Samsung Electronics today announced that Galaxy S25 has been honored with the 2025 Design for Recycling® Award, the highest recognition for leadership in sustainable product design presented by the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), a leading industry organization dedicated to promoting recycling and circular innovation.

This award recognizes Samsung’s innovative efforts to scale its use of recycled materials and do more with less of the planet’s natural resources. Galaxy S25 is the first Galaxy device to incorporate recycled cobalt — a critical material used in batteries — sourced through Samsung’s new Circular Battery Supply Chain.¹ This system recovers cobalt from previously used Galaxy devices and batteries discarded during the manufacturing process,² helping to reuse valuable materials and reduce the need for newly-mined cobalt.

“Samsung is committed to embedding sustainability throughout our products’ life cycle from design, to usage and disposal,” said Daniel Araujo, VP and Head of the Sustainability Management Office, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “Galaxy S25 represents an important milestone in our journey to enhance circularity in our products and operations, combining cutting-edge innovation with responsibility for the planet. We will continue expanding our efforts to create a more sustainable future for future generations.”

“Samsung has demonstrated true leadership by incorporating design for recycling principles into every phase of Galaxy S25,” said Robin Wiener, President of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA). “Their use of various recycled materials shows a clear commitment to designing the products we rely on every day with innovation and environmental responsibility.”

Building on its progress in battery recycling, the Galaxy S25 features eight different recycled materials³ across its components, including aluminum, rare earth elements like neodymium and steel. For the first time, recycled material has been integrated into armor aluminum frame,⁴ ensuring that every external component of Galaxy S25 contains at least one recycled material. The Galaxy S25 series packaging box is also made with 100% recycled paper, eliminating single-use plastics.

Samsung also supports consumer repairability with its Self-Repair program,⁵ empowering users to extend product life and reduce e-waste.

These initiatives support Samsung’s broader environmental goals, including working toward transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy across global DX operations by 2027 and incorporating at least one recycled material in every module of every mobile product⁶ by 2030 investing in innovative eco-conscious materials without compromising strength, aesthetics or durability.

The award ceremony will be held on May 14 at the ReMA Convention in San Diego, California.

¹ Uses a minimum of 50% recycled cobalt for batteries — a minimum of 25% of the Galaxy S25 battery is cobalt by weight, 50% of which is recycled cobalt.
² Inclusion may differ by markets.
³ The percentage of each recycled material differs per component. Please visit Samsung Sustainability Website for more information.
⁴ The Metal Frame (Case Front) of S25 contains a minimum of 20% recycled aluminum by weight.
⁵ Samsung’s Self-Repair program is available in select markets. Self-Repair program details including model availability, components, kit cost may differ by region. For more details, please visit Samsung.com Self-Repair website.
⁶ Based on our announcement during Samsung Galaxy Unpacked January 2024. Samsung defines a module of a smartphone as the Antenna, Battery, Camera, Display, Mechanical Components, Motor, PBA/FPCB, Speaker, Wireless Charger Module and Packaging.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ build on that innovative heritage with enhancements that not only foster captivating visuals, but also truly realistic audio. Let’s take a closer look at how Samsung’s refinements to the devices’ displays and sound systems have made it even easier for users to immerse themselves in their favorite content.

A Refined Infinity Display

Both the 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 and the 6.2-inch S9+ feature Samsung’s latest Super AMOLED Infinity Displays, which feature key refinements that magnify the beauty and immersive qualities of the Galaxy smartphones’ signature screen.

The Infinity Display is characterized by its smooth, spacious design, which seamlessly curves at the edges to blend into the Galaxy S9’s body and lends the device its beautiful, highly ergonomic form. Films, shows and video clips are captivating when viewed on the 18.5:9, HDR (High Dynamic Range) capable display, whose impeccable accuracy allows such content to be presented exactly as creators intended.

When designing the new displays, Samsung focused on adjustments that would enable users to enjoy even more engrossing viewing experiences. This led Samsung to trim down the already small bezels at the top and bottom of the device, and make the screen itself a deeper black, so as to blend in with the bezels when the device is off. The bezels have also been refined to conceal features that could possibly detract from users’ immersion, such as the device’s iris sensor.

Adaptive Contrast Enhancement is another immersion-amplifying addition that allows the display to provide crisp visuals even in direct sunlight. This offers users more freedom to comfortably consume the content they want, when they want.

To make using the device even more comfortable, the Galaxy S9 also introduces a new Landscape Mode, which allows the home screen and app tray to adjust their orientation when the phone is held at an angle. This feature is particularly useful when a user who is watching a video navigates to the home screen to find another app.

The durability of the devices’ screens and bodies has also been enhanced. In addition to utilizing a high-strength aluminum alloy that offers protection from external impacts, Samsung reinforced both phones with thicker Corning© Gorilla© Glass 5 on their fronts, as well as more scratch-resistant side metal frames.

Cinematic Sound

Because smartphones are increasingly becoming our go-to platforms for entertainment, a top-flight display alone won’t quite cut it. In order to enjoy a truly cinematic mobile viewing experience, we need a premium sound system to complement the display – one that makes it easy for us to immerse ourselves in whatever content we’re consuming.

To enable users to experience true auditory immersion, Samsung placed powerful, AKG-tuned stereo speakers at the bottom and earpiece of the Galaxy S9. Together, the speakers pump out audio that’s not only loud, but also rich and balanced, no matter the volume.

This means that whether you’re streaming the latest binge-worthy show or jamming out to a new playlist, you can count on the Galaxy S9 to provide high-quality audio that keeps you engaged and makes your show, song, or podcast that much more enjoyable.

The Galaxy S9 also features a Dolby Atmos effect that gives users listening through headphones or the device’s speakers the sensation that they’re experiencing 360-degree surround sound. The clever feature carefully analyzes how key variables affect the audio in order to create the most immersive sound experience possible.

The function enriches both Dolby Atmos-exclusive content as well as various other forms of media, and may easily be toggled on or off.

More Tools to Multitask

The Galaxy S9 also features an array of useful functions specifically designed to make it easy for users to multitask using the Infinity Display.

Galaxy users are by now long acquainted with Multi-Window, a convenient feature that enables users to simultaneously manage two windows on their screen for increased efficiency. Edge Lighting Notifications add a new layer of utility to this function by allowing users to easily manage incoming messages while enjoying their favorite content.

With Edge Lighting Notifications, once a message comes in, users are presented with an icon that they may pull down to instantly launch a Multi-Window. This allows them to view their message and compose a reply without needing to navigate away from the website that they were viewing, or falling behind in their movie, show or game.

That multi-app versatility is also the key benefit of App Pair, a convenient feature that quickly became a fan favorite when it was introduced on the Galaxy Note8. App Pair lets users create custom pairs of apps that they can launch simultaneously from the Edge panel or their home screen. This means that with a single tap, a user could instantly launch their music and navigation apps as they began their morning commute, or open their Internet and messaging apps to coordinate dinner with friends.

The Galaxy S9’s powerful combination of sound and display innovations offers users premium multimedia and multitasking experiences without compromise.

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

“Through sharper and more realistic colors, complementary audio and an elevated presentation, our Cinema LED Screen makes viewers feel as if they are part of the picture,” said HS Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to partner with Lotte Cinema to bring this technology to theater-goers, and look forward to continuing to shape the cinema of the future.”

Stretching nearly 10.3m (33.8ft) wide in size, the Cinema LED Screen accommodates a variety of theater configurations while ensuring superior levels of technical performance, reliability and quality. The display brings the visual power of HDR picture quality to the big screen, and enlivens content with both ultra-sharp 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels (146fL) nearly 10 times greater than that offered by standard projector technologies. Additionally, the Cinema LED Screen’s futuristic, distortion-free presentation leverages ultra-contrast and low-tone grayscale settings to showcase the brightest colors, deepest blacks and most pristine whites at a nearly infinite contrast ratio.

To go with the stunning video technology within the ‘SUPER S’ theater of Lotte Cinema, Samsung has paired its Cinema LED Screen with state-of-the-art audio technologies from JBL by HARMAN. This integration includes powerful speakers bordering the screen, proprietary audio processing technology, and JBL’s Sculpted Surround system, producing an unparalleled sight and sound experience the way the content creators intended.

As demands within the cinema space evolve, Samsung’s Cinema LED Screen offers the versatility to expand services to meet a wider range of audience needs. The display maintains its advanced presentation capabilities in a range of dark and ambient lighting conditions. This flexibility makes the Cinema LED Screen ideal for venues wishing to use their theater space for corporate events, concerts, sports event viewing and gaming competitions.

“SUPER S’ theater is a new paradigm of movie screening,” said Wonchun Cha, Lotte Cinema CEO. “We look forward to working with Samsung to introduce new, high-quality technology to the movie industry in the future, and we are excited to drive customer satisfaction through an improved viewing environment that brings a variety of content to life.”

Prior to its commercial debut, Samsung ran the Cinema LED Screen through a series of the industry’s most rigorous tests to validate its performance and presentation. In May 2017, the cinema LED screen became the first product to achieve full compliance with the highly-esteemed Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) theater technology standards prior to its commercial release. This certification acknowledges the display’s ability to showcase the complete color spectrum with unaltered accuracy.

About Lotte Cinema/Entertainment

Lotte Cinema/Entertainment is a Korean-based entertainment company that provides theater screening, movie investment and movie distribution services throughout the globe. By showcasing a variety of culturally-relevant content, Lotte Cinema/Entertainment is committed to delivering Happy Memories to its partners and customers.

What Is ‘Quantum Dot?’

Quantum dots are nano-sized crystals made of semiconductor materials. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, which means these extra-small particles are smaller than 1/10,000 of a single strand of human hair.*

Quantum dots can be made of different kinds of elements, but when regulated down to a size small enough, the quantum dot possesses physical properties that make it suitable for many different applications. For example, quantum dots are very efficient in absorbing and then emitting light. Based on this quality, quantum dot technology is being researched in areas such as solar panels, bioimaging, and, of course, display.

Why Is Quantum Dot Technology Good For TVs?

<Quantum Dot Demonstration>

Quantum dots are photo-active; they absorb, and then emit light. And when they do, even if the dots are made of the same material, the light each quantum dot emits is a specific color (or wavelength) depending on the size of its core. For example, a quantum dot with a core of 2nm will emit a blue light while one with a 6~7nm core will emit red.

The color of light each quantum dot gives off is also very stable and pure. Quantum dots can show precise colors while the light from conventional materials ends up getting mixed with adjacent colors. This is because the spectral line width (width of each peak in the graph below) of the light from quantum dots is much narrower than that from conventional materials.

As a result, the 3 primary colors can be more clearly distinguished in comparison to conventional TVs, which helps the quantum dot display show a wide range of colors more accurately.

Another advantage of these light-emitting quantum dots is that they’re very efficient. Compared to phosphors in conventional TVs, not only are they able to produce more colors, but the photo-active property allows for better light efficiency.

By leveraging this advantage, Samsung was able to jack up the peak brightness of its new SUHD TVs to 1,000 nits and higher, opposed to the previous 400 nits for conventional TVs– all the while further improving overall energy efficiency. Colors are perceived by light, and by offering more light along with more colors, Samsung SUHD TVs are great for HDR content.

What’s So Great About Samsung’s Quantum Dots?

Many previously developed quantum dot solutions were based on materials that involve cadmium, such as cadmium sulfide (CdS) or selenide (CdSe). Although these quantum dots share the same advantages as written above, they hold a deadly threat against the environment as toxic Cd2+ ions may be released through nanoparticle degradation.

Samsung’s quantum dots, however, are cadmium-free. They’re based on indium (In) instead. After much research and development, Samsung is currently the only company that produces cadmium-free quantum dot displays. Samsung started focusing on quantum dot technology in 2001, and has since registered over 150 patents on the subject.

Samsung’s quantum dots are also durable. Being an inorganic compound, quantum dots are more resistant to oxidation than organic substances. Samsung also applies a quad-layer coat to its quantum dots to ensure the quantum dot display is durable and kept stable over years of time. The result: a fantastic display that keeps its picture quality year after year.

For more information on Samsung’s SUHD TVs with Quantum Dot technology, please visit: www.samsung.com/global/tv/quantum-dot-display.

* Calculation based on assumption that an average human hair is about 100μm wide.