The theme of this year’s World Health Day — Our Planet, Our Health — demonstrates the understanding that human health is deeply interconnected with environmental health. Through the Galaxy Upcycling program, Samsung Electronics has been on a mission to develop innovative, sustainable practices that not only preserve the planet’s resources but also bridge barriers to accessible and affordable health care.

In recognition of World Health Day, Samsung Newsroom is looking back at the first year of the program’s implementation, which has upcycled hundreds of secondhand Galaxy devices and provided basic eye care for over 3,000 patients in Morocco, India and Papua New Guinea.

Upcycling Galaxy Technology Into Diagnosis Cameras

Globally, 1.1 billion people suffer from vision loss — 90% of which live in low- and middle-income countries and lack access to affordable and quality eye health care. To address this, Samsung has partnered with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) to transform old and unused Galaxy technology into medical diagnosis cameras called EYELIKE fundus cameras, which allow both medical and non-medical professionals to screen patients for conditions that may lead to blindness.

“We are proud of our team at Samsung who helped infuse upcycled technology to diagnose visual impairment in patients through the EYELIKE platform,” said Dr. Aloknath De, Executive Consulting Director, Open Innovation of Samsung R&D Institute in Bangalore.

Establishing Accessible Eye Care Services in Morocco

Since the introduction of EYELIKE in Morocco, Samsung has partnered with Global Care and 21 other organizations — including public health centers and private clinics — to repurpose 60 units of older smartphones into the EYELIKE Fundus Camera.

“In Morocco, we lack medical personnel and ophthalmic medical equipment, so I’m optimistic EYELIKE will bring huge benefits — especially to patients who live in remote regions,” said optician Mohcine Ait Hida.

Local optometrists have been using the camera to screen over 2,028 patients and provide post-diagnosis care, including prescribing glasses for 128 people, scheduling follow-up appointments with 205 people and connecting 50 people to eye hospitals for additional medical treatment.

Conducting Patient Outreach Programs in India

Recognizing that blindness is a prevailing problem in India, Samsung has upcycled nearly 200 units of secondhand smartphones and provided them to local hospitals. This innovative approach has proved to be a breakthrough for patients like Jamuna Prasad who has been repeatedly prescribed glasses for his declining eyesight for over a year. After his eyes were checked with the EYELIKE Fundus Camera at the Primary Eye Care Center at Sitapur Eye Hospital, he finally received a correct diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. According to his optometrists, Jamuna’s eyesight has been improving ever since.

At the same time, many patients living in remote communities don’t always have the same access that Jamuna Prasad had to a vision center. Thanks to the portable nature of the cameras, optometrists can travel to remote villages through outreach programs and screen people for potential eye diseases. As a result of the EYELIKE Fundus Camera, over 1,000 patients in India have received screenings through both local medical institutions and outreach programs.

Training Medical Staff in Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, health care facilities often struggle to find trained eye doctors and vital equipment necessary for treating retinal diseases. This situation is only being exacerbated by the prevalence of blindness across the country. For a population of over 9 million, there are only 14 trained ophthalmologists and three fundus cameras nationwide.

“Thanks to the partnership program and the EYELIKE fundus cameras, we now have enough cameras to expand care and screening services on a national scale,” said Dr. Jambi Garap, President of the National Prevention of Blindness Committee and the Lecturer in Ophthalmology at University of Papua New Guinea. “We’re currently training doctors in hopes that they can help diagnose patients nationally and improve people’s understanding of the illnesses they have.”

The EYELIKE program is helping to fill the health equity gap by training doctors and other clinic staff, even in rural communities, to screen patients using the device. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions causing a delay in patient screenings, Dr. Garap looks forward to resuming these screenings this year. She hopes to dispatch additional trainers to rural communities to provide staff with further training, in addition to conducting research on rare eye disorders such as Eales disease with the EYELIKE devices.

Advancing Samsung’s Sustainability Vision

As part of its mission to harness technology for good by positively impacting both people and the planet, Samsung plans to elevate this partnership through continuous technical support and open collaboration to allow for the continued nationwide training and screening of patients.

Samsung is dedicated to delivering innovative technologies that help build a better future and empower users to adopt more sustainable practices. This also includes taking tangible actions to reduce our environmental impact and reshape consumer experiences through our sustainability platform, Galaxy for the Planet. EYELIKE specifically helps Samsung minimize its environmental impact by supporting its goal to achieve zero waste to landfills and reduce e-waste by 2025.

About International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is the overarching alliance for the global eye health sector, with more than 150 organizations in over 100 countries working together for a world where everyone has universal access to eye care. IAPB focuses on advocacy efforts to unite the sector behind the recommendations of the World Report on Vision and the Sustainable Development Goals.

About Yonsei University Health System

Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) is the first modern medical institution in South Korea, and it has been a leading medical institution in the country for more than 130 years. Severance Hospital and Yonsei University College of Medicine are part of the Yonsei University Health System.

Ask yourself: what happens to your old smartphone? Maybe you throw it in a drawer or maybe you toss it in the trash to eventually end up in a landfill. Without properly disposing of our old devices, we all contribute to the rapidly growing global problem of electronic waste – or ‘e-waste’.

Each year, the world produces more than fifty million tons¹ of waste from electronics alone, and less than 20% is formally recycled. Our world’s resources are finite, and we need to find a better, more sustainable way to use technology – one that transforms our system into a circular economy that continuously reuses and recycles our materials in an infinite loop.

We believe e-waste is a problem that we can tackle together. Seemingly simple actions can have a large ripple effect.

For example, did you know that extending the lifespan of all smartphones and other electronic devices by just one year can save as much carbon emissions as taking two million cars off the road² each year?

We know that no one can solve this e-waste problem on their own. At Samsung, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to offer the infrastructure and the inspiration to our Galaxy users, so we can make progress together. Through our new sustainability platform, Galaxy for the Planet, we are committed to protecting the planet in everything we do from diverting all waste from landfills by 2025 to combatting global e-waste.

Across the product lifecycle, we’re enabling the entire Galaxy ecosystem to take simple, individual actions – billions of actions around the world – that, when amplified on a global scale, have the power to create positive change. Samsung offers several programs focused on promoting more eco-conscious habits in our daily lives that help Galaxy users to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste generated from old electronic devices.

REDUCE

Minimizing Waste With Product Repair

Around the world, we have nearly 5,000 Customer Service Centers with certified technicians who can help give your old Galaxy device a tune-up, even if you’re already set on purchasing a brand-new device. Through our Product Repair services, we’re helping you make your device last longer and cut down e-waste.

Optimizing Product Life With Android OS Upgrades

We help users maximize the life of their current device by supporting three generations of Android operating system (OS) upgrades and firmware security updates for a minimum of four years on millions of Galaxy devices.³ With this offering, we are extending the lifecycle of our Galaxy products and making a promise that we will provide a simple and secure mobile experience that takes advantage of the latest innovations for good.

REUSE

Creating New Possibilities With Galaxy Upcycling

Our Galaxy Upcycling initiative enables consumers to repurpose Galaxy smartphones – giving them new life and opening new possibilities and extended value. Whether we’re providing innovative technologies to bring greater access to ophthalmic health care for underserved populations or converting smartphones into Internet of Things (IoT) devices like a baby or pet monitor, these simple changes not only help meet our personalized lifestyle needs but also foster a more circular economy.

Extending the Life of Our Devices Through Trade-In and Certified Re-Newed

Through our Trade-In and Certified Re-Newed (CRN) programs, we collect old and unused smartphones and prepare them to be reused for new uses and users. For example, users can donate their old smartphones for an instant credit toward a new one with our Trade-In program. Through Certified Re-Newed, old devices are evaluated, updated and repaired and receive the Certified Re-Newed stamp of approval, allowing us to offer like-new, powerful Galaxy technology to consumers while putting less strain on the planet.

RECYCLE

Transforming Waste With Take-Back

Our Take-Back program⁴ encourages users to donate old or unused smartphones, tablets and PCs to be recycled properly and safely. Rather than generating additional e-waste, Samsung will collect your unwanted electronics and repurpose them in new ways and ensure the materials in your devices don’t end up in a landfill.

When you participate in just one of these programs, you’re contributing to the sustainability efforts of Galaxy users across the globe who are joining together to combat this environmental issue. Together, we’re promoting a more circular economy and protecting our planet’s natural resources for generations to come. Consider participating in our programs today!

Samsung is dedicated to delivering innovative technologies that help build a better future and empower users to adopt more sustainable practices. This also includes taking tangible action to reduce our environmental impact and reshape consumer experiences through our sustainability platform, Galaxy for the Planet.

To view Samsung’s sustainability progress, check out the 2021 Sustainability Report.

¹ World Economic Forum, New Circular Vision for Electronics, 2019

² World Economic Forum, How to Save the Planet, One Mobile Device at a Time, 2020

³ Availability of Android OS upgrades and security updates may vary by device and market. Upgrade schedule will depend on factors including but not limited to complexity of the update, model, as well as market penetration and more.

⁴ To learn more, please visit Samsung Customer Service Center in your region.

Driven by a desire to keep our planet clean for generations to come, Samsung Electronics regularly engages in eco-conscious efforts that are helping to establish a circular economy. The company is constantly exploring ways to reduce its products’ impact on the environment, including increasing products’ lifespans and spearheading efforts to recycle their resources.

In celebration of Earth Day 2021 (April 22), this special series will shine a light on Samsung initiatives that are paving the way for a circular economy. Let’s kick things off by taking a closer look at how the company’s recycling campaigns are giving old phones new life.

¹ According to the Global E-waste Monitor 2020 by Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), the amount of electronic waste in 2019 was 53.6 million metric tons (Mt).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people have a form of vision impairment and almost half of these cases were preventable or have yet to be addressed. There is a large disparity in the prevalence of vision impairment depending on the affordability and availability of eye care services. This is estimated to be four times more common in low- and middle-income regions as compared to high-income regions².

“People around the globe face barriers to accessing fundamental health care, and we saw an opportunity to engineer smart, innovative solutions that reuse products to drive more sustainable practices and make a positive impact in our communities,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “This program embodies Samsung’s belief that technology can enrich people’s lives and help us build a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”

EYELIKE fundus camera displays at Samsung Developer Conference 2019

In 2017, Samsung created the Galaxy Upcycling program to introduce innovative ways that Galaxy devices can make a positive impact. Through the program, an older Galaxy smartphone can become the brain of the EYELIKE³ handheld fundus camera, which connects to a lens attachment for enhanced fundus diagnosis, while the smartphone is used to capture images. The Galaxy device then utilizes an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze and diagnose the images for ophthalmic diseases, and connects to an app that accurately captures patient data and suggests a treatment regimen at a fraction of the cost of commercial instruments. The unique and affordable diagnosis camera can screen patients for conditions that may lead to blindness, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

“We were looking for an eye health diagnosis solution that was cost-effective to reach as many people as possible, and when we saw the performance of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones, we wanted to integrate their upcycling efforts into our research,” said Dr. Sangchul Yoon of Yonsei University Health System. “The combination of using multiple optical technologies and artificial intelligence, coupled with camera performance of a Galaxy smartphone, created an affordable medical device that was just as capable as a fundus camera used by medical professionals. This not only solved a health issue, but a growing environmental concern as well.”

Since 2018, Samsung has partnered with IAPB and Yonsei University Health System to benefit the lives and vision of more than 19,000 residents in Vietnam with its portable retinal camera. In 2019 alone, it supplied 90 portable ophthalmoscopes to health professionals operating in remote regions of the country without access to walk-in clinics. Now, Samsung has expanded the program to India, Morocco and Papua New Guinea. Samsung is also broadening its capabilities to new screening areas, including using upcycled Galaxy devices to create smartphone-based portable colposcopes to screen for cervical cancer and improve women’s accessibility to quality health care.

Patients undergo screening for eye disease in Vietnam (left), Morocco (right)

Patients undergo screening for eye disease in India (left and right)

“As the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more evident than ever that technology can be deployed as an eye health solution. In the countries where the EYELIKE Platform is trialed, difficult terrain, long distances and remote populations all contribute to the need for technology to help us connect and improve access to care,” said Drew Keys, Western Pacific Region (WPR) Coordinator at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). “IAPB is very pleased that Samsung is working closely with its member organizations to pilot these solutions. Working with Samsung allows our member organizations to deliver technology in pilot countries and build cooperative and constructive relationships in these regions.”

In addition to its commitment to purposeful innovation, Samsung is building environmental sustainability into everything we do. This includes working towards our goal of collecting 7.5 million tons of e-waste and making use of 500,000 tons of recycled plastic by 2030. By transforming Galaxy smartphones into low-cost, portable eye diagnosis equipment, Samsung helps divert e-waste from landfills while providing innovative medical solutions to underserved communities. Additionally, the fundus camera diagnosis equipment is made with 35% recycled content and is designed for easy reuse. It has been recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a Sustainable Materials Management Cutting Edge Champion Award. The Galaxy Upcycling program is part of Samsung’s continued commitment to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Through programs like Galaxy Upcycling, Samsung is not only providing innovative technologies that reshape our experiences with the world, but it is also empowering consumers to play a key role in promoting more environmentally conscious behaviors.

About International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
The Global Peak Body in Eye Health, established in 1975 with over 180 member organizations operating worldwide. IAPB focuses on advocacy efforts to unite the sector behind the recommendations of the World Report on Vision and the Sustainable Development Goals.

About Yonsei University Health System.
Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) is the first modern medical institution in South Korea, and it has been a leading medical institution in the country for more than 130 years. Severance Hospital and Yonsei University College of Medicine are part of the Yonsei University Health System. Severance Hospital operates around 2,437 beds across five general hospitals: the Yonsei Cancer Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital, Cardiovascular Hospital, Eye Hospital, and Children’s Hospital and pursues to be the world No.1 leader of medical treatment and patient care. And, YUHS continuously spreads the knowledge and experience to the global society in the field of healthcare and medical service. Accordingly, Yonsei Institute for Global Health, a department dedicated to global health at YUHS, is intimately communicating and collaborating with global society based on their professional knowledge and experience to guarantee universal health and improve health inequalities around the world.

¹ EYELIKE is cleared by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

² Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Causes of blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over 30 years: evaluating the prevalence of avoidable blindness in relation to “VISION 2020: the Right to Sight”. Lancet Global Health 2020. doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30489-7

³ Trademark registered in Vietnam, Korea, Bangladesh and India.

Samsung Electronics shared its vision for the future at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company introduced new products at its virtual press conference, showing how it’s continuing to innovate by creating solutions that are flexible, intelligently connected, and use AI to understand context to make daily life seamless.

“Our world looks different, and many of you have been faced with a new reality–one where, among other things, your home has taken on a greater significance,” said Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, the advanced R&D hub of the company that leads the development of future technologies for Samsung Electronics’ SET (end-products), addressing the company’s efforts to enhance the at-home technology experience. “Our innovations are designed to provide more personal and more intuitive experiences that express your personality. We’re hard at work to bring you next-generation innovation, with AI as the core enabler, for your better tomorrow.”

Creating More Intimate and Personalized User Experiences

As people spent more time at home last year, the tech they wanted became the tech they needed. In relying on that tech, people came to understand many ways connected solutions could make life easier. TVs were vital for entertainment—and sometimes, fitness. Chromebooks became crucial home learning tools. Smart fridges helped with remote shopping and meal prep. Smartphones were indispensable.

Samsung’s continued investments in innovations that adapt to evolving lifestyles enable the company to keep pace with rapid changes. Key innovations unveiled include:

• Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex: The latest version of the Bespoke refrigerator features changeable panels that come with a choice of colors and materials that made the original a success, allowing consumers to adjust their fridge for form and function. The new 4-Door model, available in North America this spring, also includes a brand-new Beverage Center, which gives quick access to a water dispenser and an automatically-filled water pitcher. Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex also comes equipped with a Dual Auto Ice Maker which makes not only regular cubed ice but also smaller ‘ice bites’ to suit different preferences for cold beverages.

• 110-inch MICRO LED: This new screen features self-lit inorganic LED with a slim and nearly bezel-less Infinity Screen design that seamlessly blends into the living space. The result is a spectacularly immersive viewing experience with astounding picture quality. The 110-inch MICRO LED also adds “4Vue” (Quad View), a four-way viewing option—so you can keep up with multiple sports at once, or stream a tutorial while playing a video game. Also, for US consumers, more than 160 free channels¹ are available through Samsung TV Plus. MICRO LED will be rolled out globally beginning this spring.²

• Lifestyle TV: Samsung’s cutting-edge lifestyle TV lineup includes The Serif, The Frame, The Sero and The Terrace—a recently launched 4K QLED outdoor TV—as well as Samsung The Premiere, a cinema-like quality 4K laser projector.

• SmartThings Cooking: A new service from Samsung SmartThings is designed to make your culinary journey seamless. An automatic Meal Planner powered by Whisk’s Food AI recommends meals for the whole week, makes shopping lists with the ingredients you need, and connects to grocery retailers for one-stop shopping straight from the Family Hub refrigerator or your mobile screen. Recipe instructions can be sent directly to synced Samsung cooking devices to minimize hassles and mistakes.³

• Samsung Health Smart Trainer on Samsung 2021 TVs: Samsung Health seamlessly transforms the home into a personal gym, and the new Smart Trainer⁴ feature tracks and analyzes posture in real time, just like a personal trainer. During and post-workout, Smart Trainer provides feedback on form, helps you count your reps, and estimates calories burned. With video and interactive training via Bixby-enabled voice control, Samsung Health Smart Trainer elevates and personalizes the home workout experience.

Bringing AI and Robots to Daily Life Including Housekeeping

Samsung has long been at the forefront of AI and robotics innovation, leveraging its seven global AI research centers to advance technology. By bringing AI to its products, Samsung is creating new home experiences—from washing machines that optimize water usage, detergents, and wash cycles, to TVs with a Quantum AI Processor that can upscale HD content into pristine 8K resolution.

The major technologies featured during Samsung’s press conference include the following:

• JetBot 90 AI+: Coming to the US 1H 2021, this new vacuum cleaner uses object recognition technology to identify and classify objects to decide the best cleaning path. LiDAR and 3D sensors allow JetBot 90 AI+ to avoid cables and small objects, while still cleaning hard-to-reach corners in your home. Also outfitted with a camera, JetBot 90 AI+ is integrated with the SmartThings app to assist you with home monitoring.

• Samsung Bot Care⁵: The latest development in Samsung’s growing robotics lineup, Samsung Bot Care is designed use AI to recognize and respond to your behavior. It will be able to act as both a robotic assistant and companion, helping to take care of the details in your life. It will also learn your schedule and habits and send you reminders to help guide you throughout your busy day.

• Samsung Bot Handy⁶: Also in development, Samsung Bot Handy will rely on advanced AI to recognize and pick up objects of varying sizes, shapes and weights, becoming an extension of you and helping you with work around the house. Samsung Bot Handy will be able to tell the difference between the material composition of various objects, utilizing the appropriate amount of force to grab and move around household items and objects, working as your trusted partner to help with house chores like cleaning up messy rooms or sorting out the dishes after a meal.

Looking to the future, Samsung is also developing other tangible applications of AI technologies for daily life. Samsung is continuing to build on its Samsung Bot Retail, which would guide users outside the home in retail environments, and GEMS, Samsung’s health-focused exoskeleton as mobility aide. These innovations allow robots and robotic devices to co-exist with humans, enhancing their lives and catering to a variety of lifestyles and different environments.

Technology for a Better Future

Samsung closed its CES 2021 press conference by sharing more on the brand’s vision for how technology can enable progress and create a better tomorrow for all. Samsung believes that there is no single all-encompassing solution; a sustainable future requires investments across a broad spectrum. That’s why Samsung is focused on three key areas that are poised to benefit the most from technological innovation: sustainability, education, and accessibility.

“At Samsung, we are always looking for ways to build a better, more sustainable future,” said Sandeep Rana, Senior Manager, Environmental Sustainability Specialist at Samsung, who shared Samsung’s sustainability message at the press conference. “With a focus on the environment, people and society, we will continue to provide our consumers with responsible tools and technologies to address our challenges today and enable a better future for all.”

As part of its commitment to creating a circular economy, Samsung is developing programs and packaging solutions that promote a sustainable product lifecycle—from beginning to end:

• Galaxy Upcycling at Home: At the event, Samsung announced an update to its Galaxy Upcycling program called Galaxy Upcycling at Home. The new program reimagines the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options on how they might be able to repurpose their device to create a variety of convenient IoT tools.

• TV Eco Packaging: Additionally, Samsung announced that its eco-packaging would expand to QLED, UHD TV, monitor, and audio products in 2021. As part of an ongoing commitment to eco-consciousness, Samsung is creating products and solutions with sustainability at the core. For example, Samsung’s new Solar Cell Remote Control—made in part with recycled plastic—can be charged via solar or indoor lighting, reducing battery waste.

Believing that future generations will play a critical role in building a sustainable future, Samsung has also prioritized technology education through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, which encourages young people to creatively use technology to solve community challenges, and Samsung Innovation Campus, which helps students develop technical and personal skills for future jobs.

Samsung also highlighted at the event how it is making its products even more inclusive and accessible for all. The SeeColors application is designed to help those with color vision deficiency (CVD) to adjust the settings on their 2021 QLED TVs for a better viewing experience, and the Sign Language Zoom feature on TVs ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, can easily enjoy cutting-edge technology.

Lastly, understanding how challenging it can be to strike a balance between our digital and analog lives, Samsung presented the Digital Wellbeing feature, designed to help people take control and manage their digital time—so they can use technology to better our lives and empower ourselves.

For more information, images or video on the products Samsung announced at CES 2021, please visit http://news.samsung.com.

¹ 160 free channels for Samsung TV Plus are available for US users only. The Service availability may vary by region and product.

² Availability of MICRO LED TV will vary by region.

³ Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.

⁴ Specific features available may vary by region and product.

⁵ Samsung Bot Care is not currently available for sale. The described functions and technical capabilities have been demonstrated in test settings.

⁶ Samsung Bot Handy is not currently available for sale. The described functions and technical capabilities have been demonstrated in test settings.

Disclaimer: 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. Availability of the above-mentioned products, services, and features may vary by region.

Yun-je Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Design Team, summed up the philosophy behind the flagships’ design. “These days, our smartphones are always in our hands, and they’re becoming items that express our individuality and preferences,” said Kang. “From the beginning, we worked hard to achieve a design that reflected a deep understanding of how consumers use their smartphones today.”

Let’s examine how Samsung optimized the Galaxy Note10’s form factor to offer Millennial and Gen Z users a more immersive and productive smartphone experience.

Sleek and Slim, with an All-New S Pen

The Galaxy Note10 features a streamlined form that’s comfortable to grasp and looks as if it were chiseled from a single piece of glass. Simple but solid, the smartphones’ monolith-like frame supports a nearly bezel-less display, which offers multitasking Note users more room to do what they do best.

The smartphones’ brilliant Cinematic Infinity Display gracefully flows over the edges, blurring the line between body and display. Centered at the top is the in-display cutout for the front-facing camera. In addition to lending the screen a balanced aesthetic, the lens’s placement opens the door for users to enjoy a wide range of fun and inventive wallpaper designs that utilize the camera in creative ways.

In addition, the Note series’ signature feature, the S Pen, has been updated with a redesign and a slew of convenient enhancements, including support for multiple hues in Samsung Notes. Now, when using Samsung’s powerful notetaking app, users can easily save a preferred pen color and style as their favorite pen, load it with the touch of the S Pen’s button, and start writing and drawing to their heart’s content. Moreover, the S Pen’s seamless integration into the Galaxy Note10’s body enhances the devices’ unibody aesthetic.

The S Pen itself is comfortable in the hand, and an absolute pleasure to use. Samsung eliminated as many unnecessary elements as possible when refining the S Pen’s design, resulting in a sleek and sophisticated form. The S Pen’s Samsung logo and metallic section – fixtures of previous S Pens’ designs – have also been removed to enhance the tool’s elegant aesthetic.

To make users’ experience even more satisfying, Samsung also equipped the new S Pen with the ability to recreate the actual sounds that pens and other utensils make when writing or drawing. So scribbling a note on the Galaxy Note10’s display sounds just like scribbling on paper. And each time the user places the S Pen back in their device, they’ll hear a slight click, like the sound that a cap makes when it’s placed on a pen.

 More Choices and Colors

The introduction of the 6.3-inch Galaxy Note10 and the 6.8-inch Galaxy Note10+ marks the first time that a Galaxy Note will be available in two sizes. Offering the newest Note in a compact form factor – alongside a model similar in size to previous editions – enables smartphone users who prefer a smaller screen to experience the signature Note features that make these devices so special.

The Galaxy Note10’s gorgeous design is complemented by a selection of three likewise stunning color options: Aura Glow, Aura White, and Aura Black. The latter two hues are exquisite in their luster, as is the iridescent Aura Glow, which reflects a rainbow of colors depending on the angle of the light, in what amounts to an eye-catching visualization of the smartphones’ ability to streamline a wide range of user interests. Additional color options – available in select markets – include the equally beautiful Aura Red, Aura Pink and Aura Blue.*

To offer users more ways to make their smartphone their own, the Galaxy Note10 also features a wide-ranging accessory selection that includes stylish covers of various colors and materials. Choose the Clear View cover for a practical look, or the Leather Cover for a more classic aesthetic.

Packaging That Puts the Planet First

When developing new Galaxy devices, Samsung prioritizes enhancements that make its powerful innovations simpler and more sustainable. Sustainability has never been more important to consumers – particularly Millennials. In fact, according to a recent Nielsen report, up to 73 percent of Millennials say they’d be willing to pay extra for sustainable goods.

Like the Galaxy S10 before it, the Galaxy Note10 features simple, eco-friendly packaging that utilizes sustainable materials in place of plastics and vinyl, and was designed with a focus on consuming fewer resources. Now, each smartphone and its components are fitted into a sturdy pulp mold rather than being packaged separately.

Other environmentally friendly adjustments include Samsung’s decisions to use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified paper when producing the Galaxy Note10’s packaging and manuals, replace plastic ties with paper alternatives, and utilize 20 percent recycled plastic when crafting the devices’ chargers.

In addition to utilizing more environmentally friendly materials in its products and packaging, Samsung continues to explore innovative ways to reduce electronics waste through initiatives like the Galaxy Upcycling program. By championing the benefits of upcycling, which involves finding new and useful applications for old technology, the company’s efforts are not only helping to save more devices from ending up in landfills; they’re also spurring the development of dynamic technologies with potential applications in the worlds of healthcare, education and more.

As Kang explained, sustainability remains a guiding focus when designing new Galaxy innovations. “Sustainability is an important value in Galaxy device design,” said Kang. “Going forward, Samsung will continue to pursue sustainable innovation – not only by simplifying products’ designs, but also by removing unnecessary elements, and by replacing materials with more eco-friendly alternatives.”

* Availability may vary by market and model.