“We are committed to giving everyone access to the best mobile experiences possible, as soon as possible,” said Janghyun Yoon, Executive Vice President and Head of Software Platform Team at Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “One UI 4 delivers on that promise, equipping Galaxy smartphone users with the latest customization and privacy features. But we won’t stop there. Soon, other smartphone and tablet users will also be able to benefit from this software update, enabling a more seamless experience across our entire ecosystem.”

Your Galaxy, Your Way

One UI 4 enables you to create a customized mobile experience to meet your unique needs and express your individuality. With a whole host of new Color Palettes to choose from, you can alter the look and feel of everything from your home screen to icons, menu, button and background. And with reimagined widgets that offer even deeper customization, it’s never been easier to put your own personal stamp on your smartphone experience. You can even more effortlessly express yourself with a wider variety of emoji features, GIFs and stickers available directly from your keyboard.

Protect What Matters Most

There’s no privacy without strong security. That’s why, with One UI 4, Samsung is bringing the latest privacy and security features, so you can choose exactly what you want to share or keep private. From alerting you to when an app is attempting to access your camera or microphone, to a new privacy dashboard that brings all your settings and controls into one convenient place, with One UI 4, monitoring and controlling your privacy settings is simple.

Connecting You to an Extended Ecosystem

One UI 4 helps you to get the most out of Samsung’s incredible extended ecosystem of devices and third-party apps, unlocking a more powerful mobile experience.

Samsung’s partnerships with other industry-leaders, like Google, ensure seamless experience when using your favorite third-party apps and services. This means you can enjoy apps like Google Duo, which provides high-quality video calls with friends and family.

And whether you’re using a Galaxy Z Series, Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Tab, you’ll get the uniformed look and feel across your devices, and will be able to seamlessly sync them.

Availability

One UI 4 will be available on the Galaxy S21 series starting November 15^th and will soon become available on previous Galaxy S and Note series as well as Galaxy Z series, A series and tablets.¹ This announcement comes alongside a new software update for the Galaxy Watch series² that, starting today, enables users to enjoy enhanced health features and new watch faces.

¹ At a later date the update will also be available on the Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, S20 FE, Note20, Note20 Ultra, S10, S10e, S10+, S10 5G, Note10, Note 10+, Galaxy Fold, Z Fold3, Z Flip3, Z Fold2, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G, Galaxy A82 5G, A72, A52, A52 5G, A52s 5G, A42 5G, and Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+. Availability may vary by region.

² Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Watch Active2 and Galaxy Watch3

But the capabilities of the Galaxy S21 series’ camera go beyond just making everyday moments epic. In order to showcase the creative heights that users can reach with their Galaxy S21 series device’s cameras, Samsung has been collaborating with a diverse and exciting range of content creators – and the results have been astonishing.

In the first part of this two-part series documenting the true potential of the Galaxy S21 series’ camera, Samsung Newsroom has compiled just some of the examples of how leading content creators around the world have been harnessing the camera’s pro-grade functionalities across all kinds of mediums.

Read on to see more.

Making Movie Magic

An homage to the late Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa, the Samsung Portugal team collaborated with local creatives to produce one of the late writer’s screenplays. Filmed entirely on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, the resulting film ‘O Ídolo’, or ‘The Idol’, has resonated with literary fans and Portuguese speakers the world over.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the production of ‘The Idol’ at Samsung Newsroom Brazil.

Taking Music Videos to the Next Level

March of this year saw the groundbreaking Galaxy S21 series’ camera mark another first in the creative industry, as the music video for Spanish artist Aron Piper’s single ‘Mufasa’ became the first music video to be recorded entirely with the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

See more about how the portability and pro-grade functionality offered by the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G helped bring Piper’s vision to life over at Samsung Newsroom Spain.

That same month saw Ukrainian singer and artist Lida Lee of the MONATIK Corporation collaborate with Samsung Electronics Ukraine to create a unique video project captured entirely on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

See more about how the project went down on Samsung Newsroom Ukraine.

Over in Poland, singer Rosalie and director duo Andiamo harnessed the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to create a 90s-themed music video for the song ‘Come, come, come’, making use of the extensive range of camera modes and functionalities to evoke the iconic lighting style of the era.

Hear more from those who worked on the project over at Samsung Newsroom Poland.

Marking a fresh new age of music marketing, Samsung Electronics worked with Thailand’s AIS and GMM Grammy to produce a revolutionary interactive music video for fan-beloved group Three Man Down, shot using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Learn more about this unique project and how Samsung brought it to life at Samsung Newsroom Thailand.

Taking Pictorials to New Heights

This April, GQ South Africa harnessed the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to shoot dynamic dual covers for its May/June issue cover. What’s more, the fascinating behind-the-scenes content behind this unique pictorial was also captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Hear more about bringing this project to life from photographer Austin Malema and GQ editor Molife Kumona over at Samsung Newsroom South Africa.

National Geographic photographer and explorer Prasenjeet Yadav switched out his usual hefty wildlife photography setup for a Galaxy S21 Ultra when shooting in Western Ghats, India, producing a pictorial that went on to make National Geographics Traveler India Edition’s March issue.

Hear more from Yadav and how the Galaxy S21 Ultra allowed for him to take flawless shots with seamless mobility over at Samsung Newsroom India, and take a look at the #UncoverTheEpic campaign hosted by Samsung, Yadav and National Geographic Traveler magazine that saw a high-definition cut from an 8K video make the cover for the first time in the magazine’s history here.

Earlier this year, world-famous British photographer Rankin harnessed the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to capture photoshoots with rapper Stefflon Don that combined the spirit of the 1980s with the creativity of today’s social media.

Featuring still shots, videos and social-friendly content cuts, the collaboration harnesses the variety of pro-grade camera functionalities available on the Galaxy S21 series; hear more about how the shoot went down from Rankin and Stefflon Don themselves on Samsung Newsroom U.K.

Putting Budding Photographers to the Test

In order to elevate the epic moments being realized through the missions on Chilean reality show ‘Epic Mode’, 12 famous contestants were handed Galaxy S21 devices to capture the final moments of their achievements over the 6 episodes of the show.

Take a look at the winning shots over at Samsung Newsroom Chile.

Finally, streaming on Hulu in the United States, ambitious mobile photographers are putting their skills to the test on the reality show ‘Exposure’. A testament to the pro-grade power of today’s smartphone cameras, ‘Exposure’ sees contestants compete in weekly themed challenges which they have to complete with the help of the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s advanced camera system.

Catch the first glimpse of ‘Exposure’ and learn more about the first-of-its-kind mobile photography competition series over at Samsung Newsroom U.S.

Stay tuned to Samsung Global Newsroom for more best practice tips and tricks on how to make the most out of your Galaxy S21 series camera, and for the second part in this series highlighting the photography prowess of the latest flagship’s camera.

We act on three packaging design principles – reduce, replace, and recycle; these principles have guided the eco-conscious changes to packaging for the Galaxy S series. From the quantity of packaging to the materials used, Samsung has worked to streamline product packaging and implement more sustainable processes.¹

From Galaxy S7 To Galaxy S21: Our Journey to More Eco-Conscious Packaging

Since the release of the Galaxy S7 in 2016, Samsung has developed more eco-conscious packaging with each generation of the Galaxy S series. Throughout this journey, we had worked diligently to remove elements that could stand in the way of people easily recycling their product packaging after purchase.

The packaging for the Galaxy S21 series contains just 4%² of the plastic used in the Galaxy S7 packaging, reducing waste generated per packaging unit by 49%. Similarly, the Galaxy S21 packaging contains only 58% of the paper used in that of the Galaxy S7, helping save some 44,802 trees a year.³ As a result of these continued sustainability efforts, we decreased the amount of carbon generated during the development of the Galaxy S21 series’ packaging by 50% compared to that of the Galaxy S7.⁴

Following extensive research into eco-conscious materials, the Galaxy S8’s packaging saw several evolutions compared to the previous Galaxy S series. We removed the magnet from inside the packaging along with the plastic in-box case for earphones, and the accessory tray – traditionally comprised of plastic – was made with paper-based material.

For the release of the Galaxy S9, we made an extra push towards reducing plastic waste. Samsung changed the device tray material from plastic to a pulp-mold material, integrating upcycled materials into our process.

For the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S20, Samsung expanded eco-conscious changes to packaging. We replaced plastic with paper to tie together accessories, the package structure was simplified, and all the packaging trays for in-box accessories were integrated into one pulp-mold tray to cut down on unnecessary materials. Furthermore, the protective film was removed from accessories such as the charger plug and the USB connector, and the coating for all accessories was changed from a glossy finish to a more eco-conscious matte finish that hides fingerprints and is harder to scratch.

The packaging for our latest flagship device, the Galaxy S21 series, is the most eco-conscious product packaging within the Galaxy S series. Every box for the device is made with corrugated cardboard, instead of rigid paper, to improve recyclability. Accessories such as the charger plug and in-box earphones were removed to further minimize the amount of packaging and promote reuse and recycling habits among Galaxy users.

Promoting Resource Efficiency Into the Future

Despite emerging challenges around the availability of sustainable materials and productivity of global supply chains as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Samsung still has a responsibility to help combat climate change and protect the environment in everything we do.

At the end of 2020, we achieved our goal of using 100% recycled or sustainably-sourced paper packaging⁵ and now require paper suppliers to submit certifications and conform to international standards, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. We recognize that our journey to shifting to a fully circular economy is not over.

Samsung continues to search for new and innovative eco-conscious materials for our product packaging, to discover new ways to minimize materials used and to optimize our product development processes. In advance of future product releases, Samsung will continue to make changes that provide people with more eco-conscious product and packaging experiences as we work together with our supply chain and our customers to create a more sustainable world.

¹ Some of the listed components or materials may differ by country or region.

² This includes the screen’s protective film. It may differ by country or region.

³ A 30-year-old tree can produce 59kg of paper.

⁴ As evaluated and certified by the UK-based Carbon Trust.

⁵ For Consumer electronics and IT & Mobile communications products

Equipped with the latest Exynos 2100 chipset, advanced pro-grade camera, and a stunning adaptive display, the flagship series redefine what a premium smartphone can do. Content creators can capture stunning, studio-quality photos under any lighting conditions in just one click.

India’s leading tech journalists experienced the smartphone and its prowess. Take a look at what some of them have to say about the stylish design, the brilliant camera and the power of Galaxy S21 series:

What makes #GalaxyS21 Series truly Epic? We spoke to some of India’s top tech journalists to find the answer. Take a look:https://t.co/v2sDvWUDnL #Samsung pic.twitter.com/IzN2yOXRVJ

— SamsungNewsroomIN (@SamsungNewsIN) March 4, 2021

Capturing stunning photographs at night can be a challenge for everyone. Low light and camera noise can lead to blurry, grainy photos, causing you to miss capturing that memorable moment. But thanks to the AI powering the camera on the Galaxy S21 series, you can now take stunning images in low light conditions with just the click of the shutter.

Intelligent Low Light Performance

Whether you’re trying to snap a photo of a beautiful cityscape at night or a group selfie in a low-lit restaurant, from the moment you click the shutter, the camera AI on the Galaxy S21 series begins a three-phase process. Here’s how it works:

1. During the capture phase, the camera takes multiple pictures of the scene at different exposure levels.
2. After capturing, the camera begins Multi-frame Processing, combining the images into one and enhancing the brightness of the picture.
3. Lastly, the AI image signal processor begins post-processing the image, reducing noise and fine-tuning the details. The results are crystal clear images, with greatly reduced noise and blur.

The Power of Multi-frame Processing

The keys to achieving that clarity and detail are in the multi-frame layering and AI restoration. When the multi-frame processing begins, the Galaxy S21 series intelligently selects the sharpest frame from all the images captured to use as a reference image. After selecting the reference frame, the AI aligns and registers the rest of the images before delivering the finalized photo. When finalized, the image has significantly reduced noise and a superior tone balance between the main subject and its background.

The same multi-frame process allows the Galaxy S21 to support clear, high-resolution images even under poor conditions such as when zooming in on a neon sign to create an image with high-dynamic range. While zooming in on distant subjects, the Galaxy S21 is capable of capturing up to 20 frames at different exposure values (ev), depending on the conditions. Capturing at different exposure values allows the camera to produce a sharper final image that has high-dynamic range with true-to-life exposure of both shadows and highlights. So, when you’re zooming in on that neon sign, you’ll be able to make out every letter.

During multi-frame processing, the AI determines whether it needs to use every frame captured, or just a subset. With more data from multiple frames, the Galaxy S21 series’ camera AI can deliver bright, tack-sharp images even in low light or when zoomed in from extremely far away—whether it’s a photo of a neon sign, or your favorite singer at a concert.

To learn more about the intelligent features behind the Galaxy S21 series’ powerful camera, be sure to check out the rest of the Behind the Snapshot series at Samsung Newsroom.

Take a look at the video below to learn more about how to enable Music Share.

Check out the video below for more information on the Buds together functionality.

Learn more about how Dual Audio works, and how it has evolved for more premium audio experiences in the video below.

Sometimes a single picture or video just isn’t enough to truly capture the moment. Single Take, first introduced on the Galaxy S20 series, aimed to solve that problem by using AI processing to capture multiple pictures and videos simultaneously, then automatically apply post-processing edits.

In the second part of our Behind the Snapshot series, we’ll take a closer look at how the AI behind Single Take on the Galaxy S21 series gives you the power to create instantly shareable photos and videos.

Capture More of the Scene

Backed by more powerful AI, the Galaxy S21 ensures you never miss a moment by expanding the capabilities of Single Take with a duration of five to 15 seconds during which it records video while capturing up to ten photos per second. After capturing your scene, the AI takes over and processes the captured content to deliver up to the ten best photos and up to four video clips.

To find the best photos, the AI analyzes your content to determine which enhancements to apply. With photos of people and pets, for example, it may apply Portrait mode to emphasize the subject. For live events or landscapes, it may use Smart Crop to edit around the most interesting part of the scene or apply a variety of AI filters that adjust color and lighting.

For videos, the AI analyzes the footage for action and scenery. By default, videos receive either the Fast Forward (3x) effect or the new Dynamic Slow-mo effect, which applies slow motion when there is fast action in the scene. Other video effects include Boomerang, Reverse, Highlight video and Scene Relighting (a 24 hour time-lapse video). Results that would take normal users, hours of filtering and editing, Single Take can produce in an instant. So just how does it work?

Selecting Your Best Photos in an Instant

In order to deliver results quickly, the Single Take AI uses multiple engines powered by deep learning and computer vision to evaluate and filter images to choose the best moments.

The Aesthetic engine, for example, uses a deep learning engine trained using approximately 300,000 images carefully selected by professionals to evaluate overall clarity, image quality, facial expressions, and more. Through this process, the AI eliminates images where eyes are closed, or the subject’s face is angled down. Once the engine chooses the best moments, the AI then decides which filters and features to apply using the same deep learning technology. The most popular filters are automatically applied to your image.

The Angle Evaluation engine uses the same process, analyzing a database of approximately 100 million photos to determine the best crop angle. Finally, for pets and people, Portrait mode uses AI to segment subjects from the background and applies blur or other backdrop effects to the final photo.

Here’s a quiz to demonstrate how Single Take selects photos: which one do you think will be the best moment?

Creating Instantly Shareable Videos

In addition to photos and filter selection, Single Take uses multiple intelligence engines to do a lot of the heavy lifting of editing and processing your videos like a professional.

Capture intelligence analyzes the scene and leverages high-speed capture to produce the best image based on the available light. Human awareness intelligence, on the other hand, identifies human faces, expressions, body poses, head tilt, and helps to emphasize human subjects by making them stand out from the background. For videos, motion intelligence detects the peak moments of action in a scene. At any given moment while using Single Take, multiple intelligence engines work simultaneously to get the best results.

In the new Highlight video, for example, Single Take uses scene intelligence, capture intelligence, motion intelligence, and human awareness intelligence to pick the best photo and video moments in a scene and stitch them together into an instantly shareable video enhanced with filters, transitions, and background music. In more action-packed scenes, Single Take uses motion intelligence to analyze the scene and applies Dynamic Slow-mo, Boomerang or Reverse effects to emphasize the peak of the action.

In addition to Highlight video, you can also create stunning time-lapses with the Scene Relighting feature, which generates a video of your scene showing the full transition of light from morning to night using a single image. Based on your photo, the AI generates images with lighting adjustments for different times of the day—morning, evening, sunset, blue hour, night, and dawn—using a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). It then combines these images into a 12-second time-lapse video, smoothly blending the images to show the light transitioning in the scene over a 24-hour period.

The AI is able to analyze the sky, clouds, water, trees, and buildings in your scene, and naturally restore their edges and features just as you captured them. Scene Relighting videos are generated with such realism that you’ll never have to worry about missing a stunning blue sky or precious sunset again—simply capture the scene with Single Take and the AI will recreate it for you.

To learn more about the intelligent features behind the Galaxy S21 series’ powerful camera, be sure to check out the rest of the Behind the Snapshot series at Samsung Newsroom.

Whether ordering the Galaxy S21 series devices online or picking them up in person at retail stores, Samsung is committed to providing customers with the best experience. To ensure the safety of both employees and customers, Samsung has taken extra precautions at retail locations. Safety measures include social distancing, temperature checks, mandatory use of masks, and frequent cleaning of store surfaces. In addition to disinfecting devices in the factory, display devices in stores are also routinely disinfected.

To celebrate the release of the Galaxy S21 series, here’s a look at their full journey from the factory floor to store shelves.

The quality control team at Samsung’s automated factory conduct final checks before sealing the devices in their packaging.

Team members at Samsung’s distribution center prepare the Galaxy S21 series for shipment to stores and customers across the globe.

Samsung retail teams set the stage for customers by preparing Galaxy S21 series, disinfecting devices and store surfaces, and reviewing safety measures.

Thailand

Hungary

Belgium

Singapore

Singapore

Thailand

Customers arrive at Samsung retail locations around the world to buy their favorite Galaxy S21 series device. Samsung’s retail members provided their expertise and guidance and helped customers get up close with Samsung’s latest innovations.

Belgium

India

Singapore

Belgium