To help you catch up with these and other exciting updates from San Jose, here’s a handy list of the top themes on display at SDC19.

Held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in sunny California, this year’s Samsung Developer Conference is a showcase of the hottest topics in tech.

Expanding the Bixby and SmartThings Ecosystems

This year at SDC, Samsung is showcasing strides it’s made to integrate Bixby into a wide range of devices. The company is also introducing enhancements that will make it easier for developers to enrich Bixby and the SmartThings IoT platform with useful services, and in doing so, create more ways for users to infuse intelligence into everything they do.

Outlining Samsung’s efforts to offer developers more ways to work with Bixby, Eui-Suk Chung, EVP, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, discusses the AI platform’s expansion. “In 2019, we made it even easier to use Bixby,” Chung explains. “We added new capabilities not only on our flagship devices, but also on most of our A-series devices, on more Galaxy tablets and watches, TVs and home appliances. Just to give you countless new ways to integrate intelligence into everything you do.”

Samsung demonstrates how enhancements to the Bixby Developer Studio, including new Bixby Templates and Bixby Views, will streamline the development of capsules that work across Bixby’s ever-growing ecosystem of devices.

In addition to unveiling a new Rules API that will spur the creation of more automated smart home experiences, Samsung introduced a SmartThings Device SDK beta program – set to launch early next year – that will help third-party manufacturers build SmartThings-supported devices.

New Devices and Experiences

Those visiting SDC19 are treated to first looks at some of the latest and greatest products of Samsung’s innovation. Spanning categories like mobile devices, UX design and more, the devices and experiences showcased at the conference hold the power to transform the way people live, work and connect.

Also on display at SDC is the new, Bixby-enabled Galaxy Home Mini, which fosters continuous IoT experiences when managing connected devices, and offers powerful pound-for-pound audio quality.

The launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold established a brand-new product category – one that opens the door to a new era of mobile experiences. To help realize its vision of a foldable future, Samsung is demonstrating its commitment to developing a variety of foldable form factors at SDC19. Enriching the category with more options will help Samsung and developers explore new use cases and user experiences.

Seeing is believing: An SDC attendee examines how Samsung’s AI ScaleNet technology makes it possible to stream high-quality 8K videos on networks with lower bandwidth capabilities.

Peeks at Cutting-edge Blockchain and Enterprise Solutions

SDC19 offers partners and developers a chance to learn more about one of the hottest trends in technology today: blockchain. Speakers and sessions discuss how enterprises and developers can utilize Samsung’s latest blockchain-powered services to capitalize on the technology’s incredible potential.

The conference also offers attendees an opportunity to see how Samsung is leveraging its years of experience leading innovation in a variety of industries – ranging from retail and manufacturing to transportation and healthcare – to provide enterprises with customized services tailored to their needs.

Seungyun Lee, Principal Engineer, Knox Platform for Enterprise, Samsung Electronics, discusses Samsung’s commitment to advancing blockchain technology – a commitment that’s seen the company produce one of the first smartphones with blockchain technology built-in, and streamline data and cryptocurrency management with the launches of the Samsung Blockchain Keystore and the new Samsung Blockchain Platform SDK. “Together,” Lee explains, “all of these innovations mark a new beginning for the blockchain ecosystem – with Samsung at the forefront.”

SDC attendees eagerly explore the various blockchain innovations being displayed at SDC19. Included among these is the new Samsung Blockchain Platform SDK, which opens up exciting opportunities for developers by 1) offering them more options for securely storing private keys, 2) supporting cryptocurrency transactions, and 3) enabling apps to be smoothly integrated into a mobile space.

Samsung’s SDC19 booth also includes exhibits that illustrate why enterprises in a variety of fields – including industries known to employ the strictest security standards – trust Samsung to help them customize solutions.

But Wait, There’s More!

At the end of the day, SDC is about inspiring people to pursue meaningful innovation. Which is why those visiting the conference are also exposed to projects and initiatives that are making a tangible difference in the world, like the Samsung Global Goals app.

Created to support the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the educational and donation-based mobile app offers a simple way for the Galaxy community to support the causes they care about. To help maximize the app’s impact, Samsung has announced that it will match proceeds generated through the app and donate the same amount.¹

That’s all for now, but there’s plenty more to come as SDC19 enters its second day. For more information on the topics and innovations being discussed at the event, be sure to check out Samsung Newsroom’s ongoing coverage. And don’t forget to check back here for more updates on Samsung’s latest AI, IoT and developer innovations.

¹Samsung has pledged to match donations with ad proceeds generated through the Global Goals app; up to $5 million annually.

DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics today announced, at the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 (SDC19), new ways its platforms will enable developers to introduce simpler, more powerful experiences to consumers around the world. Samsung shared its vision for the next era of mobile and connected living, offering inspiration to developers, enterprise leaders, and consumers through innovative experiences with the devices they rely on every day.

“We are fortunate to work with the world’s best developers and designers. Together, we have built an extensive and secure ecosystem of devices and services,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “We continue to make progress toward our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go.”

Creating Opportunities for Developers through Open, Scalable AI and IoT Platforms

ES Chung, EVP and Head of Software and AI, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, outlines plans to enrich Bixby to offer users “countless new ways to integrate intelligence into everything you do.”

To help consumers discover new ways Bixby can work with them to get things done more quickly and easily, Samsung launched Bixby Marketplace earlier this year, creating a way for developers to introduce their Bixby capsules to millions of Bixby users. In the past six months, the size of the Bixby developer community has doubled. And starting in 2020, the Bixby Marketplace will expand gradually, enabling developers to offer their services across more Samsung devices.

To make it easier for developers to create new experiences on its AI platform and ensure consumers have more intuitive experience, Samsung announced enhanced capabilities in the Bixby Developer Studio at SDC19.

• New Bixby Templates makes it easy for developers to create capsules using pre-existing forms so that they don’t have to start from scratch.
• Enhanced Bixby Views enable developers to build capsules with a consistent design even beyond smartphones—to televisions, tablets, smart watches and refrigerators.
• Developers can now register their capsules under Natural Language Categories. When users ask Bixby for help related to a category—such as radio, news, or navigation—Bixby suggests a capsule that can help them get what they need more quickly and easily, even without having to call out exact name of the capsule.

Larry Heck, CEO of Viv Labs, Samsung Electronics, introduces new Natural Language Categories, which simplify how users engage with and discover Bixby capsules.

More consumers than ever are seeing how seamlessly connected devices and services can make everyday life easier. Developers can scale their device and service offerings through Samsung’s IoT platform, SmartThings. Already, developers and partners have brought connected experiences to more than 45 million monthly active users and thousands of compatible devices, and the platform is expected to grow further with the Work as a SmartThings Hub (WASH) program, which allows partners like network operators to embed SmartThings Hub software into their devices.

To help developers build on and integrate existing devices with the SmartThings platform, Samsung announced new capabilities for developers:

• The new Rules API brings to life more automated smart home experiences to reflect individual daily routines across a broad range of SmartThings devices.
• Samsung is launching the SmartThings Device SDK Beta program in early 2020 to enable more third-party manufacturers to create SmartThings-compatible devices.

Samsung continues to invite developers to actively participate in its ecosystem and supports the developer community with several incentive programs—including the Best of Galaxy Store Award, the Samsung Mobile Design Competition, Bixby DevJam and the Samsung Mobile Security Reward program.

Inspiring Developers with New Experiences Across Devices

Samsung continued to refine the mobile experience to allow users to focus on what matters most to them. One UI 2 includes new features that declutter the user interface—making it easier for people to interact naturally, while also making it easier on their eyes. And now, to make both the developer and the user experiences consistent across devices, Samsung is expanding the use of One UI 2 beyond smartphones to tablets, wearables, and new form factors, including foldables.

Sally Hyesoon Jeong, VP and Head of Framework R&D Group, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, introduces an all-new, compact form factor for foldable devices.

With the launch of Galaxy Fold, Samsung designed a first-of-its kind mobile experience that is much more than a foldable device. Samsung, alongside hundreds of developers and partners, created an entire foldable ecosystem that continues grow and opens up new possibilities to the mobile experience. As promised at SDC last year, Samsung will continue to explore a range of new form factors in the foldable category. And at SDC19, Samsung invited developers and users alike to join the exploration of exciting new use cases and user experiences.

To deliver the best possible TV viewing experience, Samsung is also investing in 8K technologies. With AI ScaleNet, Samsung has made it possible to stream high-quality 8K videos on networks with lower bandwidth capabilities. Samsung has also announced new tools that make it easier for developers to bring new experiences across the nearly 100 million Smart TVs that are powered by Tizen.

• Wits automatically uploads a code edit to the TV, so developers can see their update almost immediately, significantly trimming development time.
• EasyST makes testing content playback much easier because developers don’t need to build their own test app to make sure their content is streaming as intended.
• TIFA (Tizen Identifier for Advertising) gives consumers the option to limit ad tracking or opt-out of targeted advertising
• Samsung is making Tizen TV OS available to third-party TV makers for the first time.

End-to-End Security Built in Every Solution and Experience

Terry Halvorsen, CIO and EVP, IT of Mobile Communications B2G Business, Samsung Electronics, discusses the importance of stout security solutions like Samsung Knox – particularly in today’s hyperconnected world.

Emerging technologies, such as IoT, AI and 5G, are bringing new capabilities and opportunities to the developer landscape. For Samsung, it means providing the community with the tools and programs necessary to deliver secure and reliable solutions.

Secure Development Lifecycle delivers systematic reviews at every phase of the development, supply chain, and manufacturing process. To give both developers and users peace of mind, Samsung offers the Knox SDK, allowing partners and app developers to integrate advanced security solutions to their apps and services. In addition, Samsung has been working with German government agencies, especially BSI, and industry partners on developing a mobile-enabled eID for digital services to support customers and governments by developing a solid foundation for trusted identity services.

Seungyun Lee, Principal Engineer, Knox Platform for Enterprise, Samsung Electronics, discusses features that make Samsung Knox attractive to developers. “Knox is software that is built around hardware root of trust, not just implemented after the device is built” Lee explains, “giving it a foundation like no other security system in the market.”

Samsung invites developers and partners on its journey to bring new and secure experiences to life. For more information about working with Samsung and the Samsung Developer Conference 2019, please visit sdc.developer.samsung.com. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and using the hashtag #SDC19

SDC19’s keynote event was packed with people eager to learn more about Samsung’s latest innovations

About Samsung Developer Conference
SDC brings together thousands of developers and creators to explore today’s tech and visualize what’s possible in the future. The two-day conference will feature exciting keynote announcements, technical sessions and valuable networking time. Plus, Samsung product teams and technology partners will showcase the latest tech advances and tools.

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