[Interview] Sunrise Gold: The Story behind Galaxy S9’s Latest Color Edition

Samsung Electronics released the Sunrise Gold edition of Galaxy S9 and S9+ shortly after the devices’ initial launch. As Galaxy’s latest color edition, Sunrise Gold’s subtle glossy surface radiates with a reddish glow to perfectly capture the warmth of the rising sun. Its development also saw Samsung apply the Satin Gloss Finish on smartphones for the first time.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with members of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business, who were behind the development of the Sunrise Gold color of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. They include instrument developers Seung-hwan Park and Young-gun Kim from the Mechanical R&D Team, and designers Hye-jin Bang and Hye-jung Lee from the Design Team.

(from left) Hye-jin Bang, Young-gun Kim, Seung-hwan Park and Hye-jung Lee

Q: What inspired the development of Sunrise Gold?

Hye-jin Bang: Samsung has released a gold edition for every Galaxy model. For Galaxy S9 and S9+, we wanted to create a new luxurious gold edition that is both gender neutral and appeals to people of all ages, including millennials. Based on the latest trends in various industries, such as interior design, and extensive global consumer surveys, we found that Sunrise Gold meets all our objectives.

Sunrise Gold is inspired by satin-weave fabric, which reflects a unique, subtle aura of gloss. We spent several years developing the Satin Gloss Finish – a new type of glossy surface that also includes qualities of a matt finish – to capture the exact texture of the fabric.

Each color of gold is different, yet beautiful. Take a look at Galaxy S9’s Sunrise Gold (left) and Galaxy S8’s Maple Gold (right).

Q: How did the team achieve the Satin Gloss Finish?

Seung-hwan Park: To realize the subtleties of Satin Gloss Finish, we had to accurately adjust the glossiness of the surface. That’s why we added an extra layer of glass coating on the back of the phone, and made the surface rugged afterward, to change the way it reflects light. The reduced glossiness of the finish also reduces fingerprint marks on the phone. Samsung patented the Satin Gloss Finish, as it’s a first in the smartphone industry.

Hye-jin Bang: We have been wanting to develop the Satin Gloss Finish for around four years. We were finally able to put the idea into practice after countless experiments. During the development process, we had difficulties producing the glossiness we had in mind while maintaining the coating’s durability, which is crucial for smartphones.

Q: How did the team improve the durability of the Satin Gloss Finish?

Seung-hwan Park: The production technique we used to improve durability involves several high-temperature treatments of the coating to unify glass coating with mobile back glass. This was the first time we used this technique in our manufacturing process and we spent a lot of time improving its reliability.

Young-gun Kim: One of the most difficult part was finding a way to produce the precise level of glossiness. We produced many samples with different techniques and tested them under various conditions. We finally achieved the Satin Gloss Finish after a lengthy process of trial and error.

Q: Finally, what’s the meaning behind the name Sunrise Gold?

Hye-jung Lee: The concept of Galaxy S9 and S9+ revolves around capturing everyday moments in special ways. Samsung has so far introduced four color editions for the devices. Each of the colors represent a different time of the day: Midnight Black is inspired by the night; Titanium Gray symbolizes the liminal time between night and day; Coral Blue mimics the dawn; and Lilac Purple reflects the sunset. We wanted to apply the same theme to the new color edition.

The impressive reddish hue of the latest gold edition resembles the light of a rising sun. That’s why we chose the name Sunrise Gold to represent the magical moment when light radiates across the sky when daylight breaks.