Samsung Electronics today announced that it will host the Samsung Developer Conference 2024 (SDC24) at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in California on October 3.

As the tenth edition of SDC, the event will celebrate a decade of open innovation and collaboration with developers, partners and customers with a focus on how to make the most of today’s AI innovation.

Participants are encouraged to livestream the Samsung SDC24 keynote at 10:00 am PT on October 3. The presentation will highlight the latest cross-platform innovation opportunities including ways to leverage SmartThings, Galaxy AI, Knox and Tizen for next-generation solutions. This will explore how developers can harness AI capabilities to create game-changing new apps and services while leveraging Samsung’s trusted platforms.

JH Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, will open SDC24 with a keynote that celebrates Samsung’s vision of AI for All, which focuses on a more personalized and safe multi-device AI experience that encompasses mobile, TV and home appliances. He will also speak about Samsung’s principles for AI ethics, which is at the core of Samsung’s AI technology development. Other speakers include:

• Daehyun Kim, EVP, Head of Global AI Center, Samsung Research
• Sally Hyesoon Jeong, EVP, Head of Framework R&D, Mobile eXperience Business
• Moon-soo Kim, VP, Head of Application S/W R&D, Visual Display Business
• Alex Y Lee, EVP, Head of Visual eXperience PM, Visual Display Business
• Young Ah Lee, VP, Head of UX, Digital Appliances Business
• Ho-bum Kwon, VP, Head of Platform, Samsung Research
• Jaeyeon Jung, EVP, Head of SmartThings, Device Platform Center
• Shin Baik, Head of Security Assurance, Device Platform Center and more

Beyond the keynote address, SDC24 will feature breakout sessions open for attendees to collaborate and learn more about Samsung’s latest developer-focused platforms and services including SmartThings, Samsung Health, Tizen and more. Sessions will give participants opportunities to delve into its latest software developments and services, and they will also learn more about how to leverage Samsung’s AI solutions for new opportunities.

In addition, some sessions will be featured on the Open Stage, where attendees can get industry insights from experts and even meet up with a special guest speaker. Hands-on demos of the latest products and services will be available at Tech Square. At the Code Lab, developers can explore exciting new tools and software development kits (SDKs), as well as try out the latest Samsung Developers education platform, which covers a series of topics for participants to play, learn, and further develop their skills.

The keynote will be livestreamed through the Samsung YouTube and Samsung Developer sites at the time of the event.

For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference 2024, please visit http://developer.samsung.com/sdc. Further information can also be found on X (@samsung_dev), Facebook (@samsungdev) and Instagram (@samsung_dev) with the hashtag #SDC24.

The annual conference will mark the ninth SDC since being first held in 2013. Unlike last year, when it was only possible for invited participants to attend, anyone can attend SDC23 with prior registration.

At SDC23, Samsung will highlight platform innovation including SmartThings, Bixby, Knox and Tizen. This focus will illustrate ways Samsung’s various business areas and devices are expanding seamless customer experiences. In addition, the company will share its cooperation plan and open innovation strategies with developers and partners to build next-generation connected experiences for millions around the world.

JH Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, will open SDC23 with a keynote that outlines the company’s vision based on tech innovation and expansion of customer experience. This technology enables a more personalized and secure customer experience with the help of platform innovation and a strengthened ecosystem. He will be joined by other Samsung executives who will share the company’s strategies in areas relating to future technologies. The list of speakers includes:

• Jaeyeon Jung, EVP, SmartThings Team
• Hobum Kwon, VP, Platform Team, Samsung Research
• Bongjun Ko, EVP, Application S/W R&D Group, Visual Display Business
• Sally Hyesoon Jung, VP, Framework R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business
• Hon Pak, VP, Digital Health Team, Mobile eXperience Business, and more

Beyond the keynote address, SDC23 will feature breakout sessions open for attendees to have opportunities to collaborate and learn more about Samsung’s latest developer-focused platforms and tools, including One UI 6, SmartThings, Matter, Bixby, Tizen, Samsung Health and more.

In addition, some sessions will be held in the “Open Theater” where participants can talk about various topics on the spot, while participants who are interested in coding can participate in actual coding through “Code Lab” and receive mentoring from Samsung developers on various topics.

The keynote and major sessions will be livestreamed through Samsung YouTube and Samsung Developer sites at the time of the event.

For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference 2023, please visit http://developer.samsung.com/sdc. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and Facebook (@samsungdev) with the hashtag #SDC23.

Watch the video below to check out some of Samsung’s KBIS 2023 highlights, from its booth to its key products unveiled at this year’s exhibition.

Supporting Fast, Smooth Telecommunication Anywhere: The Ultra-High Performing Modem with AI Technology

The term “modem” encompasses all types, from the dial-up modems used in the 1990s to connect PCs to the Internet, to wired communication modems like digital subscriber line (DSL) and cable, to wireless communication modems for cellular service and Wi-Fi. However, when we talk about modems today in the mobile industry, the term usually refers to cellular modems for wireless communication that support LTE and 5G.

In a smartphone, the terminal modem is in charge of making calls and transmitting and receiving data by exchanging signals with base stations. The reason we can make calls and seamlessly watch videos anywhere is all thanks to high-performing cellular modems. Today, the latest cellular modems support technologies from 2G to 5G. 

Cellular modems were first used for 1G when only phone calls could be made using the analog communication method. In the 2G era, the digital communication method¹ was introduced, and additional services such as the short message service (SMS) became possible. 3G enabled the use of the Internet on mobile phones, laying the foundation for mobile broadband,² and 4G ushered in the true mobile broadband era that made seamlessly watching HD videos possible. The speed of 5G, which Korea was first in the world to commercialize in 2019, now reaches the 10Gbps level, and various applications other than mobile devices are being created using this low-latency and hyper-connectivity technology. 

▲ A comparison of the characteristics of different mobile communication generations.

With the advent of the LTE era, data transmission speeds have become remarkably higher, and mobile phones can now provide functions almost identical to those provided by computers. Having experimented with developing its own modem before the 2000s, Samsung Electronics began developing an LTE modem chip in earnest in 2007 and became the first in the world to succeed in LTE modem commercialization in 2009, after mastering 2G and 3G technologies.

▲ The communication process between a modem and a base station.

In 2012, the Galaxy S series was equipped with Samsung’s LTE modems for the first time. In 2019, the 5G-integrated SoC Exynos, the first ever chip to combine a 5G communication modem and a mobile AP, was developed. Exynos improved energy efficiency by combining two chips with different functions into one as well as the ease of design for smartphone manufacturers by reducing the area taken up by the component. Currently, Exynos’ 5G³ modem supports not only the sub-6GHz band but also extremely high frequency bands (i.e., mmWave), such as 28GHz and 39GHz. Thanks to this, sub-6GHz increases service coverage, and ultra-high-speed communication is offered with mmWave near base stations. 

Today, Samsung is one of the world’s top three 5G modem design companies. “Generally, the process for developing a modem is complicated because it must support new technology like 5G and already commercialized technologies like 3G and LTE. As it also requires a significant investment, there are only a handful of modem chip companies in the world,” said Vice President Jungwon Lee, a signal processing expert who currently leads the Modem Development Team in the System LSI Business after working at Samsung DS America and at Samsung Research America. “It is an area that also requires a lot of development time, from algorithm development to chip design, software development and field testing.”

▲ Vice President Jungwon Lee (right) and PL Huiwon Je (left) of the Modem Development Team strive to improve the development performance of cellular modems.

Samsung is conducting field tests in countries around the world to improve service coverage as much as possible and making various efforts to improve the baseband signal processing method, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to increase transmission speeds. As a result, the company successfully created a modem that utilizes AI algorithms last year, although it is yet to be commercialized. “Modems with AI technology can promote performance enhancements by minimizing the processing of interference signals or increasing energy efficiency through the use of AI processors,” said Lee.

In addition to 5G, Samsung is currently actively working on the development of 6G technology. “Right now, we are focused on developing the world’s best 5G modem and 5G-Advanced modem, and we are preparing for 6G modem technology research in collaboration with Samsung DS America and Samsung Research for the imminent 6G era,” said Lee. His achievements in modem signal processing technology were recognized when he was selected as a Fellow of the IEEE.⁴

“6G modems are expected to enable 1Tbps-level speeds, support various communication networks including satellite communication, and be widely used in various applications, such as automobiles, IoT and AR/VR — going far beyond smartphones,” he said. “To pave the way for the 6G era, we must have the backing and support of various frequency bands, including the terahertz (THz) band, multi-antenna support for at least hundreds of antennas, advanced AI technology and communication network signal efficiency technology.”

Meanwhile, Lee is leading the way for Samsung as the company aims to create the best modem for Android. “We are expanding our 5G business in the short run while striving to secure a leading position early on in the 6G era in the medium to long-term,” he said. Samsung plans to drastically increase the headcount of the Modem Development Team to improve such performance and to expand related business markets. 

“I am proud to be a part of the development team of a major global company that leads modem technology. On a more personal note, I find it fascinating to see how what I learned from theories can actually be implemented in many cases when applied to products,” said Lee when asked why he was so drawn to modems. “Today, having seamless telephone conversations anytime and anywhere and the high-speed internet experience have become a fundamental part of life. The thing that has allowed us to experience this convenient life is modems, and the Modem Development Team is enthusiastic about continuing to play its role in these developments.”

Making an Extensive Connectivity Environment That Works Quickly and Fluidly

The two main telecommunication standards for mobile wireless communications are cellular networks and connectivity. The cellular network represented by the 3GPP standard⁵ refers to telecommunication standards such as CDMA, LTE and 5G. It provides a wide range of service coverages in certain bandwidths licensed for mobile carriers and does this via the infrastructure of various base stations. Connectivity, on the other hand, is represented by IEEE 802.11(Wi-Fi)/802.15 (Bluetooth, ZigBee, UWB⁶). It utilizes Industry-Science-Medical (ISM) bandwidth that can be used by anyone. Connectivity follows local telecommunication standards for indoors and provides service to all.

▲ The types of Wi-Fi protocols for wireless connection

“Cellular network” is a service with an infrastructure based on mobility and is mainly operated by establishing networks that cover wide areas. On the other hand, “connectivity” provides wireless access among devices within a short distance without using infra-networks established by operators. This allows for the convenience of portability without wires. In particular, Wi-Fi boasts a faster transmission speed more reliably than cellular networks over relatively long distances, especially indoors. This is why Wi-Fi is so widely used for connecting mobile phones, laptops and so on. Just like peer-to-peer (P2P), Wi-Fi is better for selective and intensive telecommunication that can, when necessary, facilitate high transmission speeds. This makes it more appropriate for next-generation IoT devices, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) devices.

These days, it is hard to even imagine daily life without Wi-Fi. It is easy to forget that, just 20 years ago, Wi-Fi was not expected to become the most commonplace wireless data telecommunications technology. However, as the industry expanded to smartphone-based technology, the realization grew that Wi-Fi was the most effective method of response to today’s data traffic explosion. Thanks to the lower cost of setting up and operating — when compared to cellular networks — it is a method that is still growing exponentially.

Unlike cellular systems using infra-networks, the data link range of a Wi-Fi network can only be extended up to a few hundred meters, so it is emphatically local. In addition, as it uses unlicensed bandwidth, it can be affected by interference from other telecommunication systems, making it risky for supporting advanced Quality of Service (QoS).⁷ However, as cellular and Wi-Fi convergence technology advances, it continues to provide a huge convenience: an undisrupted user experience. All over the world, Wi-Fi has long gone beyond being seen as a specific technology and is instead treated more like a public infrastructure.

“Back in 2016, a dedicated team was set up to get Wi-Fi technology to the point where it could be integrated into the Exynos processor,” said Joonsuk Kim, Executive Vice President of the Connectivity Development Team. Kim was the team leader when the Connectivity Team was first established when joining Samsung in 2016. “In only about four to five years, we completed the development of the legacy protocols all the way up to the sixth generation of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) by achieving technological stability and readiness. Although there was not enough investment or talent, our technology caught up in just a short period of time,” he recalled.

▲ Exynos’ Wi-Fi technology nearing the market leader in only six years

After its success in developing and commercializing Wi-Fi 6E, as well as all the previous Wi-Fi protocols, Samsung Electronics is now developing Wi-Fi 7, which is targeted for next generation flagship as a discrete modem. Since Wi-Fi needs to provide connection for all mobile and IoT devices supporting the latest protocol, it is crucial that the performance of all legacy protocols is improved and maintained and that the performance of the most recent protocol is similarly secured. This latest protocol — Wi-Fi 7 — will likely be expanded to the market from 2024. It boasts the Multi-Link Operation (MLO),⁸ a channel bandwidth of 320MHz and 4096QAM.⁹ Through these capabilities, Wi-Fi 7 will have the advantages of faster data transmission speed, increased data transmission volume, improved power efficiency and the ability to support undisrupted wireless connectivity, even in an environment where users abound.

▲ The size of the Wi-Fi market is projected to grow from 4.7 billion in 2022 to 6 billion in 2027.
Source: LANCOM (Survey Digital Policy in Germany), TSR (June 2022)

In order to further enhance the fast transmission speeds of Wi-Fi, the internal processor core needs to become more complex than it currently is, and an internal memory with a large capacity is required.

“To make this happen, we are staying focused on research and development of multi-processor structures, and on securing the intellectual properties necessary for fast transmission,” Kim said. “Until now, companies in other countries have been the main players leading the development of Wi-Fi solutions. But the Wi-Fi technology of Exynos is the only Wi-Fi solution in Korea that is commercialized on a large scale. I’m confident that, when it comes to embedded Wi-Fi solutions for mobile SoC, our technology comes second to none,” Kim said.

This is important, because, when it comes to Wi-Fi, only the best is good enough for customers. Although most people, in general, do not realize how much of an advanced technology Wi-Fi truly is, they do expect to be able to access fast, uninterrupted Wi-Fi almost wherever they are.

“Many users recognize revolutions in cellular networks, such as the LTE and 5G, as advanced technologies, thanks to their advertisement as major features of phones in mobile carriers’ active marketing,” said Kim. “However, by contrast, people do not quite seem to recognize how quickly Wi-Fi technology is evolving.”

▲EVP Joonsuk Kim has been working on connectivity technology for 20 years.

However, when asked if he thinks the role of Wi-Fi will still be important in the future, Kim was resolute.

“The data transmitted through Wi-Fi these days makes up 70 to 80%¹⁰ of overall wireless data traffic,” he said. “Cellular networks and connectivity technology pursue different usage scenarios and this is not likely to change any time soon. Wi-Fi technology and cellular technology should advance together by complementing each other. As the role of information technology (IT) becomes more important in our lives, the ability to minimize dead-zones and provide stable connections and fast data services indoors will become very important for Wi-Fi technology.”

To fully tap into future technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse, fast speed and low latency are crucial.

“Wi-Fi uses low-frequency bandwidth, such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz,” Kim explained. “So the diffraction is relatively higher, and this enables the fast, stable transmission of data.”

As 320MHz frequency became usable with the availability of 6GHz bandwidth, connections between devices with ultra-fast and low-latency could be achieved even faster than originally expected. Kim emphasized the role of Wi-Fi advancement in this process. At the same time, the Connectivity Development Team developed and completed the commercialization of the latest specification (BT5.2), Bluetooth and GNSS that successfully entered the Flagship by applying L5 satellite and sensor correction technology for high-performance positioning, and recently indoor positioning with accuracy within several centimeters. Kim explained that if UWB technology, which has been developed for measurement and is in preparation for its first commercial use, can be combined, it can exert strong power in many high-spec IoT services and applications in the future.

“To help our latest products lead the market standard, to secure competitiveness and sustainability in the future and to make sure stability and compatibility are achieved well in advance, I personally hope that we implement wireless access points¹¹ and enter the relevant product market to do so,” Kim said.

Protecting Your Privacy on Smartphone: Security That Strengthens a Separate Security Operation Environment (iSE)

Smartphones play a lot of roles these days. Two particularly significant such roles are identification cards and wallets. Take biometrics, mobile identification (eID) and Samsung Pay, for example. These services often require users to verify their identity, and there is always the possibility that hacking can occur in the process of user verification. As such, a level of security that goes beyond the software level is called for, which means it is required on the hardware level and even in semiconductors.

The semiconductor that provides security in smartphones is called the Secure Element (SE) semiconductor. There is a separate embedded Secure Element (eSE) located outside the SoC, but, with Exynos 2020, an integrated Secure Element (iSE) is embedded in the security block inside the SoC.

“The name we have given to the project that focuses on iSE embedded in Exynos is ‘STRONG,’ which is an abbreviation of Secure Tamper-Resistant of Next Generation,” said Jongwoo Lee, Vice President of the Design Platform Development Team. “The iSE is a separate environment within the SoC that operates security programs. The iSE plays not only the role of the eSE — which can be separately embedded on the outside — but it can control the security of the SoC as well. Advanced processing means it boasts high performance, and it also enables safe expansion to external memory, such as DRAM and Flash. These many roles can be taken even further and protect the SoC in the active security module.”

▲ (From left) Keunyoung Park from the AP S/W Development Team, VP Jongwoo Lee, PL Bogyeong Kang and Sunghyun Kim from the Design Platform Development Team are doing their utmost to strengthen the security environment in mobile devices.

The iSE is used for device security and security services. Device security is focused on strengthening the security of the device itself, and security services are focused on the information of users that is held within mobile devices, like mobile identification, payment and car keys.

“At the beginning of this year, we finished the PoC (Proof of Concept) and succeeded in developing the iSIM,¹² the most applicable service using iSE,” Lee said. “This was a result of close cooperation between Samsung Research, which is in charge of the iSE Secure OS (Camelia), and the digital security company Thales, which is in charge of developing the iSIM Secure Application.”

The iSIM is an upgraded version of the embedded SIM (eSIM) and it integrates the function of the SIM within the SoC. This provides convenience for users because it allows them to change their mobile carrier without changing their SIM card, have more than two phone numbers at once and make use of various mobile carrier services on one device. From the perspective of smartphone manufacturers, the iSIM provides advantages as well, because it lets them remove the SIM card slot and reduce the space needed for parts: iSIM can be operated within the SoC without a separate semiconductor, as is the case with discrete eSIM.

▲uSIM, eSIM and iSIM size comparison

What makes the development of the iSIM so significant is the extreme difficulty developers encounter in meeting the technological environment requirements for embedding iSIM.

“The iSIM needs to meet Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) requirements,” said Lee. “That means embedding the iSIM over the OS software and hardware above a certain security level, a level called CC EAL4+.¹³ However, we have hardware that operates one level higher than this guideline: CC EAL5+. We also have secure external memory where large SIM profiles can be embedded.”

“We are the only company that can provide both the eSE and iSE, which are the basis for the eSIM and iSIM,” Lee continued. “So we can provide solutions that smartphone manufacturers can easily and flexibly adopt. Personally, I believe there is no such thing as ‘perfect’ in the area of security, but we are working hard to get as close to perfect as is technologically possible. Our teams will continue to make constant effort in providing a high-level security operation environment that can accommodate the many different security features different platforms provide.”

¹ Digital communication: A method of converting an analog signal into a digital signal, transmitting it to the other party and converting it back into an analog signal that can be recognized by humans. High-quality and large-capacity communication are possible compared to analog communication.

² Mobile broadband: A technology that provides high-speed multimedia Internet services to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs.

³ New Radio (NR): A 5^th generation mobile communication technology. Consists of sub-6 GHz and mmWave (millimeter wave, high frequency band of 24-100 GHz band). Although mmWave has the advantages of ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency and super-connectivity, it has the disadvantage of poor diffraction.

⁴ Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE): An American association of electrical and electronic engineers and the world’s largest technical organization.

⁵ 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP): A mobile communication standardization technology cooperation organization founded in December 1998 to establish international standards related to wireless communication, such as GSM, WCDMA, GPRS and LTE.

⁶ Ultra-Wideband (UWB): A technique that lowers maximum transmit power to less than -41.3 dBm/MHz so as not to interrupt other wireless. However, it uses wide bandwidth (500MHz) to achieve comparably high data rates.

⁷ Quality of Service (QoS): This refers to the guarantee of communication service quality, delay time or data loss rate below a certain level on the network. It also refers to a communication service level agreed or defined in advance. In other words, it is a generic term for various technologies that intelligently match the transmission demand of various applications to a given network resource by allocating network resources such as bandwidth and priority in order to send data to a destination quickly, at a constant speed and reliably.

⁸ Multi-Link Operation (MLO): The technology that operates various channels of different frequency bandwidths at the same time.

⁹ 4096 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation): A modulation method for transmitting data by shifting and adjusting the amplitude and phase of the in-phase carrier signal and quadrature-phase carrier signal. It is advantageous when a large amount of data needs to be transmitted in a narrow transmission bandwidth. 12bits per symbol in a 4096QAM

¹⁰ Source: February 22, 2019

¹¹ Wireless Access Point: The low-power wireless device that plays the role of a base station in wireless LAN. It is also referred to as a Wi-Fi extender, Wi-Fi amplifier or wireless extender.

¹² iSIM (integrated SIM): A built-in subscriber identification module. Also called ieUICC (integrated embedded universal integrated circuit card)

¹³ Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (CC EAL): Common Criteria (CC) is an international standard for evaluating the security of IT products and certain websites. Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) is a grade that is assigned to evaluation assurance.

Samsung Electronics today announced it will host the Samsung Developer Conference 2022 (SDC22) at the Moscone North in San Francisco on October 12. The annual conference, which will be held both in-person and virtually, will highlight Samsung’s plans to evolve the SmartThings platform and collaborate with developers and creators to build next generation connected experiences for millions around the world.

At SDC22, Samsung is expected to share updates for its software, services and platforms, including SmartThings, to enable a better, more connected world for all. The company will showcase its vision for Calm Technology, where devices connect seamlessly for a more intelligent consumer experience that takes place instantly.

Jong-Hee (JH) Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, will open SDC22’s keynote address by sharing more about the company’s vision. He will be joined by other Samsung executives, who will share the company’s strategies in areas like future technologies. Other speakers include:

• Sebastian Seung, President & Head of Samsung Research
• Yongjae Kim, EVP, Deputy Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business
• Sang Kim, SVP & Head of Product & Marketing, Samsung Electronics America
• Jaeyeon Jung, VP & Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business
• Hyesoon Jung, VP & Head of Framework R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business
• Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings
• Anil Yadav, Head of Bixby Lab, Samsung Research America

Beyond the keynote address, SDC22 will feature breakout sessions open to both in-person and virtual participants. These breakout sessions provide opportunities to collaborate and learn more about Samsung’s latest developer-focused platforms and tools, including Bixby, One UI 5, SmartThings and Matter, Samsung Wallet, Tizen and more, along with opportunities to explore partner ecosystems.

The onsite event will feature hands-on experiences in Samsung’s Tech Square, including opportunities to explore new SmartThings scenarios and Samsung’s latest innovations. The event will also feature networking opportunities and various onsite activities.

SDC22 will host additional activations for those joining online, including the Code Lab, where developers can collaborate and sharpen their coding skills.

For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference 2022, please visit http://developer.samsung.com/sdc. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and Facebook (@samsungdev) with the hashtag #SDC22.

Equipped With a Brain That Surpasses Computers: Strengthening Cooperation With for CPU

In this second series installment, Samsung Newsroom sat down with two project leaders at Samsung Electronics to better understand the role of CPU and NPU in mobile devices. A computer’s central processing unit (CPU) is often compared to the human cerebrum, the largest part of your brain that handles many responsibilities. Similarly, the CPU is the most important unit that deals with a computer’s four main functions, which are memory, decoding, operation and control. CPU is the factor that determines the overall performance of a PC. Likewise, a mobile CPU runs all software on an operating system (OS) and controls other hardware peripherals, helping a smartphone perform at its optimal level.

CPU performance is determined by a variety of factors, including the clock speed,¹ IPC² and the number of cores.³ The phones of the past were powered by a single-core CPI with a simple pipeline structure. Consequently, there were limits in handling parallel processing, and the maximum frequency only amounted to a few hundred MHz. However, the CPU in smartphones today has a superscalar⁴ structure, allowing it to execute parallel processing for various commands or instructions. Additionally, it can run at 3 GHz speed, or 3 billion cycles per second, and have eight or more multi-core structures. Mobile CPUs now have a microarchitecture that pushes the performance beyond desktop CPUs.

Exynos’ CPU has evolved from a big core to a big-little and then a big-mid-little structure to keep its size small and power consumption low. Big-little structure is a processing architecture concept that dynamically switches between two types of cores — a big and a little — to maximize performance or maximize power efficiency, depending on the task. For example, the CPU performance needed for texting versus playing a 3D game is different. Therefore, when sending a text, the process uses a smaller, power-efficient core instead of a high-performing core.

▲ Project Leader Wookyeong Jeong has worked in the CPU field for more than 20 years since joining Samsung.

“CPU determines the competitiveness of all systems, including the SoC. It’s an influential area and the top priority when it comes to developing advanced semiconductor technology,” said Wookyeong Jeong, the SoC Design Team 2’s project leader who is in charge of all tasks related to the Exynos’ CPU. Jeong has worked in the CPU field for more than 20 years since joining Samsung.

“Achieving a high performance with a limited power budget is key,” said Jeong. “It is important to operate different types of CPU cores, including big, mid and little in appropriate combinations to achieve maximum efficiency in various situations.” Exynos’ CPU optimizes a combination of activated cores to deliver users the best experience in situations requiring high performance, such as playing a game or using a camera on mobile devices.

▲ CPU Core Structure of Exynos 2200

Based on the IP of semiconductor design company Arm, Samsung Electronics is taking the performance of CPUs up a notch. When Jeong was asked about the specific tasks of the team’s developers, he explained the team’s role and responsibilities.

“We decide the performance goal for the CPU of a product, acquire the CPU IP, predict and review the performance, validate and conduct debugging⁵ before mass production and further steps. We take care of the overall development work to enhance CPU performance,” Jeong explained. “The System LSI Business is responsible for taking the RTL CPU design from Arm to create an optimal semiconductor chip,” Jeong said. “The team is also responsible for designing and creating the CPU peripheral circuit, such as an appropriate memory subsystem, for maximizing CPU performance.”

“With the adoption of Arm CPU, we have a vision of becoming the mobile industry’s best CPU manufacturer by optimizing software not only on a chip level but also on a device level. We aim to become an E2E⁶ total solution provider,” said Jeong when asked about the future development direction of the company. “To achieve this goal, the CPU developers have been working very closely with Arm, device manufacturers, Samsung Foundry and others as one team since the early development stages. In addition, they’re seeking various ways to enhance performance, such as advanced packaging technology that enhances performance further,” Jeong explained.

“With the emergence of AR and the metaverse, appropriately utilizing all processors, such as CPU, GPU and NPU for comprehensive machine learning processing on a SoC level would give us an important, competitive edge. We’re going to focus on increasing our competitiveness by strengthening the CPU’s performance in machine learning processing as well,” Jeong added.

Real, Imaginative Technology: The Advancement of NPU Based on Proprietary Technology Throughout Six Generations

An NPU is a processor optimized for deep learning⁷ algorithm arithmetic. It can process a large amount of data as fast and efficiently as the human neural network. For such reason, it is mainly used for AI arithmetic and computation. While it may seem complicated, it is already commonly used in devices. For example, thanks to NPU, a smartphone’s camera can recognize and focus based on the objects, environment and people in the frame. It can automatically switch on the food filter mode for food photography or even remove unwanted subjects in the picture.

▲ AI Remover function within new smartphone improved as NPU developed.

In the past, when NPU did not exist, GPU mainly performed AI computation. However, the computation efficiency⁸ was low due to the hardware’s structural differences. These days, the NPU is mainly in charge of AI computation, and it can process data more efficiently in mobile devices as well. It’s optimized for parallel data computing so that AI-based applications can run faster on low power.

▲ Project Leader Suknam Kwon, who has been working on the NPU since its second generation, now leads the NPU developers.

Exynos’ NPU development began in 2016. The first SoC equipped with the NPU was Exynos 9820, which was embedded in the Galaxy S10 that was released in 2019. “When the first task force was formed six years ago, we had only about 20 people, but now our team has grown tenfold if we include the members from our overseas research institutes,” said project leader Suknam Kwon. Kwon used to design the hardware of the SoC and has been working on the NPU since its second generation. “The NPU is an area of high interest these days, but back then, it was so unfamiliar and new that we had to learn from videos and university lectures overseas.”

In the past, there were few applications for the NPU, including detecting objects based on images. However, in the era of AI, market demand for high-performing IP requiring a large amount of computation is increasing. This can be used to perform tasks such as improving camera picture quality, voice services and more. In addition, since size and power consumption increase as IP performance is enhanced, determining the most efficient architecture is key.

▲ AI using cloud servers compared to On-device AI

As NPU gets more powerful, it offers improvements in object recognition speed or photo enhancement. The performance of the NPU equipped in the latest Exynos is two times more enhanced compared to previous generation. By independently developing the NPU for six product generations, the SoC Design team’s expertise and know-how in NPU technology is second to none. “With advantages in benchmark such as the ML Per, power efficiency, size, etc., Exynos’ NPU is a highly competitive IP solution,” Kwon said. “Through optimization of architecture for performance and improvements in power efficiency, the NPU adds competitive value for Exynos processor,” he said.

Going forward, the technologies that utilize NPU will continue to evolve. “I think the on-device AI, which performs AI computation in one’s smartphone rather than going through a server, will become more widely used because there is less risk of having sensitive personal information leaked,” Kwon said. “Because of this, mobile NPU performance needs to be even more enhanced. These days, one NPU is used for many computations, but I predict that there will be more demands for operating specialized AI algorithms for each application program. So, developing an NPU that is specialized for each domain will be important as well,” he added.

When asked about autonomous driving, Kwon discussed the role that NPU will play in the industry. “In the near future, the advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) will become a reality,” Kwon said. “It requires hardware that can perform autonomous driving algorithms using a massive amount of data in real time. To accomplish this, a higher-performing NPU is needed, and Samsung is preparing an NPU with powerful capabilities for autonomous driving devices that meet the market’s demands.”

At the end of the interview, Kwon explained the most meaningful moment that occurred during development. “Each year, Exynos comes with a higher-performing NPU that is increasingly enhanced, which is very meaningful,” he said. “It will continue to become a key IP for future markets. I take a lot of pride in the fact that developing NPU has led to the growth of both myself and the company — and even contributes to the country’s overall competitiveness,” he said. “It’s the best field where it makes the things in one’s imagination come true.”

* All images shown are provided for illustrative purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product or images captured with the product. All images are digitally edited, modified or enhanced.

¹ Clock: Continuously generates electric oscillation of 0 or 1 for computation. It’s expressed in Hz, and a higher clock figure means a faster processing speed.

² IPC (Instructions per Cycle): Instructions processed per clock. It measures the clock needed to process one command or instruction. IPC is the unit that assesses how efficiently a CPU is operating.

³ Core: The key part in the physical processing circuit within the CPU. The more cores there are, the easier it is to perform multiple actions at the same time. Single-core means there’s one core, dual-core means there are two, quad-core means there are four and so on.

⁴ Superscalar: An architecture that combines the advantages of pipeline and parallel processing and enables instructions from multiple pipelines to be processed in parallel. The processing speed is fast because multiple instructions can be executed at the same time without having to go through waiting status first. 

⁵ Debugging: A process of checking whether the designed program is accurate, identifying program errors and fixing them.

⁶ End to End

⁷ Deep Learning: Technology that enables a machine to learn, infer and reason like human beings using data.

⁸ In mobile SoC, efficiency means it uses less power or has faster speeds.

Exynos: The Technology Intensive System Semiconductor

In the first installment of this series, Samsung Newsroom shares the importance of the graphics processing unit (GPU) and image signal processor (ISP) in the Exynos mobile processor (SoC). Before meeting with the seven IP development leaders, Samsung Newsroom first met with the SoC Development Head and Senior Vice President Mingoo Kim, who oversees system-on-chip (SoC) design in the System LSI Business.

Kim first explained the fundamental reason behind the concept of SoC, in which various features are all incorporated into a single chip. “When chips are divided, it becomes difficult to manage their power consumption completely,” Kim said. “When each feature consumes power separately, the battery efficiency also decreases. In addition, the bandwidth limit and transfer time latency will affect data transmission between chips, which can lead to reduction in performance.” Consuming minimal power is very important for smartphones because, unlike desktop computers, smartphones are not continuously supplied with power.

“SoC has high efficiency due to comprehensive power control. And as a single chip, it also takes up less space within a smartphone,” Kim explained. “When all functions are performed by a single chip, performance is significantly improved.” Modern mobile phones go beyond simply sending and receiving calls and texts and have evolved to perform a multitude of advanced functions, including taking videos, mobile gaming and accessing financial services. The SoC, which is smaller than a thumb nail, has played a big role in making this possible.

As the SoC is the epitome of all main types of information technology that exist today, Kim described it as the “flower of system semiconductors.” “SoC is not an easy field to work in, but it’s an optimistic field that any engineer would aspire to become a part of,” Kim said. “The role of SoC will be limitless in future industries, such as the metaverse, autonomous driving and 6G.”

Samsung will continue to focus on developing proprietary IP, including GPUs, NPUs, ISPs, modems, RF and more. Samsung strives to take another step forward in chip design to become a platform solution company. “With our competitiveness in SoC, we aim to see Exynos recognized as the best mobile processor brand available,” Kim said. “Through this feature series, we hope the role and importance of SoC, the characteristics and advantages of Exynos as well as its developmental direction will be shared with more people.”

Expanding the Possibilities of Mobile Gaming: GPU for More Enhanced Graphics

In general, graphics processing requires large-scale computation, and it is faster and more efficient if processed in parallel (parallel processing). However, the structure of a central processing unit (CPU) is specialized for fast, serial processing. As such, graphics processing with a CPU would cause important computations to be delayed due to this constant computational performance by CPU. One example of this can be seen when playing a game. It’s possible that your character may not be able to avoid an enemy due to the touch input being delayed while graphics are being rendered on the display.

To address these issues, GPU was developed. Before there were GPUs, CPUs took care of everything. However, GPU was conceived to increase efficiency as a separate accelerator for similar computations that are frequently used. In short, CPU is like a general-purpose calculator while GPU is a large-scale parallel calculator specializing in graphics processing. This is how GPU came to be, and it is one of the key components in graphics processing. It receives commands from CPU and displays an object’s shape, location, color and texture on the monitor.

The Xclipse 920 equipped in the Exynos 2200 is the first mobile GPU Samsung jointly developed with AMD, a U.S. based global company that specializes in semiconductor products like GPU for PC and consoles. The name ‘Xclipse’ is a combination of the ‘X’ from Exynos and the word ‘eclipse.’ The name represents Samsung’s goal to go beyond the limits of mobile gaming and carry out performance on the level of console games, ushering in a new era of gaming.

▲Vice President Sungboem Park, a mobile processor design expert who oversees GPU development

In line with this, Samsung collaborated with AMD to develop a power efficient, console-level GPU for mobile devices. AMD’s GPUs are designed specifically for PCs or consoles, meaning they had to be redesigned to fit the mobile environment. Specifically, it was redesigned to accommodate the memory bandwidth of mobile, which is relatively limited, in addition to managing heat dissipation. “Based on our rich knowledge of low-power design, acquired from developing mobile SoCs, we were able to successfully achieve power efficiency and miniaturization in the first-generation product,” said Vice President Sungboem Park, a mobile processor design expert who oversees GPU development. “We focused heavily on minimizing heat, because mobile devices do not have fans like gaming consoles, while also maintaining performance so that the frames do not lag.”

The main role of the GPU in Exynos is to display objects in a 3D virtual space on a 2D smartphone screen, a role that is especially important when playing graphically demanding games on mobile devices. In particular, the Xclipse 920 is the first mobile GPU to support hardware-accelerated ray tracing (RT). Ray tracing is a technology which produces realistic lighting effects by simulating light rays reflected from 3D objects. By being accelerated by hardware rather than software, Xclipse 920 is able to perform real-time computations faster. In addition, variable rate shading (VRS) technology adjusts the amount of GPU computation depending on changes in color, shade, movement and other variables of the objects on screen to reduce GPU overload.

▲The Xclipse 920 has its own hardware support for ray tracing (RT) technology, which produces realistic lighting effects by simulating light rays reflected from 3D objects.

As the number of game users grows and graphics become more detailed, the development direction of GPU is becoming increasingly more important. This includes increasing the performance level to that of high-performance consoles while lowering battery consumption. By improving these two crucial areas, users are able to experience high fidelity graphics on mobile devices similarly to how they are experienced on consoles. “In general, mobile tends to lag around five years or so behind consoles when it comes to graphics technology, however, we were able to incorporate the latest console technologies in the Exynos 2200 mobile processor quickly through our collaboration with AMD. The SoC is applied to the Galaxy S22,” Park said. “We plan to continue to implement other features in the RDNA series by working closely with AMD going forward.”

“As the performance of smartphones has become enhanced overall, it’s true that it’s not easy to create a performance edge that is significant enough for consumers to notice,” Park answered when asked about the future direction of mobile GPUs. “From now on, the reason for flagship smartphone users to purchase the latest smartphones will most likely be dependent on gaming performance,” he said. This means that the possibility of the further advancement of GPUs, which determines a smartphone’s gaming performance, is high.

He also predicted that mobile GPUs will become even more important in the fields of AR and VR as well. “For AR, GPUs will need to be equipped in lightweight devices, such as glasses, so a low-power design is very important,” Park said. “Performance requirements are much more demanding in the field of VR, as the entire visible virtual world needs to be rendered instantly. As such, we need to satisfy various development requirements while also generating more realistic images at a much faster rate than we currently can. So, the advancement of mobile GPU is crucial going ahead and will have limitless applications,” he emphasized.

Elevating the Level of Satisfaction in Camera Performance: ISP for More Natural and Vivid Images

An ISP corrects raw data transferred from an image sensor and creates a photo or video to a form preferred by the user. ISP also corrects the potential physical limitations of a camera module — comprised of an optical system and an image sensor — interpolates red, green and blue (R/G/B) and removes noise. In addition, it carries out post processing, such as adjusting the brightness of a video and emphasizing detailed areas. Simply put, through fine tuning and post processing, ISP generates the picture or video that is most desirable by the users.

▲ Whole process of ISP in Mobile Camera

In earlier smartphone models, ISP was equipped as a separate chip. However, due to market demand, embedded ISP soon became the norm. “At first, we cooperated with research institutes overseas to develop a high-performing ISP that can be used for digital cameras,” said Jongseong Choi, a project leader (PL) in the Multimedia Development Team who has been working in the video processing field for more than 20 years. “As a result, our first embedded ISP solution was utilized in the Galaxy S4’s main camera.” Since 2012, the Exynos mobile processor has been contributing to a substantial advancement in smartphone cameras’ video image quality through the internalization of ISP, enabling performance at the level of digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras.

▲Jongseong Choi, Project Leader of the Multimedia Development Team, has been working in the video processing field for more than 20 years.

With a high-performing ISP, consumers are able to enjoy higher video image quality as well as faster processing speeds. “It’s difficult to explain in specific numbers how great a photo is because photography is subjective, but we are conducting various research studies such as video evaluation using deep learning and ISP tuning technique to create natural and sharp photos and videos,” Choi explained. In addition, ISP also determines the speed of the burst rate in continuous shooting and is responsible for the fast-processing of high-resolution photos and videos.

The high-performing ISP equipped in the latest Exynos can process up to 200 million pixels. Up to seven image sensors are supported, and videos and images from up to four image sensors can be processed simultaneously. Also included is the ability to apply different parameters per each element, such as sky, bushes, skin and so on by incorporating semantic segmentation technology that recognizes the scenes being captured with the help of NPU. The AI feature detects and marks a person’s face and adjusts the brightness, focus and color of the video based on the face’s coordinates.

▲ Example of contents aware image processing using semantic segmentation

When asked about the future direction of ISP, Choi answered that development will be focused on maintaining low-power usage and improving video image quality. “The data transferred from the image sensor is processed in real-time by ISP, but the amount of data is increasing exponentially,” Choi said. “So, a significant amount of power is consumed in writing the data into memory and then in retrieving it later. ISP in Exynos, however, is designed to save data in memory only once, thereby minimizing power consumption,” he emphasized.

“The era of videos has arrived faster than expected and, because of this, we’re focusing on improving the video image quality,” Choi said. “In particular, we’re making efforts to increase our competitiveness by improving the video image quality, even those taken in dark, low-light environments.”

* All images shown are provided for illustrative purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product or images captured with the product. All images are digitally edited, modified or enhanced.

At SDC21, the company plans to share its latest updates in software, services and platforms with thousands of developers and creators to enable smarter, more seamless connectivity across devices. The attendees will be able to discover opportunities to create cutting-edge solutions for millions, leveraging Samsung’s expansive ecosystem.

DJ Koh, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics’ IT and Mobile Communications Business Division, will open SDC21 by addressing which direction Samsung’s strategy would head to bring innovation to consumer experience.

The following keynote speakers are lined up to discuss Samsung’s strategies for platforms and ecosystems with topics ranging from security, privacy to various platforms including Bixby, SmartThings and Tizen:

• Daniel Ahn, Senior Vice President, Mobile Platform Center
• Samantha Osborne, Vice President, SmartThings Inc.
• Jeongsook Lee, Vice President, Customer Experience Office
• Yongjae Kim, Senior Vice President, Visual Display Software R&D
• Bill Mandel, Vice President, Visual Solution Lab, Samsung Research America
• Janghyun Yoon, Executive Vice President, Mobile Software R&D

SDC21’s highlight sessions consist of three groups. The first one, Platforms Designed For Connected Experiences will explore Bixby and SmartThings’ cross-device experience and how Samsung plans to make the vision of the future Smart Home a reality.

The second session Innovating Mobile Experience Across Samsung Galaxy Ecosystem will take a look at the One UI 4’s innovations and foldable device design process to help developers optimize their own apps for a growing number of foldable devices.

The third session, The Evolution of Tizen and Innovative Screen Experiences will peer into Samsung’s new Smart TV services and how its ecosystem has enhanced with Tizen 6.5.

Furthermore, developers who want to keep abreast of industry insights and state-of-the-art technology will find Tech Talk sessions from Samsung’s top experts very helpful. For those interested in the latest Samsung technology, it is highly recommended to visit SDC21’s Digital Tech Hub, a digital exhibition of the Samsung technology with easily accessible resources.

Code Lab will offer an opportunity for developers to boost their skills with a hands-on coding experience with sample applications for testing simple scenarios. Developers can even try their codes on cutting-edge devices like Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Filp3 via remote access.

In recognition of content developers for excellence in design, innovation, quality and performance, the winners of the 2021 Best of Galaxy Store Awards will be announced in SDC21.

The developers and even end-customers will have the chance to win a Galaxy Z Flip3 by participating in digital badge collection on the SDC21 website. By watching sessions and participating in Code Lab and Hacker’s Playground as well as social media events like #mySDCstack and securing five or more digital badges, participants will earn the chance to win a Galaxy Z Flip3.

The SDC21 will be broadcast on Samsung Newsroom and the SDC website on October 26, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. For more information about the SDC21, please visit https://developer.samsung.com/sdc. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and Facebook (@samsungdev) with the hashtag #SDC21.

From the Bixby and the SmartThings SDK (Software Development Kit), One UI, Smart TV services and the Infinity Flex Display, SDC has become known for unveiling innovations that empower developers and creators to build the software and services of tomorrow.

Kicking off on October 26, this year’s SDC will be the first to be held entirely online. Check out the video below for a taste of what Samsung’s cooking up for SDC21. And don’t forget to keep an eye on Samsung Newsroom and the SDC website for more details about the exciting event.

“Samsung is committed to helping our enterprise customers modernize their business for the digital age with an industry-leading offering that includes customizable hardware, easy-to-manage software and end-to-end security,” said KC Choi, EVP and Head of Global Mobile B2B Team, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “By joining the Android Enterprise Recommended program, we are making it even easier for enterprise customers to build a mobile experience that protects employees, keeps them engaged and enhances operational efficiency by meeting and exceeding Google’s standards for security, productivity and flexibility.”

Longstanding Partnership Between Samsung and Google

Since the very beginning, Samsung and Google have worked closely together to provide enterprises with the best and most secure mobile experience possible. The two companies joined forces nearly a decade ago to address the most pressing challenges businesses are facing today: maintaining productivity, protecting the workforce and offering flexibility.

Specifically, over the past two years, Samsung and Google have partnered to:

• Harmonize Android Enterprise and Samsung’s Knox Platform for Enterprise to offer a seamless experience for Android customers who were also looking for Samsung’s advanced capabilities in security and device management.

• Synchronize our mobile device enrollment services (Android zero-touch enrollment and Knox Mobile Enrollment) to offer enterprise customers a variety of services that help streamline the employee onboarding experience and re-deployment of devices.

“We are excited to welcome Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets to the Android Enterprise Recommended program building upon our longstanding partnership to deliver great mobile experiences to businesses,” said David Still, Managing Director of Android Enterprise, Google. “Samsung’s participation in the program ensures Google’s customers have access to devices that offer outstanding security, efficiency and productivity and we look forward to working together more in the future.”

Read more about this in the Android Enterprise blog here.

Samsung’s Relentless Commitment to Enterprise Customers

Samsung has a proven track record in delivering mobile-first enterprise solutions that help companies prepare for the business of tomorrow including Galaxy Enterprise Editions, ruggedized smartphones and tablets, cutting-edge security solutions, flexible configuration and deployment options, and innovative lifecycle management services.

Samsung is constantly innovating to offer the best solutions possible for enterprise customers, even beyond the requirements set out by the Android Enterprise Recommended program, as part of its Samsung Knox Suite, which offers exemplary industry-leading security and management features such as:

• Advanced security features, such as Dual-layered Data-At-Rest encryption, Real-time Kernel Protection, Defeat Exploit, and Sensitive Data Protection to protect our enterprise customers from emerging threats;

• Authority for IT administrators to tailor or configure Samsung devices to their specific needs right out of the box and manage them from a central location by establishing a wide range of IT policies;

• And a system for IT administrators to easily manage their employees’ operating systems and software updates remotely to make sure the latest OS versions and security patches, once tested, are readily available for all employees.

“SAP was one of the first companies to understand the positive impact mobile technology can have on improving the productivity and overall wellbeing of our employees,” said Christian Lohde, Head of Android Experience at SAP SE. Samsung’s mobile enterprise solutions allowed us to work within the constructs of our infrastructure to easily integrate devices and ensure our business is always up and running. Their inclusion in the Android Enterprise Recommended program is further proof of the benefits Samsung can bring to enterprise businesses.”

“Centrica relies on its mobile workforce to provide the best experience possible for our customers,” said Andy Warren, Head of Mobile Telecommunications at Centrica. “Samsung has ensured our mobile fleet stays online and is protected against the latest threats impacting business today and we look forward to welcoming more Samsung products after their inclusion in the Android Enterprise Recommended program.”

What This Means for Galaxy Users

Select Galaxy devices running Android 11 and above, such as the S20, Note20, Tab S7|S7+, and ruggedized devices including the XCover Pro will become a part of the Android Enterprise Recommended program. This provides customers with even more options that meet Google’s standard requirements and ensures consistent device performance and user experience for businesses. Together, Google and Samsung will continue to push boundaries and deliver the best experiences possible in order to help enterprise customers everywhere achieve their digital transformation goals.

Check out the video below to hear Samsung experts break down the intricacies of the Hideaway Hinge and sweeper technology.

*Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Korean

Samsung Newsroom Bharat follows the successful launch of Samsung Newsroom India, Samsung India’s English language newsroom introduced in October 2016. Like Samsung Newsroom India, Samsung Newsroom Bharat will provide a one-stop shop for information regarding Samsung’s operations, events, products and services, as well as inspirational stories about its people and citizenship activities.

Part of Samsung’s Make for INDIA initiative, Samsung Newsroom Bharat will help Samsung reach millions of additional consumers in smaller cities and towns where Hindi is the primary language. It will also give vernacular journalists access to Samsung India’s press releases, stories and a vast library of images and other assets such as infographics and livestreams.

As Samsung Electronics’ twelfth newsroom, following the Global and local editions in the United States, Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, India, Germany, Russia, Mexico, the U.K. and Argentina, Samsung Newsroom Bharat is part of the company’s global initiative to connect with media and customers.

In India, Samsung is the market leader in mobile phones, among other consumer electronics categories including televisions, refrigerators, microwaves and air conditioners. Samsung is also India’s Most Trusted Brand.

For more information about Samsung’s operations in India, and more activities around the world, visit Samsung Newsroom Bharat at http://news.samsung.com/bharat.

For example, programs conducted in developing markets might offer training for customer service engineers, while those in more economically developed countries are designed to support software experts. Young people who have participated in Samsung’s Tech Institutes have not only had better employment opportunities, but are also now contributing to the development of their own regional communities.

Learn more about some of the most recent initiatives of the Samsung Tech Institute that are being carried out in various corners of the world.

Bulgaria: Developing for a Difference

Samsung Bulgaria and the Listen Up Foundation, an organization that works to provide equal access for hearing-impaired people in Bulgaria, teamed up to develop an innovative speech-to-text transformation mobile application. Top students at the Samsung Tech Institute in Bulgaria participated in a mentorship program, which they had the opportunity to work with a team of professional developers.

Since its launch, the app has helped some 8,000 hearing impaired students gain access to once-inaccessible educational resources, demonstrating the impact the Samsung Tech Institute students have made on their community.

Ghana: Empowering Women to Thrive in the Industry

Samsung Ghana, in partnership with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), launched a program that offers technical vocational training to women in Ghana in an effort to increase the number of the country’s female electronic maintenance technicians.

The Female Engineering Academy, which operates at four vocational training centers across the country, aims to certify 120 female electronic maintenance technicians per year through competency based training. Samsung’s technical experts also provide direct support in line with the curriculum. Trainees have the opportunity to intern at Samsung, and graduates are offered assistance in starting their own business.

Greece: Encouraging Innovation in Education

As Strategic Partner of InnovAthens, Samsung Electronics Hellas has played a very important role in its establishment as a hub of innovation, where young entrepreneurs and creatives can network and exchange ideas with industry veterans to help develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Athens and beyond.

Samsung contributes to this project by delivering a series of training courses including the Mobile Service Lab to help ready youth for employment. A number of participants who have taken part in these initiatives have gone on to secure jobs in related fields.

Additionally, the company, in collaboration with the Athens University of Economics and Business, also organizes the mini MBA program “Innovation and Design Thinking in Mobile Applications and Services” to help foster students’ interests and nurture their skills in the areas of creating new services and promoting entrepreneurship in the mobile sector.

For its contributions, ‘InnovAthens Powered by Samsung’ received the Bravo Market award at the 2017 Bravo Sustainability Awards, and was the only awarded tech institute that received the distinction for the second consecutive year.

India: Educational Opportunity for All    

Earlier this month, Samsung India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) for its Samsung Technical School initiative, renewing its partnership for the existing and new MSME-Samsung Technical Schools currently operated across the country.

Addressing the need for talented manpower with practical know-how and relevant industry experience, these schools have so far trained over 2,000 youth, equipping them with the tools necessary to enter the workforce across different technical trades. Around 70 percent of these students have been employed in related fields, with 45 percent of them landing jobs at Samsung service centers.

Reinforcing its commitment to the government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, which addresses the nation’s declining child sex ratio (CSR) and related issues of women empowerment, Samsung also announced the MSME-Samsung Technical School Scholarship program. Under this program, 1,000 female trainees and trainees with disabilities who have successfully completed the basic course will be granted a scholarship to cover the costs of the Samsung Advanced Repair and Industrial Skills Enhancement 2 (A.R.I.S.E.2) program.

Indonesia: Spurring Job Creation for a Better Community

The Rumah Belajar Samsung program, launched by the Samsung Tech Institute in Indonesia, aims to help students who have not received or completed formal education. For people aged 17 to 24, the institute offers training on a wide variety of electronics such as home appliances, computers,  and mobile phones as well as an opportunity to work at Samsung’s service centers following the training.

Since opening its doors in 2011, the program has graduated over 2,500 students, with around 600 of them securing jobs at various institutions, including Samsung service centers and a Samsung plant in Cikarang.

For its contributions to the Indonesian community, Samsung Indonesia was honored with the Best CSR Award 2016 and also received a silver prize at the Global CSR Summit and Awards 2017.

As a global corporate citizen, Samsung aims to contribute to the benefit of all, creating shared value on the basis of technology and innovation. By continuing to broaden its educational accessibility improvement programs, Samsung aspires to help each member of the global community reach their full potential and take the lead in creating fundamental solutions to the social issues of today and tomorrow.

As part of a joint partnership between Samsung Electronics and the AmirKabir University of Technology (AUT) in Iran, the Samsung-AUT Tech Center was recently opened to support technology research and innovative projects, in addition to boosting education and employment prospects for students.

Operating under the Samsung Corporate Citizenship series of programs, the center’s primary focus is on mobile application development within the health, environment and energy, education, and employment sectors. As part of its efforts, the center will provide logistical and technical support, as well as facilitate the development, production, and introduction of innovative and useful applications.

At the center, young people will also receive support in the form of training, mentorship and equipment, with the aim that they use this support to create their own projects that will help them to become more employable in the future. In addition, with research and development another major activity of the center, Samsung will also support knowledge-based ideas and companies.

For Samsung, partnering with the AUT has numerous benefits, with the school being one of the best polytechnic universities in Iran. In addition to helping validate the work being carried out at the center, the partnership also enables Samsung the rare opportunity to reside in a university facility.

“Technological development and supporting related R&D activities are among the main requirements for any developing country, and universities play an undeniable role in this regard,” said BumSuk Hong, Vice President of Samsung Electronics Iran. “As one of the world’s leading technology brands with a keen interest in supporting innovative and new ideas in the field, Samsung Electronics has partnered with the AmirKabir University of Technology to launch this Tech Center, paving the path for many innovative ideas ahead.”

Dr. Ahmad Motamedi, President of the AUT, said, “Cooperation with international companies and utilizing their scientific capabilities, is a strategic plan of the university. It’s for this reason that we decided to benefit from the international experiences and technological capabilities of Samsung through a joint project, and fortunately our decision was welcomed by Samsung officials.”

The Samsung-AUT Tech Center sits alongside other Samsung education initiatives in Iran, which aims to create jobs for young people. The Samsung Engineering Academy has been in operation for more than two years and around 1,200 people have graduated from the academy already. 41 of the graduates have also been recruited by Sam Service, a Samsung partner company.

As Samsung continues its citizenship efforts in Iran, the company looks forward to both empowering and supporting the country’s talented young people as well as contributing to a better society for the future.

Samsung Electronics announced that it won 49 iF Design Awards, including one Gold award, at the world-renowned International Forum Design Awards 2017. Thirty-five of the awards were given for superior product design, four for professional concept design, seven for communication design, and three for packaging design.

“Upgrading a product is easy but upgrading consumer lifestyle is difficult. We will continue to strive for design that entertains and fulfills the lives of our consumers through consumer-focused innovation,” said BK Yoon, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics and the Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung.

Samsung received the Gold award for the ArtPC Pulse, a premium desktop computer with advanced expandable modules. The ArtPC Pulse integrates a high-performance PC into a refined cylinder form. It can expand its function with extended modules for HDD storage and a 360-degree speaker in a detachable rotary structure. The award-winning design of the ArtPC Pulse includes minimalist styling on its fully metal body as the buttons and port are all located at the rear of the product.

In addition to the Gold award, Samsung won 34 other iF Design Awards in the product category:

• Galaxy S7 Series, flagship smartphone designed with 3D forming glass technology to enhance grip
• Gear S3, smartwatch with an innovative round bezel and spinning UI
• Galaxy C9 Pro, 6.9mm thickness smartphone with full-metal unibody design, available in China and India
• SUHD TV KS9500, premium TV with beautiful 360 design, including a floating screen in the front and a delicate real metal line on the back
• RB38K7998S4, Smart Family Hub refrigerator features a 21.5” LCD touch screen allowing users to manage and see the food in the fridge without having to open the door
• Activewash series, touch controls located on the top back, it allows users to look inside the drum from a better viewing angle

Organized by the International Forum Design, the iF Design Awards began in Germany in 1953. Product submissions are based on a comprehensive evaluation of design, material suitability, innovativeness and seven additional categories: Product, Packaging, Communication, Interior Architecture, Professional Concept, Service Design, and Architecture.

Trang’s journey ultimately led her to the bustling city of Bac Ninh, where she secured a job on a Samsung production line. A promising and dedicated employee, it didn’t take long for Trang to advance to an office position. Today, she’s enrolled in Samsung’s in-house educational program, which provides employees with opportunities to receive hands-on training equivalent to a three-year vocational degree.

Though she’s well on her way toward reaching her long-held dreams, she still deeply misses her family. The feeling, of course, is mutual, and Trang’s family members were understandably thrilled when they received an invitation to visit her at work.

Watch the happy reunion unfold as Trang and her proud family finally meet. Touching moments like these reflect Samsung’s core belief that business is about more than creating exceptional products. The people behind them and those they care about are just as important.

“Just over three weeks ago, Samsung committed to a global replacement program for the Galaxy Note7. Last week, that program began for the majority of markets and the progress is encouraging” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “Our focus now is to make sure that all affected devices are replaced as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Since initiating the global replacement program, initial Galaxy Note7 customer response has been strong.

• Around 90 percent of Galaxy Note7 users have been choosing a new Galaxy Note7 since products became widely available.
• More than 60 percent of all recalled Galaxy Note7 phones sold in the U.S. and Korea have been exchanged through the program.
• In Singapore, more than 80 percent of customers have participated in the exchange program, which started on September 17.

“We are humbled by our customers’ loyalty to the Galaxy Note7 device,” said Koh. “This is why we want them to take advantage of their local replacement program so that they can continue to feel confident and excited every time they reach for their Galaxy Note7 device.”

Although there have been only a small number of reported incidents, Samsung is taking great care to provide customers with necessary support. Samsung has been collaborating with national regulatory bodies in this effort.

Customers who have affected Galaxy Note7 devices should power down and return their devices. They can replace their current device with a new device based on local availability. We encourage Galaxy Note7 customers to contact their place of purchase or call the designated local call center as soon as possible.

Today, Samsung will release a new and improved version of the Samsung+ app (version 3.0), a one-stop destination for empowering people to get the most from their Samsung products, with additional features to further Samsung’s customer support offerings and deliver a more supported ownership experience.

Key features of Samsung+ 3.0 app include:

Customer Support:

• Live Support: With a variety of support options to meet customers’ needs, the Samsung+ app provides live support via video chat with the option to text, or phone support with a Samsung representative 7 days a week.

• Samsung Assist Feature: Brand new for Samsung+ 3.0, “Samsung Assist” feature brings users hands-on support, direct to their screens wherever they are. Samsung owners can access “Samsung Assist” feature to allow a support representative to remotely operate and troubleshoot their device. “Samsung Assist” feature can be activated once a consumer grants permission, during a video chat or phone call with a support representative. This feature is currently available on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Other Galaxy devices and tablets will receive the “Samsung Assist” feature through carrier updates over the coming weeks.

• On Demand Answers: Understanding that some customers prefer self-guided support, Samsung+ app offers On Demand Answers, which include FAQs troubleshooting tips for users to solve issues on their own.

• Device Diagnostics: The app’s Diagnostics feature keeps tabs on your device’s battery health as well as data and security. Simple tools pair with diagnostics to quickly optimize battery life and streamline storage.

• Tips & Tricks: Samsung+ app provides a library of tips and tricks and personalized support to help you do more and get more from your device. The release of Samsung+ 3.0 makes tips and tricks available for Samsung home appliances and consumer electronics, in addition to mobile devices.

• Community: With version 3.0, Samsung adds community across Samsung+ and online at samsung.com. Content will continue to be added on a rolling basis and we are excited to see this evolve as a valuable future resource for customers.

Exclusive Access to Content and Rewards

• Galaxy Life: Samsung+ app treats owners like true VIPs, providing insider access to the latest Samsung innovations, plus personalized offers, discounts on the latest Samsung products, and even ticket giveaways for big events, which most recently occurred at SXSW.

Availability: The 3.0 version of Samsung+ app will be available starting today on Google Play.

About Samsung+: The Samsung+ app is the one-stop destination empowering people to get the most from owning their Samsung products through personalized, live expert support, a vast library of tips and tricks and self-support tools to keep your device running like the day it was purchased. In addition, Samsung+ app offers insider access to Samsung’s products and services, valuable content, special offers and rewards people won’t find anywhere else. The Samsung+ app comes preloaded on select Samsung mobile devices, including the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge (varies by carrier), or can be downloaded from the Google Play.

• Consolidated Sales: Approximately 53.0 trillion Korean won
• Consolidated Operating Profit: Approximately 6.1 trillion Korean won

The above figures are estimates of consolidated earnings based on K-IFRS. Korean disclosure regulations do not allow earnings estimates to be provided as a range. Therefore, the above figures are based on the median of the earnings estimate range, as given below.

• Sales: 52.0 ~ 54.0 trillion Korean won
• Operating Profit: 6.0 ~ 6.2 trillion Korean won

※  2015 3Q and 2014 4Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

December is half over and New Year’s Day is just around the corner. Getting into the holiday spirit of “in with the new,” Samsung launched a new out of home (OOH) advertising campaign. Seasonal signage, interactive billboards, metro station takeovers and pop-up stores celebrate the new wearable and the new year to come.

As part of the festivities, Samsung is releasing a wide range of holiday-themed watch faces, including winter landscapes, snowflakes, snowmen and snow globes. There are even faces that look like Christmas sweaters, Christmas trees and more. And as usual with the Gear S2, you can customize the faces, and try out a variety of colors and looks.

In addition, the festive Gear S2 greetings, showcasing the special watch faces for both the Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic, are surfacing all over Europe and Asia. A coffee shop on Seoul’s popular Garasugil Street, in the famous Gangnam district, is operating a fanciful Gear S2 pop-up store until the end of the month, full of holiday cheer. It features such attention-getters as an entrance decorated like a giant present, a large LED installation depicting the Gear S2 and a Christmas tree full of watch-face ornaments. There is also an experience zone on the first floor for visitors to try the Gear S2.

Take a look at some of the colorful ways that the Gear S2 is appearing around the world this holiday season.

A coffee shop in Seoul.

Gear S2 on the wall of one of the world’s top museums, the Natural History Museum in Paris.

Gear S2 covered the Central Building wall in the heart of Central, Hong Kong.

Gear S2 at the center of Italian fashion, Via Montenapoleone, where luxury brands and products are showcased in Milan.

Gear S2 filled the walls of the BFI IMAX cinema in London.

Marble Arch in London.

Central House of Artist in Moscow.

Please note that attendance at the keynote address is by invitation only.

For all the latest news, media resources and content related to Samsung at CES 2016, check out the Newsroom’s special page (coming soon). In addition, we will be presenting a livestream of the 2016 CES Samsung press conference on the Newsroom and YouTube page, on January 5 at 2 p.m. (PST).  Samsung’s CES-related information can also be found on social media platforms with the hashtag #SAMSUNGxCES2016.

For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016

For all the latest news, media resources and content related to Samsung at CES 2016, check out the Newsroom’s special page (http://news.samsung.com/ces2016). In addition, we will be presenting a livestream of the 2016 CES Samsung press conference on the Newsroom and YouTube, on January 5 at 2 p.m. (PST).  Samsung’s CES-related information can also be found on social media platforms with the hashtag #SAMSUNGxCES2016.

For more information about CES 2016, please visit our exclusive page #SAMSUNGxCES2016

“It puts things into perspective… when you see how much fun and how much joy that a day like this brings to these special needs kids,” said Samsung employee Gregory Maugeri. Gregory, along with other Samsung colleagues, helped put on a play with Only Make Believe, a non-profit organization that aims to give joy and inspiration to sick children through interactive theater in hospitals and care facilities.

That joy was the resounding theme throughout Samsung’s third Day of Service. A total of 4,200 employees contributed nearly 17,000 hours of community service through events designed to uplift and enrich the communities where employees live and work. Samsung employees have also donated countless hours of community service through its Hope for Children initiatives. In addition, the company has donated more than $46 million over the years—underscoring its commitment to making the world a better place for future generations.

Samsung colleagues in Canada also went out into their local communities to lend a helping hand to those in need.

“We really appreciate the investment Samsung has given,” said Justin Cheung who helped Youth without Shelter in Ontario to renovate its multi-purpose room.

Investing in underserved communities and communities where Samsung does business is a core company value that Gregory Lee, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, lives. He has participated in all three Days of Service over which the company has contributed nearly 45,000 service hours since October 2014.

“One thing is how much we give in terms of quantity,” said Lee, “but also it’s the quality of our giving and how deeply we’re engaged, how much we care. Those things make a big difference.”

Some of the differences Samsung makes on this day and throughout the year can be seen in the photos below. For video snapshots from the day, please click here.

President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America Gregory Lee and other Samsung employees help bring joy and inspiration to sick children with Only Make Believe at A. Harry Moore High School in New Jersey during Samsung’s Day of Service on October 16.

Left: Samsung employees help to build the frame of the newest house on the Habitat for
Humanity block in Plano, Texas.; Right: Meanwhile, in San Jose, California, employees build and paint fences during
Samsung’s Day of Service on October 16.

Samsung employees help Stop Hunger Now deliver food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable people during Samsung’s Day of Service on October 16.

President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America Gregory Lee and other Samsung employees help members of the Boys & Girls Club of Newark celebrate after Samsung revealed plans for a tech center makeover at the Club during Samsung’s Day of Service on October 16.

Samsung employees in New York City helped the Ronald McDonald House conduct a sidewalk sale to raise funds and clean its kitchens. They also helped Grow NYC with garden maintenance during Samsung’s Day of Service on October 16.

James C. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Reuters(Left) and Dr. WP Hong, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics (Right) discussed the collaboration for enterprise solutions in Suwon, Korea.

Samsung Electronics has announced its collaboration with Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading intelligent information provider for businesses and professionals, as an enterprise solution partner.

The two companies will explore the development and optimization of enterprise solutions through their joint expertise in mobile security, electronic devices and intelligent information technology for businesses and professionals.

“The collaboration with Thomson Reuters gives us a unique opportunity to create the unrivaled user experiences that will make individual employees more productive and businesses more successful” said Dr, WP Hong, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics. “To meet the enterprise consumers’ ever-evolving expectation, the two companies will explore a variety of business opportunities together.”

“Delivering new, innovative and relevant solutions to our customers is vital,” said James C. Smith, president and chief executive officer of Thomson Reuters “Samsung’s variety of product ecosystems demonstrate our common commitment to supporting customers and connecting global commerce”

With this collaboration, selected Thomson Reuters’ industry-leading content and software applications are to be implemented on compatible Samsung devices and technologies to support enterprise clients in legal and financial areas in the first phase.

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, go to http://thomsonreuters.com.

Samsung Electronics’ exciting new wearable device, the Samsung Gear S2, has introduced unprecedented style and functionality, with its rotating bezel and revolutionary UX (User eXperience) interface.

But a great device needs more than just design and technology. Partners and apps are vital aspects to creating a device that maximizes usability and functionality—and the Gear S2 has put together a strong list of partners that take it to the next level.

From early on, Samsung emphasized the importance of its partners, as seen in the early announcement of the Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Gear S2. Usually, an SDK is released after a new product announcement, but for the Gear S2, early access was provided back in April, months before the device was unveiled at IFA in Berlin in September.

“We made sure to put in as much time as needed to optimize the applications for the new circular design and UX,” said Joohyung Jeong of Product Planning Team of IT & Mobile Communications Business division. “We wanted to offer a great variety of useful applications to the users at the time of launch, which was made possible with the early announcement of the SDK.”

Because of the Gear S2’s unique, rotating bezel and a circular display, Samsung’s partners were eager to create apps for the smartwatch. The new wearable shape meant all the apps had to be redesigned, and Samsung provided all the design resources needed by our partners. But, in fact, optimizing apps for the rotating bezel turned out to be easier and more intuitive than the touch menus used by many wearables. It was also more convenient creating messaging services and notifications using the new interface.

The other thing which makes the Gear S2 so special is Samsung introduces special watch faces with many partners besides a customized app. These watch faces provide important information depending on your needs. You can check the latest trends on Twitter, or see stock updates on Bloomberg, or sports scores on ESPN.

With hundreds of apps available for the Gear S2 already, let’s take a look at eight of the most popular, for making people’s lives easier and more empowered.

Nike+ Running

With Nike + Running, you can keep track of your jogging regime, including how far you went, the pace and for how long you were running. Nike + Running can help organize and motivate you to make your fitness goals and live healthier.

Twitter Trends

Twitter comes to your wearable, bringing all the trending topics, fun tweets and conversations, and hottest news from around the world.

Line

The popular and free messaging app Line is also available for the Gear S2. In addition to being fast and easy-to-use, Line comes with an array of cute cartoon characters you can use as the face for your Gear S2.

Yelp for Gear

As a wearable device, the Gear S2 is designed for people on the go. And one of the most popular apps for people on the go is Yelp, the review site that rates just about everything in the world around you, like restaurants, flights, coffee shops, and stores.

Volkswagen

Whether it’s called Car-Net (in the United States) or e-Remote (in Europe), the Volkswagen app gives you access to your car, no matter how close or far you may be. You can check to see if the doors are locked, start the air-conditioning before you get to your car or stop it from charging (if it’s an electric car).

SmartThings

SmartThings turns your home into an IoT Smart Home, and the SmartThings app lets you check on your home from wherever you are. Are your doors closed? Are the lights on? Do you want your home to get ready for your arrival, based on any preset routine you like? The SmartThings app can do all that and more.

Kevo by UniKey

Kevo is the smartlock security system that puts the safety of your home right onto your mobile devices. No more fumbling with keys, now your Gear S2 can lock and unlock your doors. Kevo can send eKeys to anyone else, family or guests, so your family is safe, and you have maximum control over your own home.

Voxer

A messaging platform for sending voice messages, texts, photos, and videos. But what makes Voxer different is that you can also send audio live, like a walkie talkie, to instantly communicate with your friends and contacts.

And that’s just the start. Just as partners in Korea have prepared a special transportation app, with which users can simply tag their Gear S2 on the card readers at the gates of the subway and bus stations, many different specialized apps will be introduced to fit the needs of the local consumers.

Samsung Electronics launched its new Marketing Support Portal for Printing Solutions to help both current and future dealers and channel partners grow, and create and capitalize on business opportunities to drive sales.

The Marketing Support Portal provides up-to-date marketing materials for Samsung’s printing devices and solutions, and will help keep all of Samsung’s partners informed of its upcoming and latest developments in printing technology.

“We at Samsung Electronics believe that our partnerships with dealers are absolutely vital to share success” said David SW Song, Senior Vice President of Printing Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics. “By helping our channel partners market and sell our products more strategically – with their clients’ needs in mind, we ensure they can grow their business more effectively too.”

Crucially, much of the content is editable, allowing Samsung’s partners to custom-design their marketing collateral to target their customers’ specific needs while staying within brand guidelines.

Not only are all brochures in an editable format, they will feature a virtual copier configuration function, which allows users to configure a copier with various options and see what the end product will look like.

Samsung Printing Solutions’ Marketing Support Portal will also provide more opportunities for collaboration, by hosting online events for Samsung and its partners to discuss co-marketing and sales strategies and opportunities.

The portal reflects Samsung’s ongoing commitment to collaborating with partners to drive mutual growth. It also forms an additional part of Samsung’s overall support system for its printing business partners.

It works in conjunction with the Technical Support Portal and Samsung Printer Diagnostic System to provide sales and marketing support along with technical support. In addition, its comprehensive Marketing Materials Library expands on the product information found in the Samsung Printing Catalog, which features all of Samsung Printing Solutions’ devices.

For more information, visit Samsung Printing Solutions’ Marketing Support Portal:

www.samsung.com/PrintingMSP

Everybody has got to eat. We do it multiple times every day, year in and year out. So why are so many of us so bad at it? We pick the hamburger when we know we should be eating vegetables; we lose track of how much junk food we’ve eaten in the day; and we drink caffeine, even when it is later in the day and we should be thinking about our sleep.

But thanks to the rise of wearables and food-related apps, at last we are gaining better options for keeping track of our health and eating habits. We no longer have to rely on vague estimates and hazy recollections; now we can track what we eat as we go—and, just as importantly, what we should be eating.

Keeping Records of What We Consume

The first step in improving what we eat is knowing what we eat. And tracking our food intake is an area where devices like the Gear S2—along with Samsung’s signature smartphones, the Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5—excel.

Using apps like S Health, we can keep track of everything we eat and drink during the day. No more fooling ourselves by underestimating how many treats we eat or how few calories they contained. Now each day’s calorie count and nutritional profile can be easily and clearly calculated and tracked. And the Gear S2 even has a function for tracking our caffeine and water drinking, to make sure you’re getting enough of the latter and not too much of the former.

Sensors Understand Your Body

People have different levels of health. Some of us are in great shape and exercise all the time, while others struggle to find the time or willpower to exercise much at all. Some people need a lot of sleep, but other people seem to do just fine with just a few hours. If we can fully understand our bodies, our ability to maintain our health would improve a lot.

Fortunately, the Gear S2 has built-in sensors that can keep track of your body throughout the day. Heart rate is measured around the clock by the wearable, so we can know, minute by minute, what is happening to our bodies. This can then affect our diet—if your energy is flagging, maybe you take some time to stretch your legs and walk around, or have a healthy snack. (Of course, always check with your doctor first for all health advice).

Personalizing Your Diet

Too often, nutritional advice comes in a one-size-fits-all format, like people were all the same. But we aren’t the same. Some people are vegetarian or vegan, while others are focused on avoiding gluten or carbs in general. Some people need to avoid sodium or foods high in cholesterol or fat, and need to be careful about what they eat.

This is another area where technology can be a huge help. Not sure what’s in a certain dish? Your smartphone makes it easy to look up the ingredients online. More and more food companies are providing ever better data about the nutrients in their dishes, so details about calories, ingredients and more are available at our fingertips.

And in many locations (Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom), S Health can even offer health tips based on personalized user interests.

Setting the Table

Making the Gear S2 more effective is the large ecosystem of partner companies that make health apps for the device—many of which are integrated with S Health. There is a wide range of products available at the Galaxy App store, specializing in calorie counting, tracking carbs, diabetes-related health checking and more. And more food apps are continually appearing, giving people ever more options.

Food for Thought

From the individual level to society as a whole, food culture is undergoing major changes, and Samsung Electronics’ latest mobile devices and their health-related apps are a major part of that transformation. When it comes to health, living better begins with a better understanding of what we eat, and these apps provide all sorts of food-related help, just right for each person’s needs. As always, these benefits are the sort of innovations that come from Samsung’s relentless focus on meeting the needs of consumers.

Samsung Electronics launches a campaign that brings together creative minds who want to use technology to make a real difference in society, and also helps young people face and overcome their most common fears. Launching People is a global campaign across 12 countries with two separate elements: Mixed Talents and Be Fearless. It builds on the success of a previous campaign that helped people use technology to realize their dreams and accelerate discoveries and possibilities.

Samsung’s campaign is a search for creative and innovative ideas that show how powerful technology can be when it comes to solving real challenges facing society. The campaign is aimed at today’s Digital Natives for whom technology is a powerful tool that they want to use to its full potential.

“We want to help people breathe and feel innovation, and unlock their amazing potential,” said Dr. WP Hong, the President and Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics. “Launching People is about helping them to create something that’s not only a dream or a passion, but also makes a meaningful difference to everyday lives.”

People around the world can participate in and follow the campaign’s journey of technological discoveries at www.samsung.com/launchingpeople and at Samsung brand pages across social channels including Facebook and YouTube.

Mixing Talents to Create a Spark

Some of the best ideas often emerge when people come together from two radically different backgrounds. That’s why Samsung is making the creative spark of “Mixed Talents” a key part of its Launching People campaign. By bringing together talented people with very different skills and knowledge, adding the ideas and imagination of the public, and contributing the power of Samsung technology and innovation, the campaign seeks to create solutions that are truly unique and make an impact on society.

Taking place in eight countries, Mixed Talents will address unique regional challenges:

• In Italy, for example, Mixed Talents hopes to improve road safety by tackling the 24 percent of accidents among young drivers of scooters and motorcycles.
• In South Africa, the focus will be on developing tools that help struggling entrepreneurs to get the skills and information they need in order to succeed.
• In Australia, the experts will tackle the issue of concussions in rugby, which is one of the country’s most popular sports. Technology can help make contact sports safer by identifying the risks and finding a suitable way of protecting players without impeding performance on the field.
• In China, accidents caused by jaywalking are what the Launching People campaign hopes to address.
• Across Latin America, meanwhile, there is a huge desire – especially among young people – to make a difference in society, but volunteer networks are not as strong as they could be. Technology can create tools to help volunteers to network. The campaign will explore how that can happen in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Using the hashtag #MixedTalents you can follow the stories created by two experts from two contrasting backgrounds and contribute to the program by adding your own idea.

Be Fearless to Conquer Your Fears

Millennials face a number of everyday fears, including common fears such as being afraid of heights, flying, water, public speaking, or even job interviews, and can be a hurdle to progress in their lives.

Samsung’s Launching People BeFearless program wants young people to overcome their fears and unleash their full potential, with the help of the immersive experience of Virtual Reality and Samsung Gear VR.

Working closely with Facebook and Oculus, Samsung has developed a four-week VR training program designed with situations that we can encounter in our daily lives. Participants in the #BeFearless program are able to learn how to conquer their fears through this VR training.

Carolyn Everson, Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook, said “We applaud Samsung’s efforts in using technology to help people overcome their fears. We’re delighted to collaborate with Samsung as a communication partner to share #BeFearless stories and inspire people.”

Using the hashtag #BeFearless, the public can support participants as they launch themselves directly at what they fear the most – and then take the success stories as inspiration to overcome the fears in their own lives.

Launching People, Samsung’s global brand campaign started in 2013, aims to help people not only use technology to accelerate their full potential and realize their dreams, but also to make a real difference in society. Find out more about the program at http://www.samsung.com/launchingpeople.

• Consolidated Sales: Approximately 51.0 trillion Korean won
• Consolidated Operating Profit: Approximately 7.3 trillion Korean won

The above figures are consolidated earnings estimates based on K-IFRS. Korean disclosure regulations do not allow earnings estimates to be provided as a range. Therefore, the above figures are based on the median of the earnings estimate range, as given below.

• Sales: 50.0-52.0 trillion Korean won
• Operating Profit: 7.2-7.4 trillion Korean won

※ 2015 2Q and 2014 3Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

With a brand value of $45,297 million this year, Samsung ranked 7^th in Interbrand’s “Best Global Brands 2015.” Samsung ranked among the top 10 brands on Interbrand’s list since 2012 (9^th), and has been advancing its position for four consecutive years.

The major factors that played a critical role in Samsung’s success include: continued introduction of innovative products and services; a leading position in the markets of its core business divisions including smartphone, TV, and semiconductor; and multi-faceted brand marketing efforts to promote better values to its customers and society.

Samsung’s lead in the mobile market can be attributed to continuous releases of sequels to its industry-leading smartphones including the Galaxy S and Note line-up, the introduction of diverse wearable devices such as the Gear S2 and Gear VR series, and innovative services like its groundbreaking mobile payment service, Samsung Pay.

In its core business divisions including TV sets and memory semiconductors, Samsung also maintains its dominant position in the market thanks to its excellence in technology and expertise. In addition, it continues to release new products and premium appliances that better respond to the needs of consumers. This has also given Samsung a leading position in the home electronics market as well.

Moreover, Samsung is engaged in a multi-faceted effort to take the lead in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, with innovative products such as the Samsung SmartThings Hub and SleepSense.

At the same time, Samsung operates a global brand campaign, Launching People, which aims to help people not only use technology to realize their dreams and accelerate their discoveries and possibilities, but also to use technology to make a real difference in society.

Samsung Brand Value Progress

So far, our PEN.UP series has discussed how artists can use PEN.UP and its related apps to create and share their work and how PEN.UP has been used by people around the world. But the main focus of the PEN.UP app is how easily it lets people share their creations, tagging them and putting together virtual galleries.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note5, with its powerful and versatile S Pen, is an ideal partner for PEN.UP. Together, people can bring any fantastical idea from their imaginations to life, and then show off those fun images with the world.

In these new videos, take a look at how an artist uses a Galaxy Note5 and S Pen to create two artworks: a stylish “tiger flower” and a cute girl under an umbrella.

Once the final artwork is ready, it is simple to share online using PEN.UP. The artist just clicks the share button, and chooses the PEN.UP app. Simple, fun and flexible—the Galaxy Note5 together with PEN.UP lets users create and share their ideas more easily than ever.

Read more:

PEN.UP Helps Artists Share With the World

PEN.UP Artists Share Their Passion

With three consecutive CES Innovation Awards in the Embedded Tech category, from 2013 to 2015, Samsung is the only company to have three straight wins for mobile DRAM:

• 2013 – 2GB LPDDR3 Mobile DRAM
• 2014 – 3GB LPDDR3 Mobile DRAM
• 2015 – 4GB LPDDR4 Mobile DRAM

Here’s a historical look at Samsung’s innovations in mobile DRAM, which have been defining the cutting-edge in mobile devices for so long.

One month after Samsung Electronics announced its latest smartwatch at the IFA, the Samsung Gear S2 became available for purchase on October 2 in the United States, Germany, Singapore and Korea

Sporting a full circle display and unique rotating bezel, the Gear S2 offers unprecedented convenience and style in a powerful wearable device. That rotating bezel serves as the main control for the UX—along with Home and Back buttons on the side—giving you a new, fun and intuitive way of accessing the Gear S2, without your fingers getting in the way of the screen. Now you can control your smartwatch with just a simple turn, rotating the bezel to choose apps, check messages and customize the Gear S2.

Just 11.4 millimeters thin, with a crystal-clear 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display, the Gear S2 looks stylish and elegant, in a form that’s just right for you. And with hundreds of watch faces available for downloading and dozens of fashionable watch bands, you can customize their Gear S2 so it matches your unique style.

The Gear S2 comes in two options, the Gear S2 and Gear S2 classic, giving you more choices to find the style that’s right for you. The classic has a timeless design, with a black finish and matching leather band, while the Gear S2 is great for people on the go, looking for a more minimal and modern style.

With 4GB of memory and a dual core 1GHz processor, the Gear S2 has the power to do more, which helps you do more. All Gear S2s come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, plus a 3G option is also available so the Gear S2 can be used without being tethered to a smartphone. They also have NFC technology, giving them the capability of handling mobile payments and smart keys for the home and car.

The Gear S2 is also compatible with Android phones running on Android 4.4 or higher, with at least 1.5 GB of RAM. You can find all compatible Android smartphones here.

And take a look at a Gear S2 in action in this unboxing video:

Earlier today, The Guardian newspaper in the UK suggested that one of the power saving modes used in our TVs has been designed for regulatory lab tests, rather than real world viewing. We firmly reject this suggestion, and in the interests of full transparency we have decided to publish the following information:

Motion lighting helps save energy in real life

The feature mentioned in the article is called ‘motion lighting’, which reduces power consumption by reducing screen brightness when the picture on the screen is in motion. It is a standard out-of-the-box feature, which is switched on when the customer takes delivery of their TV, and remains on whenever the customer chooses to watch their TV in Standard viewing mode.

Motion lighting is not a test-cheat

Motion lighting is not a setting that only activates during compliance testing. On the contrary, it is a default setting which works both in the lab and at home; delivering energy savings and helping us to reduce our environmental impact.

Motion lighting was introduced in 2011 across all our TVs as part of a range of features we have developed to help reduce the environmental impact of our TV technology. We are immensely proud of these technologies and look forward to innovating further in this area.

If the customer chooses to alter their display settings or switch to a different mode then the feature switches off, which gives our customers a simple choice of whether they choose to prioritise power efficiency or performance in their TV. The setting is explained in all of our instruction manuals, and also features on our website – click here for more details.

Thanks to the rising power and efficiency of mobile devices, the office is not just confined to the office anymore. Increasingly, we work while on the go, researching, analyzing and writing from the airport, hotel and other off-site locations, wherever our work might take us.

In the past, if you needed a document printed, you had to deal with the inconvenient and cumbersome process of getting that file to a computer that was hooked up to a nearby printer. Or if you used your own computer, that mean finding the network and making sure you had the right printer driver. Either way, it was inconvenient and not very secure.

But SAMSUNG Cloud Print cuts those physical connections, allowing printers to link directly to the Internet by Wi-Fi and other communication networks. Now you can print directly from your own mobile device to any printer that is set up for SAMSUNG Cloud Print—which includes all the printers currently produced by Samsung Electronics. Or you can send files from your printer to any device or email account.

(To find out whether your printer supports SAMSUNG Cloud Print, check out the Compatible printer page at Samsungcloudprint.com).

And not only is SAMSUNG Cloud Print convenient, it is also secure end to end, as everything gets encrypted to ensure your documents stay safe.

Why Cloud Printing?

Imagine you are in a taxi, on your way to an important meeting, when you get an email that something in your presentation needs to be revised. Sure you can make those changes in the taxi using your laptop or mobile device, but once you arrive, you will still need to re-print everything, costing you valuable time.

But not anymore. Thanks to SAMSUNG Cloud Print, you can send your print job from the taxi, even while you’re still navigating through traffic. When you arrive at your destination, the new documents can be all ready and waiting for you.

Similarly, SAMSUNG Cloud Print can be used at a hotel to simplify printing documents. In the past, you had to walk down to the hotel’s business center, bringing the files or your laptop. But now, you can send the print job from your device directly to the hotel’s printer and just pick up the printout.

By using the cloud, you get to bypass the old, complicated connection between computers and wired printer networks. You can even print files on printers in other countries, if you need. SAMSUNG Cloud Print is faster, easier and more flexible.

Getting Started

The first step is, of course, downloading the Samsung Cloud Print software and installing it, which can be done with a simple search on most app stores, like Samsung Galaxy Apps or the Google Play store. The software is free and works with the major platforms (Android, iOS, Windows and more).

Once the software is installed and you run it for the first time, the first thing you will notice is how simple the application is. There are just four icons across the top: Print, My Drive, Friends and More.

Printing

The first thing you are most likely to need is to connect to a printer, which can be done by clicking on the Add Device icon (the printer+ icon) on the upper-right of the Print screen.

There, you can connect to a printer by Wi-Fi, NFC, QR Code or MAC Address. Each is very straightforward. For NFC (Near Field Communication), just look for the NFC sticker on the printer, then hold up your mobile device close to it, and the device will automatically just show up.

Once you have chosen your printer, go back to the Print screen and select the document you want to print.

• Photo goes to your device’s Gallery, where you can choose from photos you have taken, downloads and screenshots.
• Document takes you to your device’s Documents folder.
• Web lets you input an Internet URL.
• E-mail allows you to sign into your email account of choice and select emails to print.
• Camera lets you take a new photo and print it directly.

After you have selected what you want to print, you can either print it right away using the green Print button in the lower right, or you can make changes with Preview, the gray button in the lower left.

Selecting Preview gives you several options for editing the file.

• The upper-left button allows you to switch between Color and Grayscale (or black-and-white).
• The middle button lets you change the paper size (default is A4).
• The right button changes the size of the image on the paper.
• The pen square on the upper-right on the document itself lets you make further changes: cropping, rotating and number of copies to print.

Again, whenever you are ready, there is a big, green Print button that sends the print command to your printer. At any time, you can also change the printer you are using by selecting the blue printer box at the bottom, just above the Print box.

Receiving Files

SAMSUNG Cloud Print also works in the opposite direction, allowing people to send documents from the printer to your device. The person at the printer just scans a document, then enters your phone number, and the file goes directly to your device.

The file will show up in your My Drive field (the second field from the left, beside Print). Selecting the file gives you the options Delete, Preview or Print.

Connecting With Others

SAMSUNG Cloud Print also lets you send and receive files directly with others. To do so, select the Friends option (second icon from right). Your contacts are in the Friends area, and you can add more contacts with Invite Friends.

When you select a contact, then get the same list of file options as in Print: Photo, Document, Web, E-mail and Camera. But now, once you’ve selected the file, the green button at the bottom is Send instead of Print. Otherwise, everything works the same.

Customizing and Everything Else

The More field (the three dots on the far right) is where you will find everything else: My Profile, Job History, Setting, Information and more. Job History is a convenient way to keep track of all the print jobs and sent files you have done using SAMSUNG Cloud Print. And Setting allows you to customize your version of the app so it works just the way you like, changing notifications, popups and help options.

More to Come

The team behind SAMSUNG Cloud Print says that more options are coming early next year to their useful service. An Enterprise edition is coming for large businesses that need a lot of in-house printing and that have advanced in-house networks, while a Business edition will be for small and medium size businesses that want to reduce printing cost, increase printing security, and print from anywhere, anytime.

No matter what version of SAMSUNG Cloud Print you choose to use, they are all excellent tools for getting print jobs done more simply, cutting the old ties to in-house networks and limitations. It’s about empowering consumers, letting them do more, and do it more easily. Now your printing solutions can be as free and as diverse as your digital life.

Samsung Electronics has won eight prizes – two golds, four silvers, and two bronzes – at the Clio Awards, one of the three major international advertising events, alongside the Cannes Lions and New York Festivals.

Samsung’s Safety Truck was first implemented as a solution to prevent car accidents in Argentina. It later achieved two gold Clios in the Digital and Out of Home categories, and three silver Clios in the Direct, Engagement/Experiential, and Innovative categories. Earlier in June, Safety Truck was also awarded one Titanium, three gold and three silver at the Cannes Lions.

Argentina is a country where the traffic-related accident rate is among the highest in the world, mainly because most highways have just two lanes. By addressing this issue, Safety Truck provided four digital signage panels on the back doors of the trailer to show what is in front of the truck, so that faster vehicles can overtake safely.

Look At Me, a training program for children with autism, consists of a mobile application and app-related activity programs that help autistic children make eye contact and communicate better. Look At Me has won one silver and two bronze prizes in the Digital, Direct, and Engagement/Experiential categories.

“Our brand motto is to place the top priority on the value of consumers’ lives, and that ethos was recognized at the Clio Awards, following the achievements in Cannes,” said Dr. WP Hong, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to deliver innovative campaigns that will make a genuine difference in consumers’ lives.”

This year marks the 56th anniversary of the Clio Awards. The annual award program assesses the creative excellence of the world’s leading companies’ brand campaigns across various categories including Digital, Out of Home, Content and Contract and Engagement/Experiential.

In 2014, Samsung had set a record of picking up five silvers and five bronzes for its seven brand campaigns including Power Sleep and S-Drive. Power Sleep is an app that turns smartphones all over the world into a network computer, and app users can donate the computing power of their smartphones for scientific research of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer. The S-Drive program is an initiative to create the next generation of safe drivers by preventing smartphones from being a distraction on the road and turning them into safe driving tools that reward young people for driving safely.

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of Samsung Pay in the United States.  A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay works almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Samsung Pay launched initially in Korea on August 20^th.  Plans for bringing the service to the China, Spain and the U.K. are also underway.

“Samsung Pay works with almost any card terminal from day one and Galaxy owners can shop with a wallet they never knew was always in their hands,” said Injong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “As the leader in innovation, Samsung is proud to introduce the first mobile payment solution that allows you to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card today.”

Samsung Pay will work on Galaxy S6, S6 edge, Note5 and S6 edge+ devices operating on the AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular networks in the United States.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.

• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses digital tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged too.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with most existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

Extensive partnership ecosystem

To participate initially, consumers need to have a participating MasterCard, Visa or American Express card issued by Bank of America, Citi, American Express or U.S. Bank. Samsung Pay also offers merchant credit cards through its relationship with Synchrony Financial and additionally, works with acquirers including First Data, Global Payments and TSYS.  Over time, Samsung Pay will continue to expand its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers.

There is an increasing demand, for example within government authorities and defense organizations, for a smartphone that satisfies both regular use and the capabilities of a security-dedicated device. Sectra’s encryption solution for smartphones, Sectra Tiger/R, is a response to this demand, enabling the use of smartphones to securely communicate classified information over ordinary mobile networks. It is designed for use at the RESTRICTED security classification level. A first delivery of Sectra Tiger/R on Samsung KNOX is currently being rolled out to a European defense organization.

“Through the cooperation with Samsung and the integration of Samsung KNOX in our Tiger solution, we combine our expertise in encryption technology and Samsung’s advanced knowledge in platform security” says Michael Bertilsson, President of Sectra Communications. “This strategic cooperation with Samsung allows us to focus on meeting our users’ needs in terms of communication security, availability, and mobility in an environment where new threats against smartphones appear on an increasing basis.”

The partnership enables Sectra to enhance the Sectra Tiger/R solution with the comprehensive smartphone security platform, Samsung KNOX. Whereas Sectra’s hardware-based encryption ensures communication security, Samsung KNOX ensures the integrity of the phone, substantially reducing vulnerability to malicious applications and tampering.

“Sectra is one of the pioneers in mobile voice encryption, with 20 years of experience in mastering mobile secure communication systems”, says Bjorn Hansen, Sales Director Telecom at Samsung Electronics. “Through close cooperation between the development teams behind Samsung KNOX and Sectra Tiger/R, we are making the technology available to users who were not previously able to benefit from it.”

Samsung Electronics has launched the next generation of the S Health app, which provides users with more interactive and easy-to-use health functions. The updated app will also include compatibility with non-Samsung Android devices.

S Health version 4.5 is an all-in-one companion for your healthy lifestyle. With the new S Health, users can track their everyday activities, get coaching to reach daily goals, and improve their fitness with curated programs.

With S Health, users can set goals, such as “be more active,” “eat healthier,” or “feel more rested,” and receive tips and rewards for a more interactive experience. Specific programs can also be selected to help accomplish fitness milestones, from a beginner’s first 5K to an avid runner’s 10K time goal including voice guidance to keep runners at their target pace.

Built-in sensors in the Samsung Galaxy and Gear devices will help track heart rate, steps, walking, running, cycling, hiking, sports, sleep, food, water, caffeine, weight, blood pressure, blood glucose and Sp02 so that users can easily get a comprehensive overview of their health and fitness status.

S Health supports seamless connection with Samsung’s wearables and smartphones starting from the Samsung Galaxy S3 and now supports non-Samsung Android devices as well.

What’s new in S Health version 4.5:

• Dashboard provides a quick summary of daily goals and activities. Dashboard is customizable, so users can easily set own goals, check progress, and see latest tracked values quickly and easily at a glance.
• Added health tips* based on personalizable user interest categories
• Specialized tracker features for select sports such as pace-setter, route selector, exercise summary and power saving mode
• Easier, simpler and more intuitive ways to share workouts though social networks
  • Add various social badges and routes on the share screen
• Added support for more devices**
  • Non-Samsung Android devices
  • All Samsung smartphones since Galaxy S3

*Health tips now available in UK, US and Korea

**Tablets and some mobile devices may not be supported. Some functions may not be available depending on regions/service providers/devices. S Health version 4.5 requires Android OS 4.4 or above.

Availability

The S Health app and widget are available to all owners of Samsung flagship devices including Galaxy S6 with Android 5.0. The app is currently available in150 countries and supports local languages in 80 countries.

For more details about S Health v4.5, please visit http://shealth.samsung.com/

Samsung Electronics has for years been at the forefront of the television industry thanks to constantly pushing the edges of innovation and design. Today’s SUHD and UHD TVs are clearer, brighter and bigger than ever, in a form that’s incredibly thin.

But, at the same time, Samsung has never been afraid of shaking things up and dramatically rethinking everything about its TVs, especially when it finds the right partners. Enter the renowned French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, who have teamed up with Samsung to create Serif TV, a radically different approach to the user experience of TV.

Launching at the London Design Festival (Sept. 21-27), Serif TV is defined by its I-shaped frame—a serif font “I”, of course. Wider in the top and bottom, the unique shape gives the TV solidity, turning into furniture that is a part of the room, rather than disappearing into the walls. This is a TV that can sit on a flat surface, and that can hold vases, books, or other decorative objects on top. The TV even has attachable legs, allowing it to sit comfortably and prominently within the home.

It’s been three years since Samsung approached the Bouroullec brothers about working together on televisions. It was the brothers’ first foray into electronics, and over that period, many concepts were tried out and models built, until they at last came up with Serif TV. “From the outset of designing Serif TV our aim was to craft an object that fused technology with our knowledge in furniture design and to create a solid presence that would sit naturally in any environment,” said Erwan.

Not only has the frame been drastically redesigned, but the back is very different, too. Now a woven fabric panel covers the back of the TV, concealing the connectors and wires.

Ronan and Erwan didn’t just redesign the outside of the TV; they even redesigned the user interface, coming up with an abstract but enticing setting called “Curtain mode.” Curtain mode takes whatever is being shown on the screen and blurs it, transforming it into shimmering abstract shapes like a digital curtain.

In addition, they created a new remote control device that also reflected their design approach.

“In every aspect Serif TV could only come into existence by artisan spirit and the project has been truly meeting of passions between Samsung and the Bouroullec’s,” said Yun-Je Kang, head of the design team in Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

Although the Bouroullecs are more known for designing furniture, lifestyle accessory and art installations, Serif TV appears to have made a big splash in the design world. Fast Company’s popular website Co.Design called it a “design masterpiece” and “the most beautiful TV ever.”

The Serif TV is scheduled to go on sale in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Denmark beginning November 2, 2015. It will be available in three sizes (40-inches, 32-inches and 24-inches) and in three colors (ivory white, dark blue and red).

Samsung has teamed up with great designers before to come up with cutting edge and unusual concepts in TV. It partnered with Giorgio Armani in 2008 for the Armani/Samsung LCD TV, then with artist Yves Béhar in 2009 for the abstract, high-tech installation “Anima Terra” at the Art Institute of Chicago, and again with Yves Béhar earlier this year for an 82-inch, extra-wide-screen curved SUHD TV.

Samsung Electronics announced the introduction of the Samsung 950 PRO solid state drive (SSD), designed to meet the demands of high-performance consumer and business laptops and PCs. The drive’s M.2 form factor means that users with ultra-slim notebook PCs and workstations can benefit from industry-leading storage endurance, reliability and energy efficiency.

The Samsung 950 PRO SSD is Samsung’s first consumer-ready Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe*) M.2 form factor SSD with vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology; supporting the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) 3.0 interface. With the introduction of NVMe, the first protocol optimized for SSDs, users of the Samsung 950 PRO will benefit from improved performance and power saving which can help increase battery life and potentially reduce operating costs. The drive is ideal for professionals who want cutting-edge performance, higher bandwidth and lower latency from their high-end PCs and workstations, for projects such as computer-aided design, data analysis and engineering simulation. The compact M.2 2280 form factor ensures compatibility with next-generation desktop and mobile platforms that support the M.2 PCIe slot and interface.

“With the introduction of the 950 PRO using NVMe and PCIe, Samsung is able to provide our customers with the memory needed to handle the increased storage demands of tomorrow’s computing systems,” said Un-Soo Kim, Senior Vice President of Branded Memory, Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. “Consumers and businesses alike can experience enterprise-quality performance and benefits such as speed, endurance and energy efficiency to support the most demanding applications. The 950 PRO is yet another example of a branded memory solution that continues to elevate our portfolio of products and reflects Samsung’s continued leadership in the memory industry.”

Featuring the PCIe Gen.3 x4 interface and supporting the NVMe protocol, the Samsung 950 PRO offers improved random and sequential performance over Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface drives utilizing the legacy Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) protocol. Users of applications that benefit from high input/output operations per second (IOPS) will experience up to four times faster performance than with traditional SATA SSDs.

The 950 PRO will be available in 512 gigabyte (GB) and 256GB storage capacities. The 512GB version delivers sequential read/write speeds of up to 2,500 MB/s and 1,500 MB/s. Random read performance is up to 300,000 IOPS, with write speeds of up to 110,000 IOPS. It features Samsung’s second generation MLC V-NAND 32-layer 128Gb die with UBX controller and magician software.

The drive was built to last, with AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption to protect data and Dynamic Thermal Guard, which can protect the device and data in inclement weather from 0 to 70 degrees Celsius. It can also withstand physical shock of up to 1500G/0.5ms and vibrations up to 20G.

Both capacities come with a 5-year limited warranty up to 200 terabytes written (TBW) for the 256GB and 400TBW for the 512GB. The 950 PRO will be available beginning in October 2015, with an MSRP of $199.99 for the 256GB capacity and $349.99 for the 512GB capacity. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com/950PRO.

Great design is about a lot more than just looking good. At its best, design is about function, quality, innovation and values. It transcends fads and the superficial to suggest something deeper. It needs to promise consumers that the product they are buying is thoughtfully and well made, functional and the best user-experience possible.

This customer-focused approach to design can be seen vividly in Samsung’s award-winning MultiXpress (MX) series of printers. To make a great printer, the design team at Samsung decided to go back to the basics and redesign the very concept of a printer.

A Design Identity Based on 2 Key Principles

In creating the MX series of printers, the design team focused on two core principles: redefining what people expect from a printer and optimizing for the mobile office environment.
Those practical design goals, chosen to emphasis building trust with consumers, led to two major innovations: the Split Design and the Smart UX Center.

The MX Series’ unique Split Design separates the interface (where users operate the printer) from the box (where the paper and paper feed mechanisms are). Each section comes in a different but attractive color, which is aesthetically pleasing and a good fit for the office environment. The Split also allows for a more ergonomic design, so users don’t have to bend over so far to retrieve their printouts, giving the entire printer a sleek, clean look.

The Smart UX Center means a huge change from the simplistic buttons printers typically have. With a touch-screen panel and running on the Android OS (the first printer to do so), users gain far more options and flexibility than ever before. The Smart UX Center puts the full power of this technology into the hands of users, creating the optimal versatility demanded by today’s office environment. You don’t even need a computer anymore to edit or print your documents and photographs. Just download Samsung’s Mobile Print App, and you will be able to print directly from your tablet or mobile device.

More than Skin Deep

Beauty is much more than skin deep. Great design must evoke quality and values, and then fulfill those promises. The MX Series of printers is the result of that deep approach to design, creating a line of printers completely focused on our customers’ needs. Don’t take our word for it—the prestigious International Forum Design Awards made the MX4 the first A3 copier ever to win their iF Gold Award.

That’s the sort of recognition that only comes from Samsung’s relentless focus on its customers. So when we talk about design, we’re not just talking about how something works. We mean trust and functionality. And those are features that never go out of style.

Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile broadband networking solutions, announced that it successfully deployed the first virtualized IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) components of its AdaptiV Core platform for Korean telecommunications service provider SK Telecom, delivering resource usage flexibility and significant potential cost savings to the operator’s LTE-Advanced network.

“The deployment of our AdaptiV IMS solution represents a second major win for our network virtualization strategy in Korea this year,” said Jeong Jinsoo, Senior Vice President and Head of Domestic Network Sales and Marketing Team of Samsung Electronics. “SK Telecom’s extensive and highly advanced LTE-A network provides the perfect opportunity for us to showcase the strengths of our latest virtualized solutions.”

Samsung’s AdaptiV Core platform is designed to combine virtualization of LTE core network elements, such as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and IMS, with robust OSS capabilities in the form of the CognitiV Cloud Manager. The AdaptiV vIMS component is designed to provide the same software functionality as legacy IMS solutions, while introducing a higher degree of freedom and efficiency to the hardware resources. It transitions the purpose-built proprietary hardware of legacy IMS systems into the same powerful, standardized server hardware that runs IT systems around the world. This not only provides significant cost savings by enabling the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, but also grants significant freedom in hardware selection while allowing for unprecedented scalability – individual hardware resources (e.g. computing cores, memory and storage) can be added individually as needed to meet network demand.

On top of the hardware sits an operating environment – the hypervisor – which is responsible for executing specific network functions. These network functions can be dynamically assigned to computing, memory and storage resources from a shared pool, based on each function’s real-time requirements. As a result, the network gains a higher degree of scalability and improved efficiency in resource usage.

The very first virtualized network functions deployed on the AdaptiV vIMS for SK Telecom is the virtual Call Session Control Function (vCSCF), which will be responsible for various VoLTE-related processes including handling call setup, providing billing and policy control, interfacing with 3rd party networks for roaming users, as well as identifying and correctly routing emergency calls. Additional Virtualized IMS Network Functions (IMS VNFs), such as the virtual Access Gateway (vAGW), will be deployed at a later date; the ability to easily roll out, update or patch individual functions is one of the promising benefits of NFV.

Samsung’s AdaptiV Core Solution for IMS

The deployment of the AdaptiV vIMS solution closely follows SK Telecom’s deployment of Samsung’s AdaptiV vEPC in early August, and represents a concerted effort by the two companies to explore the capabilities and advantages of Network Function Virtualization. Samsung and SK Telecom also recently announced a proof of concept for Software Defined Networking technology, scheduled for later this year, in the operator’s core network. Both NFV and SDN are viewed as major components in the achievement of Samsung’s 5G vision, each contributing to vastly increased network capacity, reduced latency and improved cost efficiency.

Boomer Esiason, Demi Lovato, Rob Thomas, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America Gregory Lee, Tony Bennett, President and COO, Samsung Electronics America Tim Baxter and Josh Lucas attend Samsung Hope For Children Gala 2015 at Hammerstein Ballroom on September 17, 2015 in New York City.

Samsung hosted its annual star-studded Hope for Children benefit gala (#SamsungGives) featuring celebrity guests Ben Stiller, Tony Bennet, Josh Lucas and Rob Thomas. The event, held at the Manhattan Center in New York City, honored Samsung’s guests and partners, including Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, who have helped to improve children’s lives and communities in the United States.

With more than 700 guests in attendance, the event raised $2 million to benefit children’s health and education programs. One hundred percent of the gala proceeds and additional funds raised by Samsung throughout the year under its Hope for Children initiative go directly to the charities. New to this year’s gala, lucky Galaxy Samsung+ members were invited to attend an exclusive gala party and live music showcase featuring Nick Canon and Icona Pop followed by a concert performance by Demi Lovato.

Samsung Hope for Children, the company’s global corporate social responsibility platform, brings together the company, its retail partners, and a network of charitable organizations associated with renowned public figures. Over the course of its 14-year history, Samsung philanthropic efforts have contributed more than $46 million helping more than 1,000 schools, hospitals, and foundations throughout the U.S.

“At Samsung, we believe that our business success goes hand in hand with being a good corporate citizen and it begins with children and young adults in the places and communities where we live and work,” said Gregory Lee, President & CEO, Samsung Electronics America. “Tonight’s gala pays tribute to building hope for children around the world by providing access, applying innovation to solve problems, and raising awareness in health, education, and community impact.”

Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation Honored

Make It Right, founded by Brad Pitt, was honored with the “Champion of Hope” award for the organization’s efforts building hundreds of solar-powered, affordable homes for families in need around the United States. Ben Stiller presented the award to homeowner Leslie Archie, who talked about her journey and the impact the organization had on her community, the Lower 9th Ward, after Hurricane Katrina.

To learn more about the Samsung Hope for Children initiative, please visit www.samsung.com/hope.

Tony Bennett and The Roots attend Samsung Hope For Children Gala 2015 at Hammerstein Ballroom on September 17, 2015 in New York City.

Ben Stiller speaks onstage during Samsung Hope For Children Gala 2015 at Hammerstein Ballroom on September 17, 2015 in New York City.

Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile broadband networking solutions, selected by South Korean operator, SK Telecom, to provide South Korea’s first dedicated and independent network to meet the unique needs of railway safety and operation personnel. With newly adopted LTE network, workforces in the field and the operators in the control center can communicate using multimedia services. Fire departments and police forces will be informed immediately when there is an accident within the metro thanks to the compatibility between the LTE-railways and Korean nationwide public safety network.

The network, which will represent the first implementation of Samsung’s LTE-Railway (LTE-R) solution, will cover the entirety of Busan Metro Line 1, and is specifically designed to ensure seamless communication throughout the line. Samsung will provide its industry-recognized Evolved Packet Core, Home Subscriber Server and a dense array of remote radio units along the length of the metro line ensuring 100% coverage and consistent, reliable performance with high data capacity. In order to minimize interference and facilitate a reliable wireless connection, each train will also be outfitted with a series of receiver modules to relay connectivity between the network’s radio nodes and user devices on-board each car.

Busan Metro Line 1 is 41km from end to end, and is composed of both above ground and underground sections along diverse terrain including urban and rural environments. This introduces several important challenges as a result of varying propagation characteristics throughout the line, along with a critical need to effectively mitigate interference between adjacent cells and ensure perfect handover success rates. Samsung will leverage its extensive experience with heterogeneous network deployments to provide unparalleled reliability and performance.

Scheduled to begin next year, the deployment will be the first railway dedicated LTE network in South Korea demonstrating the suitability and superior capability of LTE for unique ‘public safety’-type networks; Samsung will continue to explore expansion opportunities on other metro lines and nationwide public-safety networks that are closely related to LTE-R.

Located within the Samsung Electronics Building in Seoul, Korea, SAMSUNG D’light was established in December 2008 to showcase the latest consumer electronic products by Samsung Electronics and provide the brand experience. Yet, after undergoing a three-month renovation, SAMSUNG D’light reopened its doors on September 12 to give visitors an even more exciting glimpse into the future.

SAMSUNG D’light, which takes its name from the combination of the words “digital” and “light”, aims to be a “guiding light to the digital world,” all the while functioning as a beacon, leading consumers to an entirely new lifestyle through digital technology. But rather than just presenting how its products convey its vision, Samsung offers visitors the unique opportunity to experience how its devices and solutions are shaping the future through two floors of immersive exhibits under the theme “Live Your Tomorrow.”

On the first floor, visitors can enjoy interactive experiences through Samsung’s current products and services. On the second floor, visitors can learn how the next generation technology of semiconductors can impact people’s lives and experience how various industries, such as healthcare, shopping and education, can be transformed through Samsung’s solutions in the near future.

In Touch With the Future

The journey begins as visitors enter the exhibition doors to a spacious interior that at once exudes a futuristic vibe. After donning a chip-enabled wristband corresponding to their language—Chinese, English or Korean—visitors “sync” themselves with a photo and their name to the seemingly alive system that digitally guides them (along with docents, who are available upon request) through the first floor experience zone.

“Emotion” is the concept for the first segment of the interactive experience, which consists of multiple stations that guests use to transform their photographs into colorful works of art via Samsung’s latest mobile devices. Next is the “Sense” area, where visitors utilize gestures to interact with cutting-edge mirror displays. Finally, they harness the power of their “Intuition” and creativity to digitally construct a whimsical planet which is displayed across 16 curved TVs that circle overhead.

Guests complete their interactive experience in the “Imagination” room. Here, a display gathers information from their wristbands, and based on their choices made in the previous areas, determines their visionary type, such as “Peace Barista” or “Utopia Architect,” among others. In this way, Samsung’s technologies analyze the personalities and characteristics of guests to envision the future, much in the same way that Samsung aims to understand users’ needs to design its technology.

After sharing their results via the SAMSUNG D’light homepage, guests can then make their way upstairs to get hands-on with Samsung’s high-tech solutions. The Shape Tomorrow wall, an eye-catching, floor-to-ceiling display, for example, beautifully showcases the visions of Samsung’s semiconductor technology for individuals’ personal lives, society and the environment.

Unlocking the Possibilities of Tomorrow

Visitors then make their way to the Home of the Future, which, at first glance, appears to be a typical modern apartment. That is, until visitors pick up the tablets stationed throughout each room, which when maneuvered around, give a 360-degree view of the same home, but actively being utilized by a family. As such, visitors can get a glimpse at how the Internet of Things communicates between smart devices like the refrigerator, the television and even the bathroom mirror, to make life more convenient and seamlessly connected.

But, as guests soon learn, Samsung’s products are also changing other industries, too. In an adjacent area that resembles a classroom, tablets have replaced textbooks and a monitor you can write on is the new blackboard. Nearby, in a retail setting, guests see how customers can build a sandwich by tapping their favorite ingredients on a screen or pay with their mobile phones. Even healthcare, it seems, is enhanced through wearable devices and sensors that track one’s movement, heart rate and sleep patterns to better diagnose and prevent potential health issues.

By the end of the tour, which takes approximately 40 minutes, it is clear that these technologies, which not long ago seemed to only be possible in science fiction blockbusters, are now a reality and are quickly becoming integrated into so many aspects of our lives. This is reiterated with the massive “My Life” video screen and displays of recently released products that guests pass by as they exit on the first floor, an area that will also function as a space for special events.

Those looking to take home a bit of the future can head to the D’light shop in the basement. Here, visitors can browse a wide array of products and accessories, or consult sales assistants with any questions they may have.

The newly renovated and highly interactive SAMSUNG D’light is sure to capture the imaginations of all visitors, whether tech geek or elementary school student, by showcasing the endless possibilities that will no doubt transform and enhance their lives tomorrow, today.

Samsung Electronics announced the opening of a Samsung Experience Store in Leh, India. Samsung is the only brand to have a direct distribution and service set up in the Leh-Ladakh region part of the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Samsung Experience Store will provide specialized demonstrations, consultations and support to consumers in the region, by enabling access to Samsung products that meet their needs and desires.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Mr. Mohandeep Singh, Vice President Sales Mobile Division, Samsung India, said, “Samsung will be wherever our consumers are. Our brand and service store in Leh, the highest altitude exclusive brand store over 3,600 meters high, will provide a unique and differentiated retail experience to our consumers. This store will not only display our new innovative products, it will also be a one stop shop for consumers to experience advanced features and solutions offered in these Samsung Smart devices.”

“Samsung is the first brand to set foot in the region with an exclusive showroom and we are committed to strengthening our reach further,” Mr. Mohandeep Singh said.

The Samsung Experience Store and Service Center will provide customers from the region, the opportunity to experience Samsung’s innovative technology products and a wide range of accessories displayed in an open and convenient shopping environment. Consumers will be able to see and purchase from Samsung’s wide range of smartphones such as the recently launched Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to the more affordable Galaxy J series. Customers can also experience and choose to buy from Samsung’s exclusive range of tablets including the recently launched Galaxy Tab A, Galaxy Tab E as well as the premium Galaxy Tab S2.

Samsung already has a retail footprint of over 1.5 lakh stores. The launch in Leh reiterates Samsung India’s commitment to reach out to consumers across every nook and corner of the country.

Samsung Electronics announced that its new line of SmartThings products are available to purchase in the UK, with the new Starter Kit, upgraded Hub and sensors available both in store and online at Curry’s PC World as well as online at Samsung.com

The Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit has everything you need to monitor, control and secure your home from anywhere. Once you’ve set up your Starter Kit, SmartThings allows you to add any of the hundreds of compatible smart devices to enhance your home.

The Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit contains:

• a SmartThings Hub to connect with smart sensors, lights, locks, cameras and more
• a SmartThings Multi Sensor to monitor whether doors, windows, drawers or your garage are open or closed
• a SmartThings Motion Sensor to monitor movement in your home
• a SmartThings Presence Sensor to know when people, pets and cars arrive or leave home
• a SmartThings Power Outlet to control lights, electronics and small appliances

The new Samsung SmartThings Hub is equipped with a powerful processor that enables video monitoring, a battery backup that lasts up to 10 hours in case of a power outage, and a local app engine for optimised performance and the ability to operate without an Internet connection. The collection of small Samsung SmartThings sensors have been designed with a sleek, contemporary look.

The Hub’s video monitoring capability, launching in beta and compatible with select Samsung and D-Link cameras, is unique in that it allows people to improve peace of mind while maintaining their privacy. A livestream can be accessed at any time, but video is only captured and stored when an unexpected event, such as motion by the front door, is detected. With this new feature, SmartThings is introducing a solution called Smart Home Monitor, which provides unified access and control against intrusion, smoke and fire, leaks and floods, and other common household issues by delivering real-time text alerts and video clip notifications from multiple cameras to the user or select contacts via the SmartThings app. Intelligent buffering enables video clip recording to start prior to the event so users can see what caused the incident.

With the free Samsung SmartThings app, you can receive important notifications about what’s happening at home, control your smart devices with a simple tap and choreograph your home to react to your unique preferences. The app is available for download from today for Android and iOS.

Pricing for the Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit, as well as individual elements of the Starter Kit which can be bought separately, is as follows:

• Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit: £199
• SmartThings Multi Sensor: £30
• SmartThings Motion Sensor: £30
• SmartThings Presence Sensor: £30
• SmartThings Power Outlet: £45
• SmartThings Moisture Sensor (not sold as part of Starter Kit): £30

For more information, please visit www.samsung.com/uk/smartthings

About SmartThings

SmartThings is the easiest way to turn a home into a smart home, bringing users peace of mind, savings, and convenience. As an open platform with a thriving ecosystem, SmartThings also brings users freedom of choice in devices and limitless possibilities. Since SmartThings was acquired by Samsung in August 2014, the team has tripled in size, tripled developer activity from a community of over 10,000, and has one of the largest ecosystems of compatible devices. SmartThings is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA and operates independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.