready to make the morning a little less daunting, we all want tech to help make our lives a little easier. Thanks to Samsung’s vision for connected living, that futuristic world is becoming a reality.

At the Samsung Developer Conference 2017, the company announced a major step toward that vision with the consolidated SmartThings Cloud, which brought together all of Samsung’s IoT devices and services under a single, seamless platform. The addition of the SmartThings app unified the IoT experience, making it easier than ever to help consumers organize their lives, so they can achieve more. Developments like these have turned SmartThings into one of the largest connected platforms in the world – available in more than 200 markets with more than 18 million devices.

This year, Samsung is furthering those developments by opening the Bixby Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to collaborate with partners and developers, so that new mobile devices, home appliances, consumer electronics, connected cars, and services can leverage Samsung’s intelligence platform and continue to expand SmartThings.

Patrick Chomet, Executive Vice President of Product and Innovation at Samsung Electronics, sat down to discuss some of the company’s latest developments as it pushes toward a world of truly connected living.

Q: Let’s start big picture: what does the future of the IoT market look like?

A:  We live in a time where consumers are continually looking for new experiences. It’s not difficult to find people that use services on multiple devices, and there are signs that they increasingly find it more satisfying to pay for a new experience rather than purchase a new product. They say it brings them more joy.

So it’s not surprising to see new categories of products emerge – products that offer a novel experience for consumers. The Internet of Things, which is poised to expand quickly in the coming years, is a great example. Within this realm, smart speakers are carving out a solid space, posting significant growth in the number of units just in the span of one year from 2017.

It’s no exaggeration to say voice is going mainstream. This novel technology has become a disruptive force and is redefining how people interact with their devices. Some project half of all searches are expected to be by voice by 2020, and already nearly 40 percent of adults are said to use voice search once a day.

Against this backdrop, Samsung is in a position where it leads innovation at scale, enjoys a large installed base, and longlasting relationships with key partners. Considering the trends mentioned, and the heritage we have, Samsung is in a unique position to capture new opportunities in the IoT space.

Q: A lot can change in one year. Exactly how has Samsung’s IoT ecosystem developed since SDC 2017?

A: During SDC 2017, we announced the SmartThings cloud: a unified platform, controlling all Samsung devices. Now, we are focusing on opening it to partners. This is part of a broader concept, called ‘democratization of IoT.’

Q: Can you expand on what the democratization of IoT means for Samsung?

A: Consumers find the smart home setup complex; there are also too many ways to access and share content, and it is also virtually impossible to control all smart devices with one hub. Meanwhile, families want more out of voice commands; they look for ways to mitigate tedious tasks, and want to track things like energy usage and waste.

Considering these needs, Samsung is focusing on creating simple, yet relevant experiences at scale. This is the foundation for the ‘democratization of IoT.’ We are pursuing meaningful changes that help people live smarter, better lives.

Going forward, Samsung will focus on improving contextual experiences, whether it’s at home, out of home, or in the car with Connected Living, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, or Communication experiences. To support these experiences, Samsung is developing technological foundations (platforms) such as account management, Bixby, and SmartThings Cloud.

These platforms will be open to all partners. For instance, service partners will be invited to integrate their solutions with our platforms, providing access to their services to most of our customer touchpoints, such as screens and speakers.

To show this in practice, we developed a partnership with Korea Power Exchange. We’ve created a service that allows people to control and manage their energy consumption during peak periods when prices are at their highest. Not only do they save money, they do better for the environment.

Q: You’ve mentioned quite a few developments with Bixby – what role do these changes play in the democratization of IoT?

In the case of Bixby, our intelligent platform, we are opening the Bixby Developer Studio so that third-party developers can create their own Bixby-enabled services that can be used across Samsung’s huge device ecosystem. We’ve also introduced the Bixby Developer Center, a learning resource for developers, and the Bixby Marketplace, where they can sell their services. We’ve also expanded language support for Bixby, to bring those services to more markets.

Q: When it comes to building a bigger device ecosystem, how has Samsung been working on new SmartThings product integrations?

To provide peace of mind and simplify our home environment, we’ve partnered with Plume to create SmartThings Wi-Fi, an AI-powered router. Not only can it learn your usage patterns to optimize your home’s Wi-Fi performance, it can help you control and manage your home automations. We’ve also implemented Works with SmartThings (WWST), our functional and security certification program for SmartThings devices that ensures new devices meet our guidelines so consumers get the best experience.

Q: Let’s talk more about Galaxy Home. How does Galaxy Home fit into everything we’ve been talking about?

Galaxy Home will improve ‘connected living’ experiences and relationships with the ecosystem of home devices. Now, Galaxy Home could be used to streamline difficult set-ups, settings and control devices and services.

And soon, Galaxy Home will be able to command hundreds of devices, from your washing machine to your car, from the comfort of your couch. If you’ve got a Galaxy phone, it can even help you make calls or find it when you misplace it.

Q: There are already many smart speakers on the market. What makes Galaxy Home different?

First of all, it’s incredibly easy to set up. Thanks to Bixby, users get a more integrated smart home experience right out of the box and hands-free control of home devices.

In addition, the sound quality is one of the standout features. Galaxy Home comes equipped with Harman’s Natural Sound Processing (NSP) that automatically turns stereo signals into 5.1 surround sound, so you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of a concert when listening to your favorite album. It’s also the first smart speaker to feature Soundsteer, so you can tell Galaxy Home to aim the sound in your direction while you’re busy cooking in the kitchen or preparing for your day in the morning.

And last but not least, Galaxy Home comes with a growing list of ecosystem partners. One great example is Spotify, the leading music platform. It’s partnering with Samsung to provide the best music content so users can enjoy all this through an intelligent, premium sound experience.

The Samsung Developer Conference (SDC18) has officially begun, and San Francisco’s Moscone West convention center is buzzing with excitement about Samsung’s latest AI, IoT and mobile innovations.

Over the course of the conference’s jam-packed keynote event, Samsung and tech industry leaders revealed exciting enhancements to Bixby, SmartThings, UI/UX design and more, that will foster unified experiences across devices, software and services. By offering developers the tools they need to enrich our lives with more intelligent experiences, the advancements introduced at SDC18 will help make connected living a reality for more people.

In case you missed it, check out the highlights of the keynote event below.

Anticipation builds as SDC18 attendees await the beginning of the conference’s keynote event.

DJ Koh, Samsung Electronics’ President and CEO and of Head of IT and Mobile Communications Division, kicked off the conference by discussing how Samsung’s leadership in AI, IoT, and groundbreaking technologies like 5G has helped bring about “a new era of discovery and invention. A time not just of connected thinking, but of connected living.”

Eui-Suk Chung, Samsung’s EVP and Head of Software and Artificial Intelligence, shed some light on Samsung’s intelligence strategy, and how Bixby’s evolution into a scalable intelligence platform will empower people to do more with their devices. He also described how Samsung is expanding Bixby by incorporating support for more devices and languages, and opening the platform up to third-party services. In addition, Mr. Chung announced the launch of the Bixby Marketplace, which will offer partners and developers a new way to market their services to millions of Samsung device users. As he explained, “This is your opportunity. The largest device ecosystem in the world, at your fingertips, ready for your best ideas.”

Dag Kittlaus, CEO of Viv Labs, announced the release of the Bixby Developer Studio, the most comprehensive and powerful intelligent assistant toolset ever made, and introduced Samsung’s new Dynamic Program Generation technology.

Next, Mr. Kittlaus welcomed the CTO of Viv Labs, Adam Cheyer, to the stage for a demonstration of the Bixby Developer Studio. Before walking attendees through the ins and outs of the Studio’s developer tools, Mr. Cheyer described why he finds this announcement particularly exciting: “What we are introducing today, for the first time, promotes a new developer paradigm where an AI and a human developer work together collaboratively, each doing what they do best.”

Samsung’s VP of Engineering, Dr. Jaeyeon Jung, described how the company is enriching SmartThings with new partnerships and devices, such as SmartThings Wifi and the SmartThings Button, to make staying connected at home simple. As she explained, “This consistent and seamless SmartThings experience across multiple devices takes home automation to the next level.”

Magnus Ekenheim, SmartThings’ VP of Engineering, elaborated on Samsung’s efforts to make IoT less fragmented and less complicated, “to help developers create new IoT devices and services, and bring them to market faster.” He also announced a slew of new developer resources, including Works with SmartThings and the redesigned SmartThings Developer Workspace, which enable partners and developers to deliver world-class IoT experiences to their customers.

Dr. Jung returned to the stage to discuss ways that developers can utilize the latest addition to the Samsung ecosystem, Galaxy Home, to “bring the Intelligence of Things to life” for consumers. She explained how Galaxy Home’s combination of premium sound and Bixby and SmartThings support enables it to serve as a gateway for controlling smart devices, and emphasized the incredible opportunity that this powerful combo offers developers. “Any idea can become part of the Galaxy Home” she said.

Over the course of his jam-packed presentation, Pedro Freitas, Samsung’s Director of Smart TV Service Business, announced the launches of Samsung’s Voice Media Control API, which enables TV partners to leverage Bixby to offer consumers more control over their favorite content, as well as the new TV Plus Channel Management System (TV Plus CMS), an update to the TV Plus service that launched in 2016. He also revealed that Samsung will be opening up Ambient Mode to developers very soon; outlined how Samsung Smart TVs’ SmartThings Dashboard feature allows users to easily monitor and control their connected devices and appliances; and discussed optimizing IoT devices with Tizen RT.

Samsung’s Senior Designer of UX Design, Jee Won Lee, walked the crowd through a very special demonstration of the company’s new One UI, which features a simple yet compelling design that makes interactions with your mobile device more natural, and makes it easier to focus on tasks at hand. She followed that up with the announcement that the One UI will be available to developers in select markets beginning in November via Samsung’s official beta testing program.

Anticipation builds as Samsung’s Director of Product Marketing, Hassan Anjum, recounts some of the groundbreaking innovations that have led to Samsung’s latest breakthrough in mobile screen technology.

Justin Denison, Samsung’s SVP of Mobile Product Marketing, introduced Samsung’s vision for the next generation of mobile displays: the Infinity Flex Display. Its foldable design offers users the best of both worlds: a compact smartphone that unfolds to reveal a large, immersive display for multitasking and viewing content.

Glen Murphy, Director and Head of Android UX at Google, discussed his company’s deep partnership with Samsung before announcing that Android is officially adding support for the Infinity Flex Display’s foldable form factor.

After the event, SDC18 attendees get a closer look at Samsung’s newest developer tools and technologies.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled powerful new developer tools for its Bixby and SmartThings platforms, as well as new, powerful mobile experiences with One UI and Infinity Flex Display. To make connected living a reality, Samsung is making it easier for developers and partners to quickly build, launch and scale new experiences to millions of devices around the world.

“We have achieved significant advancements in AI and IoT, which will be crucial to bringing our connected living vision to life,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics.

“The progress made to Bixby and SmartThings opens a new chapter where third party products and services can be integrated to the AI and IoT platforms at scale.

“The foldable display lays the foundation for a new kind of mobile experience. We are excited to work with developers on this new platform to create new value for our customers. We cannot wait to see where the technology and collaboration takes us.”

Building a Scalable Intelligence Platform

Bixby started as an intelligent interface, a practical way to use your voice to interact with your phone. Now, Samsung is evolving it into a scalable intelligence platform to support the diverse products and services in a consumer’s life. At SDC 2018, Samsung is unveiling new ways for developers to bring a more conversational, personal and useful intelligent assistant experience to more consumers.

To make it easier for developers to scale services powered by Bixby, Samsung is introducing the Bixby Developer Studio. The collection of tools provides an intuitive way for developers and partners to infuse intelligence into more services and devices. Developers will be able to easily create Bixby Capsules – features or services created for Bixby – and make them easily accessible to consumers in the Bixby Marketplace. The Bixby platform will allow developers to easily adapt their capsules from mobile phones and televisions to home appliances and other products across the Samsung ecosystem.

As part of its efforts to scale Bixby services, Samsung is expanding support to five new languages in the coming months, including British English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Delivering a Connected Lifestyle for Everyone

Samsung’s connected living vision is centered around an open IoT ecosystem that unites the growing number of connected devices on a single platform. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, SmartThings delivers a connected experience in a single app, bringing IoT beyond the smart home, into the car, office and everywhere in-between.

Samsung is now making it faster and easier for developers to connect their devices and services to the SmartThings platform with a new suite of tools in the redesigned SmartThings Developer Workspace. These enhanced tools include SmartThings Cloud Connector, SmartThings Device Kit and SmartThings Hub Connector. Developers can build and launch on the platform, as well as easily integrate cloud-connected, Zigbee and Z-Wave devices.

Additionally, the upgraded Works with SmartThings (WWST) certification program gives developers direct access to SmartThings experts and resources. WWST helps ensure devices and services are fully optimized for the platform, so consumers enjoy the best possible experience.

Pioneering User Experience and Display Innovation

Samsung introduces a new and intuitive interface design called One UI. Its clean and minimal design keeps the most relevant content on the bottom half of the screen – making it more natural and comfortable for one-handed use. The experience was reengineered to reduce clutter and distractions, allowing the user to better focus and quickly navigate their phone.

Samsung continues to build on its legacy of category-defining form factor and display innovation that has paved the way for a breakthrough foldable smartphone form factor. The Infinity Flex Display together with One UI delivers a new kind of mobile experience allowing users to do things they couldn’t do with an ordinary smartphone. Users now have the best of both worlds: a compact smartphone that unfolds to reveal a larger immersive display for multitasking and viewing content. The app experience seamlessly transitions from the smaller display to the larger display as the device unfolds. In addition, users can browse, watch, connect and multitask without losing a beat, simultaneously using three active apps on the larger display.

Because the Infinity Flex Display is a next generation platform, Samsung invites developers to participate in this journey from the beginning. Working collaboratively with Google and the Android developer community, Samsung will maximize the potential of this new form factor to create an optimized foldable user experience.

For more information about Samsung Developer Conference 2018, please visit http://sdc.developer.samsung.com/. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and using the hashtag #SDC18.

About Samsung Developer Conference

SDC brings together thousands of developers and creators to explore today’s tech and visualize what’s possible in the future. The two-day conference will feature exciting keynote announcements, technical sessions and valuable networking time. Plus, Samsung product teams and technology partners will showcase the latest tech advances and tools.

At last year’s Samsung Developer Conference, I spoke about connected thinking, and touched on some of the incredible experiences that become possible when we unify connections across devices. Our announcement of SmartThings marked a big step toward creating that seamlessly connected future.

So much has happened since then. During the past year, game-changing technologies like 5G, which were once experimental, have become commercially available; breakthrough AI capabilities that once seemed impossible are now within reach; and SmartThings has evolved into the world’s most comprehensive open IoT platform.

Which brings us to where we stand today—at the cusp of a new era of discovery and invention. A time in which intelligent services connect people to the tools they need and the experiences they desire; a time of incredible economic opportunity, built on new insights about how the world works and what customers want; and a time in which the ubiquity of an IoT platform like SmartThings propels us beyond the era of connected thinking and into the era of connected living.

It is with great pride that I can say that Samsung has been at the forefront of many of the advances that have laid the foundation for this new era. In addition to expanding SmartThings, we’ve delivered AI innovations that are redefining connectivity and automation, we pioneered the development of 5G technologies, and we even launched the world’s first residential 5G service in the U.S.

Our partnerships—and of course, the support of the developer community—have been instrumental to getting us to this point, where the pieces are in place for intelligence that learns and adapts; 5G connectivity that makes smart cities, smart homes and autonomous vehicles a reality; and devices that are secure and powerful enough to transform how we interact with each other and the world around us.

This year’s Samsung Developer Conference (SDC18) marks a gigantic step toward finally delivering these once far-off technologies. Or, as we at Samsung like to think of it, the next step toward transforming what’s next into what’s now.

Here at SDC18, we’re unveiling new SmartThings development tools that will demonstrate the true value of connected living, as well as enhancements to our Bixby intelligence platform that will unlock the power of AI in more products and services, and new hardware and interface concepts that will unfold an exciting new future for mobile services.

Each innovation adds strength to the world’s most powerful technology ecosystem, and will ultimately help us create a new world of experiences that flow with people as they manage their lives and move through their day.

I truly believe that we’re standing at a turning point in our industry. A new generation of technological breakthroughs has opened the door for change at a pace unlike anything we’ve seen before, and created new opportunities on a scale that exceeds imagination. The potential to change people’s lives has never been greater, and the opportunities have never been more exciting.

SDC18 is all about seizing these opportunities. With the help of partners and developers who share our commitment to innovation inspired by people, we’ll foster an ecosystem of open innovation that spans every aspect of people’s lives. I can’t wait to see how the technologies we’re showcasing right now at SDC18 will be used to discover what comes next.

*This editorial is based on DJ Koh’s keynote address at SDC18

Earlier this year, Samsung introduced the new Bixby – a more conversational, more personal and more useful intelligent assistant. Bixby keeps the dialogue moving forward to get things done. It gets to know you and learns from you, to personalize how it helps you. Bixby serves as your personal assistant, making it quick and easy to complete a variety of tasks from start to finish through a growing number of third-party partners. If you say, “Hi, Bixby, give me a restaurant recommendation,” Bixby remembers that you like a certain cuisine, like Italian, and brings those recommendations to the top of the list. Ask Bixby to buy tickets to a concert, and it will ask you follow up questions to find the best seats for you, making the process quicker and easier.*

Now Samsung is bringing that experience to even more devices and services. To evolve Bixby into Samsung’s intelligence platform, we are laying the groundwork to build a scalable AI platform, making it simpler and easier for developers to create user experiences powered by Bixby.

At Samsung Developer Conference 2018, we’re announcing that we’re opening Bixby Developer Studio, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), to developers. It offers access to the same development tools Samsung’s internal developers use to create Bixby Capsules, which is what developers build to add features to Bixby. It’s all part of Samsung’s unique approach to AI, with the goal of building a scalable, open AI platform where developers and service providers can access tools to bring Bixby to more people and devices around the world.

“Our goal is to offer developers a robust, scalable and open AI platform that makes it easy for them to launch and evolve the amazing experiences they create for our users,” said Kyunghak Hyun, Product Manager of the AI Product Management Group at Samsung. “As Samsung’s ecosystem of devices continues to grow, it creates more points of contact not just for Bixby, but for a growing number of third-party services as well. Developers have more ways to reach users, and users get more opportunities to make the most of them.”

Check out the infographic below for all the latest updates to Bixby from Samsung Developer Conference 2018.

*Bixby service availability varies by region.

Check out the infographic below to learn more.

Mobile technology was designed to be taken everywhere, keeping us connected no matter where we go. Today, that technology extends to home appliances, TVs, cars and more, enabling us to do what we couldn’t before. The challenge has been developing a network, or ecosystem, that brings all these next-generation products together to create a seamless connected experience.

Guided by a philosophy of developing meaningful innovation and a long-term vision of connected living, Samsung has worked hard to develop an IoT ecosystem that inspires and allows people to simply do more. At SDC 2017 we announced a consolidated SmartThings Cloud, bringing all of Samsung’s IoT devices and services in a centralized ecosystem and giving users complete control from a single app. Since then, the ecosystem has grown rapidly and global partnerships have helped millions around the world simplify their everyday life.

Samsung is taking seamless connectivity to the next level. At SDC18, developers will hear about new tools and programs that will help them reimagine how connected technologies can simplify our lives through an open and intelligent SmartThings platform. Check out the infographic below to learn more.

Every year Samsung brings together the world’s greatest minds in technology as they roll out the company’s latest developer tools, showcasing how it can make the world a better place by delivering on consumer demands and solving complex social problems.

uSound, for example, developed an app that helps detect risk of hearing loss. It’s all part of Samsung’s effort to encourage companies to innovate and apply technology for the greater good.

From November 7^th-8^th, Samsung will once again host its thought-provoking conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Some of its most inspirational technology partners will be on display including Rehago, Dytective, and uSound.

From inspirational speeches to hands on experience with development tools, thousands of developers will have the opportunity to discover and take part in developing new applications and ground-breaking technologies. Here are just a few of the inspirational companies Samsung is already working with.

Rehago

Virtual reality meets rehabilitation with Rehago’s innovative training system that helps hemiplegic stroke patients, or those suffering with paralysis in half of their body due to stroke, during recovery. The company first came onto the radar at Samsung Electronics Germany’s “Life’s a Pitch” start-up competition in Frankfurt, where they won first place. The competition focuses on new technologies that will develop sustainable solutions for major societal challenges. Rehago has gone through a first prototype pilot test which will later be implemented for both inpatient and outpatient neuro-rehabilitation clinics. SDC attendees can see the project first hand at the company’s booth.

uSound for Samsung

With more than 6% of the world’s population suffering from disabling hearing loss, the Argentina-based company uSound saw an opportunity to help. They designed an app that helps detect the risk of hearing loss and improves quality of life through communication and education for those affected by it. Starting in Jujuy Province, Argentina the company provided access to a simple three-step diagnostic tool accessible from smartphones – entirely free of charge.  Together with Samsung, uSound will work to develop compatible apps, support product development and work towards international expansion.

Dytective

During 2017, Samsung and the Spain-based company Change Dyslexia worked together to help educators and families to detect the risk of dyslexia through the Dytective app. Dyslexia is a learning disability affecting an estimated 10% of population in reading and writing skills. It is often hidden or misdiagnosed and has become one of the main causes of school failure as a result. Using linguistic games, the app was created to detect dyslexia risk in early phases in just 15 minutes. After its launch first in Spain and then Argentina in 2017 as Dytective for Samsung, the campaign reached 80,000 downloads, resulting in more than 7,500 cases of dyslexia risk identified. Now Dytective continues their reach with 150,000 tests achieved so far through Change Dyslexia. Samsung’s partnership with the company was vital in the development of the application and its promotion at launch. Also, in Argentina, Samsung developed an online workshop which brings tools to parents and teachers and improves the education process, recommending technologies for reading and writing through sound, with almost 40,000 students completing the training so far.

Thermal Imaging Camera

Among Samsung’s more unique projects, Thermal Imaging Camera was born in Korea out of the company’s C-Lab, an incubator that helps accelerate start-up companies. Thermal Imaging Camera is a thermal imaging solution inspired by a real-life emergency experienced by firefighter Han Gyeong-Seung. Smoke impaired his vision on a rescue mission, causing him to be unable to see that a victim was left behind in a burning building. Thermal Imaging Camera helps firefighters see in smoke-filled buildings, improving their ability to rescue people in low-visibility situations. Traditional thermal imaging devices were too bulky and expensive to dispatch in real-world missions, so Han approached Samsung Tomorrow Solution, a social contribution contest, to request the development of a small, light, easy-to-use solution that can be attached to firefighters’ masks. Samsung has already donated 1,000 of the cameras to the National Fire Department of Korea and is studying the possibility of international distribution.

To learn more about Samsung’s social contribution, visit https://news.samsung.com/global/category/corporate/citizenship for news on their latest projects.

“I’m looking forward to talking to Marc, Dag and the developers about where we want to head with this opportunity and responsibility,” said Spike Jonze. “See you there.”

Additional Speakers and Topics

• Yoon C. Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Content and Services at Samsung Electronics America, will host the spotlight session and set the stage with opening remarks.
• Sarah Bond, Head of Global Gaming Partnerships and Development, Microsoft/Xbox, and Thomas Ko, Vice President of the Service Management Group at Samsung, will discuss the potential of new technologies on the future of gaming.
• Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, producer of smash hit game ‘Fortnite’, and John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, maker of the blockbuster ‘Pokemon Go’ will join the panel with Thomas Ko to discuss what they see in the future as mobile technologies and mobile game experiences evolve at a rapid pace to bring new and better experience to gamers and how game developers must prepare to help build that future.
• Nobutaka (Nobu) Ide, President and CEO of Wacom will join Sally Joeng, Vice President of the Framework R&D Group at Samsung, to examine how the Samsung S Pen is reshaping the ways in which consumers interact with their device to get things done.

For more information about Samsung Developer Conference 2018, please visit http://sdc.developer.samsung.com/. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and using the hashtag #SDC18.

About Samsung Developer Conference

SDC brings together thousands of developers and creators to explore today’s tech and visualize what’s possible in the future. The two-day conference will feature exciting keynote announcements, technical sessions and valuable networking time. Plus, Samsung product teams and technology partners will showcase the latest tech advances and tools.

This year’s Samsung Developer Conference (SDC18) is still more than a week away, but the excitement is already building for Samsung’s showcase of technologies that will help developers and creators build the software and services of tomorrow.

Held from November 7–8 in San Francisco, SDC18 offers a platform for developers and partners to unlock exciting business opportunities by utilizing Samsung’s latest technology. The conference features a full slate of enlightening sessions, hosted by Samsung and tech industry leaders, that cover the latest advancements in AI, IoT and more. These engaging and informative lectures, panels and workshops offer attendees a first look at the company’s newest SDKs, partnerships and dev tools, and allow them to connect one-on-one with Samsung product experts and developers from across the industry.

Read on to learn more about some of the exciting sessions that will make SDC18 an event Where Now Meets Next.

Spotlight Session

The Spotlight Session headlining day two of SDC18 will cover some of the tech industry’s most interesting topics. Hear from thought leaders in gaming and AI as they discuss exciting news, and reveal their respective outlooks on the future.

Samsung will also share insights into its gaming strategy during the session, and spotlight innovations encompassing artificial intelligence, the S Pen, and much more. Speakers include Sarah Bond, Xbox/Microsoft’s Head of Global Gaming Partnerships and Development; Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, the studio behind the wildly popular Fortnite; and John Hanke, Founder and CEO of Niantic Labs, makers of Pokémon Go.

Bixby

SDC18 features a variety of sessions that demonstrate how Samsung’s intelligence, Bixby, is shaping the landscape for AI platforms. Spanning lectures, panels and interactive activities, these sessions, including those listed below, offer attendees the insights they need to develop seamless user experiences for a wide range of devices and services.

• Bixby and the New Exponential Frontier of Intelligent Assistants
  In this session, key business and technical leaders from the Bixby team will explain the ins and outs of the technology, outline Bixby’s vision for a new kind of open ecosystem for developers, and discuss how and why to get involved.

• Teaching Bixby Fundamentals: What You Need to Know
  Learn how to access Bixby’s development tools, including Bixby SDK and IDE, to create a Bixby experience for your business and prepare it for launch within the Bixby ecosystem.

• Conquer the World with Bixby: Building for Multiple Languages and Locations
  The world is filled with millions of devices and millions of users. In this session, you’ll learn how to expand your user base by offering experiences that work well on multiple devices and for multiple languages and locales, while maximizing code reuse across experiences.

SmartThings

Last year at SDC, Samsung unveiled SmartThings, a new platform for connecting and controlling smart devices. This year, the company will discuss SmartThings’ latest enhancements, and demonstrate ways to implement the intuitive platform into more devices. Highlighted sessions include:

• SmartThings 101: New to SmartThings
  This session will discuss topics such as which kinds of SmartThings API integrations can be built, as well as how to quickly create and integrate with the SmartThings API.

• Streamlining IoT Systems: SmartThings Cloud-to-Cloud Device Integration
  This session will introduce a new Developer Workspace for integrating cloud-connected devices with SmartThings. The workspace will feature new APIs and tools that will streamline development and go-to-market processes. Devices that are integrated with SmartThings will be controlled by Bixby and other voice assistant platforms, as well as a full ecosystem of automation and service integrations.

• What’s New in the SmartThings Platform?
  The SmartThings ecosystem has seen tremendous growth since its renewed launch last year. This session will cover what’s new with the platform, and discuss incorporating support for new services and devices.

Gaming

Two years ago, at SDC 2016, Samsung launched its Galaxy GameDev program, which offers developers the support they need to bring their games to life. This year, Samsung is renewing its commitment to empowering developers’ creativity by introducing a slew of new SDKs and tools. A series of fun technical sessions will demonstrate how to utilize these technologies to optimize games for Galaxy devices. Notable sessions include:

• Galaxy: The Best GameDev Platform
  This session will examine Galaxy GameDev partnerships with some of the biggest names in mobile games, and preview soon-to-be-released tools and a new SDK.

• Fortnite Behind the Story: Road to Android and Vulkan Collaboration with Galaxy GameDev
  Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Samsung and Epic Games optimized the global-phenomenon game’s performance for Galaxy devices.

And Much More

Also included among the dozens of sessions in SDC18’s jam-packed lineup are presentations that will introduce enhancements to fan-favorite apps such as Samsung Pay and Samsung Health, as well as Samsung DeX, AR Emoji, Bixby Vision, Samsung Knox, and the Tizen OS. Notable sessions include:

• Do What Your Phone Can’t With Samsung DeX
  Samsung DeX allows you to turn virtually any place into a workplace by letting you use your phone to power a PC-like experience. In addition to sharing updates on how to optimize apps for Samsung DeX, this session will include a demonstration of how the new Linux on DeX helps developers work more flexibly.

• Technical Aspects of Galaxy Watch App Development
  This session will discuss key aspects of Galaxy Watch app development, with a focus on the Tizen 4.0 Wearable SDK. Attendees will learn how to develop a best-in-show Galaxy Watch app from concept to design and development, and explore exciting use cases for Galaxy Watch users.

• Samsung AR Emoji Studio: Create and Market New Avatars
  The combination of AR and emojis has changed the way people communicate and express themselves digitally. In this session, attendees can check out Samsung’s new Avatar Studio and its features and tools, and learn how to publish new 3D avatars in the Galaxy Apps store.

• Samsung Pay, More Than a Wallet
  Samsung Pay, a widely accepted mobile payment service, now includes even more features that can help merchants grow their online and offline businesses. Our Samsung Pay In-App and Web SDKs have enabled frictionless online payments at merchants around the world. We’ll unveil new, exciting implementations that offer merchants unique and compelling ways to connect with consumers.

Additional details on these and other SDC18 sessions may be found here. For more information on this year’s conference, including registration details, please visit SDC18’s official website. And don’t forget to follow @samsung_dev on Twitter and keep an eye on the hashtag “#SDC18” for the latest news and updates.