Samsung Newsroom is taking a closer look to explore the stories behind Samsung Core Tech in this second installment. To unlock the full potential of every home, consumers require reliable, advanced appliances that boost convenience and eliminate hassle. Samsung has identified and answered this need with Core Tech, a philosophy comprised of four key themes — Outstanding, AI-Powered, Flexible Use and Durable & Sustainable. By introducing innovative technologies across its wide range of home appliances that follow these key principles, Samsung ensures that users optimize their living spaces and enrich their homes with unparalleled efficiency and ease.

WindFree: Cooling Redefined by Tradition

A prevalent pet peeve for air conditioner users is feeling a chilly breeze that is too strong when their units are running. To solve this issue, Samsung has developed a brand-new feature inspired by the traditional Korean practice of stone ice storage, known as seokbinggo. Essentially an ancient form of refrigeration, seokbinggo managed to keep items cool without cold drafts — making it an ideal source of inspiration for this new feature.

The WindFree air conditioner was successfully launched in 2015 after four years of extensive research and development. This ‘Outstanding’ piece of technology helps cool rooms gently and evenly by dispersing air through more than 23,000 micro air holes,¹ so users feel as if they’re floating inside a cool, comfortable cloud.

AI Cleaning: Meet the World’s First UL-Verified AI-Powered Cordless Stick Vacuum

A vacuum cleaner that works well on wooden floors but suddenly struggles when it’s moved on carpets results in an inconvenient cleaning experience. The Bespoke Jet AI, the world’s first UL-verified AI cordless stick vacuum cleaner,² relieves that kind of stress since it optimizes the cleaning mode according to floor types. But the question remains — how does this ‘AI-Powered’ stick vacuum determine what type of floor it is placed on?

The Bespoke Jet AI detects brush load and meticulously analyzes the data collected to classify floor type. Then, it automatically applies a smart algorithm to deliver the optimal suction power and brush roll speed³ tailored for the specific cleaning environment.⁴ The result is a clean carpet or a shining hardwood floor — ensuring peace of mind for users every time.

Auto Open Door: For Everyone’s Flexibility

Why do refrigerator doors sometimes refuse to open? The internal pressure of a fridge drops as it chills, generating a suction effect that resists users’ efforts to open the door. To make opening fridge doors a breeze, Samsung designed the convenient Auto Open Door⁵ feature.

Boasting 27 patents from seven countries, this innovation is a game-changer for those who find opening fridge doors to be a challenge. Designed to be used with one simple touch this thoughtful feature helps make the refrigerator more accessible to a wider range of users. Created to enhance the ‘Flexible Use’ of home appliances, Auto Open Door also comes in handy when users have their hands full of groceries.

Less Microfiber Filter and Cycle: Reduce Microplastics in Drained Water

Microplastics pose a significant threat to ocean ecosystems, and around half a million tonnes of microplastics are released into the ocean from laundry every year.⁷

Samsung has consistently considered the impact of microplastics when researching advanced technologies and worked together with Patagonia. These dedicated efforts led to the introduction of the Less Microfiber Cycle in 2022 and the Less Microfiber Filter in 2023 – some of the latest additions to Samsung Core Tech’s ‘Durable and Sustainable’ category. Both the Less Microfiber Cycle and the Less Microfiber Filter help reduce microplastic emission in the rinse water.

Samsung has continued its efforts by providing the Less Microfiber Cycle update through SmartThings⁸ since this past August⁹ so users can easily download and run the cycle.

Samsung’s commitment to decreasing microplastics emission in the rinse water has gone noticed, as evidenced by the Less Microfiber Filter being recognized as one of TIME’s “The Best Inventions of 2023” in October.

Samsung’s Core Tech has been developed through years of dedicated research — guided by customer-centric studies and observations — all with the aim of enriching the daily experience of Samsung home appliance users. Not only does this philosophy define the past, it’s a glimpse of the future. Samsung will remain committed to developing new solutions that reimagine user convenience.

In the upcoming installment of the series, Samsung Newsroom will sit down with Moohyung Lee, EVP and Head of R&D Team of Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics to learn more about the history and concepts that serve as the driving force behind Samsung Core Tech. So stay tuned!

¹ This features the AR9500T WindFree Air Conditioners.
² In May 2023 it was the first cordless stick vacuum cleaner to receive AI certification from UL Solutions, a leading independent safety science organization.
³ The brush rotation speed (rpm) can only be adjusted when using the Active Dual Brush.
⁴ The ability to identify different cleaning environments can be affected by environmental conditions.
⁵ The door automatically opens about 25 mm wide. If users do not open the door further, it will close automatically after two seconds. Automatic closing may not be possible in certain environments.
⁶ The door automatically opens about 25mm. If you do not open the door further, it will close automatically after 2 seconds (automatic closing may not be possible in certain environments).
⁷ “Fashion’s tiny hidden secret,” sourced from United Nations Environment Programme (www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/fashions-tiny-hidden-secret).
⁸ Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.
⁹ Started first from Korea and detailed schedules may vary up to regions, for applicable models only

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of the new Less Microfiber Filter, an external washing machine filter designed to significantly reduce plastic microfiber emissions during laundry cycles. Designed with inspiration from apparel maker Patagonia and expertise from the global ocean conservation organization Ocean Wise, the filter builds on the success of last year’s Less Microfiber Cycle to substantially cut microplastics and enable sustainable laundry washing that is both effective and effortless. The new filter is now available in Korea and the U.K. and will roll out to other countries in the third quarter.

“With microplastics emissions to our oceans continuing to increase and regulations being strengthened in many countries, as well as microplastics becoming a growing health concern for people everywhere, Samsung worked with Ocean Wise and Patagonia to engineer technology to prevent the release of microplastics from our daily life,” said Moohyung Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D Team of Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “With innovations like the Less Microfiber Filter and Cycle, Samsung is enabling Everyday Sustainability in a wider array of products and making eco-conscious daily practices second nature in the home.”

From the Less Microfiber Cycle to the Less Microfiber Filter: Stopping Microplastics Before They Enter the Ocean

To enable customers to cut microplastic emissions from their laundry, Samsung first developed the Less Microfiber Cycle, a wash course that reduces microplastic shedding by 54%¹ in part by leveraging Samsung’s proprietary Ecobubble technology. By using bubbles to help dissolve and absorb detergent, less heat and energy is required to wash clothes, resulting in reduced abrasion which in turn prevents microplastic emissions.

The Less Microfiber Filter takes this a step further, preventing up to 98%² of microplastics released during laundry from escaping into the ocean, equivalent to eight 500ml plastic bottles per year³ when used four times a week. In addition, to help more customers get involved in cutting microplastic emissions, the Less Microfiber Filter has a mountable design style that allows it to be used with standard washing machine models, demonstrating the company’s dedication to long-term sustainability and helping customers embrace sustainability at home.

Sustainable Convenience Every Day and at Every Stage of the Product Lifecycle

Samsung is committed to developing new products and technologies for a sustainable future. As we strive to enable Everyday Sustainability, not only should these products be highly effective, they should also be simple, accessible and convenient to use while considering eco-conscious practices in each aspect of product development.

With this in mind, the Less Microfiber Filter is made using recycled plastics — to help incorporate sustainability at every stage of its lifecycle – and was designed to be long-lasting and easy to maintain. The filter’s blades capture the microplastics with a 65-70 micrometer wide mesh, then redirect and compress these microplastics to one side, meaning the filter only needs to be cleaned roughly once a month.

By connecting with Samsung’s intelligent connectivity platform SmartThings, the filter tracks how full it is from 0 to 100%, alerting users when cleaning or other troubleshooting is required via the SmartThings app. The Less Microfiber Cycle, meanwhile, is available as a preset option on select Samsung washing machines from 2022 and can be activated with just the press of a button. It will be expanded to users of previous Wi-Fi enabled Samsung washing machine models through an over the network update this year.

Innovation for a Brighter Future

The development and launch of the Less Microfiber Cycle and Filter are just the latest steps in Samsung’s sustainability journey.

“Samsung Electronics and Patagonia’s efforts to reduce the harmful microplastics emissions being released into our oceans do not end here,” said Vincent Stanley, Director of Philosophy at Patagonia. “We look forward to bringing this collaborative, sustainable spirit to further projects with industry partners to create even more solutions that combat marine pollution.”

Beyond the launch of the Less Microfiber Cycle and Filter, Samsung will continue developing new technologies and products that make Everyday Sustainability an effortless part of daily life for customers everywhere and continue to work with partners like Patagonia to deliver tomorrow’s eco-conscious household solutions.

¹ Tested with 2kg load of 100% polyester hoodies, comparing Synthetics cycle on Samsung Conventional model WW4000T and the Less Microfiber Cycleon WW9400B. The results may be different depending on the clothes and environment. Tested at the Ocean Wise Plastics Lab.
² Tested at Ocean Wise Plastics Lab on the WW90T734DWH model (using Synthetic cycle, approximately 2kg load of synthetic textile laundry) comparing the amount of microfiber released with and without the Less Microfiber Filter installed. The amount is calculated by filtering drain water through a 50um filter. Results may vary depending on clothes and environment.
³ Tested at Ocean Wise Plastics Lab on the WW90T734DWH model (using Synthetic cycle, approximately 2kg load of synthetic textile laundry) comparing the amount of microfiber released with and without the Less Microfiber Filter installed. The amount is calculated by filtering drain water through a 50um filter. One wash cycle’s reduction amount of 0.627g is based on a 5kg load (0.125g/kg x 5kg). Annual reduction amount (132g) is calculated based on 210 cycles (4 times a week, 52 weeks) and 5kg load on each cycle. 500㎖ bottle weight (15.4g) is based on the Korea Ministry of Environment’s guideline on plastic bottles.