Samsung Newsroom attended the final Tech Forum session, titled “Understanding Home, Understanding You: Rethinking the Role of the Home in the Era of AI,” to examine the transformative potential of AI in smart home innovation and the need for collaboration to deliver on the promise of Home AI.

▲ (From left to right) Tobin Richardson, Jaeyeon Jung, Patrick Chomet and Carolina Milanesi

Smart UI as the Gateway to Home AI

User interface (UI) is a critical element in the Home AI experience, serving as the bridge between users and their mobile devices, TVs, home appliances and more.

▲ Patrick Chomet from Samsung Electronics

“UI is a key area in the age of AI,” said Patrick Chomet, Mobile Strategy Advisor at Samsung Electronics. “With the advent of LLM multimodal AI, a big shift has taken place in User Interface (UI), enabling people to get things done in natural and simple ways such as gesture, voice or text interaction. Users no longer needs to understand devices, rather the device should understand the user’s intent.”

He explained how intelligent user interfaces not only enable more intuitive interactions but also procure deeper understandings of user context and intent, which brands can use to optimize in-home solutions.

▲ Jaeyeon Jung from Samsung Electronics

“We have implemented an intuitive and concise UI for various SmartThings features,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings Team at Samsung Electronics.

She engaged the audience with examples of the latest SmartThings functions including Quick Remote, a feature that enables users to control their TVs with a connected Galaxy smartphone; 3D Map View, a feature that allows users to manage their entire home and check energy consumption through Galaxy smartphones and tablets; and Home Insight, a feature that provides timely home reports and delivers personalized recommendations to users.

The Role of Platforms and Standardization in Shaping Smart Homes

The panelists then delved into the efforts required to make Home AI a reality. Moderator Carolina Milanesi, CEO and founder of Heart of Tech and President at Creative Strategies, introduced the topics of integrated AI platforms and industry standards to guide the discussion.

“As we scale our AI platform to reach across applications, services and multiple devices, the experience can be optimized around the user,” said Chomet. “User context and richer insights can be gathered to deliver relevant and truly personalized experiences.”

▲ Jaeyeon Jung and Patrick Chomet from Samsung Electronics

“The SmartThings platform is 10 years in the making and while the concept of a smart home isn’t new, AI technology is what is truly creating the intelligent home” added Jung, highlighting how a consistent and connected AI platform empowers users to enjoy effortless convenience from anywhere. “The transition from a device-centric philosophy to an AI-powered, user-centric one provides users with a personalized, connected experience that feels like home — no matter where they are.”

▲ Tobin Richardson from the Connectivity Standards Alliance

Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), noted the importance of industry standards in building an ecosystem in which devices can be connected simply, securely and seamlessly.

“Building blocks for AI in the home are grounded in seamless connectivity, with AI relying on device interoperability to thrive. A common language like Matter enables devices to communicate effortlessly, setting the stage for AI innovation,” he said, highlighting that the goal is not just to create a perfect connected experience but to foster a robust and trustworthy industry while making smart homes more accessible and reliable.

“Alliance Members like Samsung are doing remarkable work in the AI space, showcasing how technology can adapt to users’ needs, creating a smarter and more personalized living experience,” said Richardson, reaffirming the company’s dedication to collaboration. “I am continually inspired to see how these advancements are shaping the future of connected homes.”

A More Personalized, Secure Smart Home

Addressing concerns regarding the challenge of providing personalized experiences in homes shared by multiple people, Chomet spoke on how AI technology can understand intent and context to provide an optimized experience for each user. He emphasized that Samsung will innovate for multi-device connectivity, rather than individual products.

▲ Patrick Chomet, Jaeyeon Jung and Tobin Richardson

Jung also cited practical cases of how Samsung Health and SmartThings are connecting data and devices to provide hyper-personalized health experiences. For example, Samsung Health and SmartThings can optimize sleep environments by automatically adjusting temperature and humidity based on users’ sleep patterns and the environmental conditions they live in. When Galaxy devices recognize that users have been exercising, SmartThings will activate appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines upon their return home.

▲ Carolina Milanesi poses questions to the panelists.

Just as performance metrics and physical measurements are essential to designing customized workout routines for professional athletes, data plays a crucial role in creating personalized AI. As such, Samsung is prioritizing data intelligence research to transform vast amounts of data into meaningful and intuitive user experiences.

Samsung Newsroom takes a closer look at how Samsung’s advanced data research and innovative connectivity solutions are pioneering the era of personalized AI.

The Power of Data Intelligence in Personalized AI

A truly personalized AI experience starts with understanding the user. Data intelligence identifies a user’s needs at specific moments based not only on historical device usage data but also on the user’s present context. This enables appropriate services to be delivered in a timely manner. However, there are challenges — for example, users don’t hand in refined reports of their needs and wants; the matching of expected needs and potential services must be carried out in real time; and most of all, personal information must constantly be kept safe.

As Samsung reaches consumers across nearly all daily touchpoints — including work, entertainment, household chores, health and security — the company has the unique opportunity to gain deep insights into user behaviors and preferences.

In order to harness this potential, Samsung has strengthened its data technology capabilities by researching user data collected annually from hundreds of millions of devices and services — all in strict compliance with internal and external regulations. As AI models develop a better understanding of users through data collection, processing and analysis, they can leverage retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to deliver more personalized services for different contexts. By using technologies to connect reliable, logic-based knowledge bases to large language models (LLMs), these AI models access the latest, most reliable information and find the most suitable answers.

As Samsung focuses on technologies that connect data to refine personalized AI experiences, a key question is how can such vast and complex data be managed more effectively and tailored precisely to individual needs? The answer, in part, lies in knowledge graphs.

Enhancing AI Experiences With Knowledge Graphs

A knowledge graph is a knowledge representation technology that organizes related information in an interconnected graph format, making it easily interpretable for both humans and computers. By defining individual entities within the data and linking them, their relationship can be represented as a “triple” in the form of “subject — predicate — object.” For example, “the capital of South Korea is Seoul” can be represented in the following graph, “South Korea — capital — Seoul.” Various types of knowledge such as people, objects, times and places can be structured in a highly refined manner by connecting numerous entities in this triple format.

Unlike traditional relational databases that fill tables with information, knowledge graphs effectively store data and quickly retrieve information or new inferences as needed.

Samsung is actively advancing research in knowledge graphs. While earlier forms of data usage were limited to individual apps, this technology allows for free data search and utilization across app or service boundaries — enabling a hyper-personalized experience as if the device were tailored exclusively to the user.

When combined with Samsung’s on-device AI, knowledge graphs allow users to experience highly customized AI services while protecting sensitive personal data from external exposure. This technology is expected to be applied across various products and devices.

The key to implementing knowledge graphs is the ability to quickly find specific answers from information represented in the graph. Converting constantly changing real-world data into graphs and efficiently extracting information requires complex computations — and as the graphs grow, rapid information retrieval becomes more challenging.

To bolster its capabilities in this area, Samsung acquired Oxford Semantic Technologies in July. Oxford Semantic Technologies, a U.K.-based startup renowned for its knowledge graph technology, specializes in optimizing data processing and advanced inference to facilitate swift understanding and precise extraction of information from knowledge graphs.

Samsung has collaborated with Oxford Semantic Technologies on graph databases and ontologies¹ since 2018, and the recent acquisition is anticipated to create synergy in personalized AI research across Samsung’s product ecosystem. The company plans to develop applications that offer valuable experiences to consumers and explore new research avenues in various areas including the integration of generative AI and knowledge graphs.

Empowering Everyday Life With Data-Driven Insights

Samsung is rapidly incorporating personalized AI features powered by data intelligence across a wide range of products and services to enrich users’ daily lives.

Digital healthcare is one example. The Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Ring comprehensively analyze user health data including sleep, exercise and heart rate to offer an Energy Score via the Samsung Health app. Going beyond simple data measurement, this analysis provides an easy-to-understand numeric summary of a user’s daily health status and personalized insights for individual activities. By researching the weighted importance of each factor in the Energy Score based on age and gender, Samsung has developed a more customized approach to health management.

The entertainment experience has also been enhanced through data-driven insights. In the U.S., Gaming Hub — Samsung’s game platform available on its smartphones — uses explainable AI (XAI) to offer personalized game recommendations. Leveraging a model of the user’s preferences, this technology not only recommends games but also explains the reasoning behind each suggestion to help users select the games that suit them best.

Refined AI Experiences With SmartThings

Personalized AI will evolve as more devices connect with each other and acquire usage data from users’ daily lives. At Samsung Developer Conference 2024 (SDC24) in October, Samsung unveiled Home Insight — a service that allows users to manage and control their smart home through SmartThings. The feature analyzes users’ lifestyle patterns, device usage history and home conditions to provide real-time reports and tailored recommendations such as turning off devices or utilizing specific features based on different situations.

In addition, Samsung has a personalized AI feature to support the well-being and safety of family members in need. Launched in June, SmartThings Family Care allows users to remotely monitor family members and take any necessary actions through SmartThings-connected devices and location-based data. The company plans to expand these AI-connected capabilities to health devices, supporting family health in areas like sleep and diet.

Samsung is advancing technology that allows devices to recognize users and provide seamless, personalized experiences across all connected devices. For example, the company is planning to enable users who have large text mode activated on their smartphones to automatically apply the setting to other devices with a single voice command. Additionally, Samsung is exploring functions that use sensors and devices within the home to detect a user’s location and adjust lighting, temperature and humidity according to individual preferences.

Personalized AI Needs Robust Security

Security is a fundamental requirement for delivering safe, personalized AI. To ensure the protection of personal information and address biases in AI systems, a multi-faceted approach is needed — including improving data processing and model training processes and implementing a rigorous verification process for outputs.

When collecting internal and external data for AI model training, Samsung performs data pre-processing to check and filter for privacy violations. Additionally, the company is strengthening its safety verification of AI outputs by addressing risks related to harm, bias, privacy and jailbreak² vulnerabilities.

Samsung’s Knox Matrix further elevates security in a multi-device connected environment. Using blockchain technology, connected devices can monitor each other for security threats through Trust Chain; securely share user data by transmitting only encrypted information to servers via Credential Sync; and apply consistent security standards across operating systems such as Android, Tizen and Windows with Cross Platform. Samsung plans to expand Knox Matrix to cover its mobile devices, TVs and home appliances.

Samsung continues to expand its user base through advanced data technology and multi-device connectivity experiences, leveraging data insights to drive research and bolster its competitive edge. Through these endeavors, the company is fueling the rapid advancement of personalized AI and placing increasingly innovative experiences at users’ fingertips. In part three of this series, Samsung Newsroom will explore how various methods in Samsung’s AI strategy meaningfully change users’ lives.

¹ A search method that finds objects by adding logic such as connection relationships and inclusion relationships.
² Attack methods that bypass safety measures and ethical guidelines of AI models to create malicious content.

Samsung Electronics has transformed people’s lives by popularizing wall-mounted TVs and smart TVs. Long at the forefront of innovation in TV hardware and software, Samsung is now utilizing AI to overcome limitations in the viewing experience and define the next generation of screen experiences.

▲ SW Yong, President and Head of Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics

How AI Screens are Changing Daily Life

In today’s hyperconnected era, the AI TV is set to become the hub of an AI-powered smart home system — connecting, managing and controlling devices to provide consumers with new levels of convenience for more valuable experiences. Serving as a command center for the AI home, the AI TV allows users to easily monitor and operate connected devices, which can be automatically integrated to the SmartThings ecosystem via Calm Onboarding technology.

To see appliances at a glance, users can simply check the Daily Board on their Samsung AI TVs. The large screen displays 3D Map View to show the status of devices scattered around the home. Meanwhile, energy consumption can be managed by remotely turning off the lights or air conditioner when left on. Cameras and sensors ensure the home is monitored from afar, and users can even play videos to keep their pets entertained.

▲The 8K NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor combines AI sound, AI picture and AI optimization features for a frictionless viewing experience

In addition, AI TVs are offering an ultra-large, high-resolution viewing experience to make users feel as if they are in first-row VIP seats at a stadium, movie theater or concert hall.

The Neo QLED 8K offers 8K AI Upscaling Pro so users can enjoy SD/HD/Full HD high-resolution images at 8K levels. AI Motion Enhancer Pro makes sports content feel even more real and immersive. Meanwhile, Active Voice Amplifier Pro helps users catch every word — from dialogue in a movie amid background music to a sportscaster’s commentary over cheers from a crowd. With these features, the world is entering the era of the AI home cinema and the AI home sports arena.

Furthermore, AI TVs will help make TV more accessible to all. Optical character recognition technology converts on-screen text to audio subtitles in real time for users who are hard of hearing. On the other hand, Relumino Mode configures contents on screen by amplifying contrast, brightness and contours for users with low vision.

AI Screens Lead the Evolution of AI Homes

AI TVs are making new experiences possible — experiences that would have been unimaginable with conventional TVs. To this end, AI homes will evolve with Samsung’s Tizen operating system.

With AI becoming a differentiator in the global home appliance market, operating systems are a key player when incorporating AI into TVs.

Since 2015, Tizen OS has powered hundreds of millions of smart TVs and led the evolution of TVs. Thanks to the platform’s excellent performance, Samsung expanded its capabilities from TV hardware to software.

▲The 8K NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor combines AI sound, AI picture and AI optimization features for a frictionless viewing experience

Equipped with SmartThings and Tizen OS, Samsung AI TVs will increasingly tailor their services to users’ tastes and lifestyles. Boundaries separating products from service platforms will crumble away to open the ‘Era of Device Platform Innovation.’ Continued upgrades to Tizen OS will ensure quality service in the future.

The key to these personalized, customized experiences offered by AI TVs is on-device AI — in other words, AI that is embedded in the TV with no need for a cloud connection. This technology is more secure than cloud-based AI because personal information wouldn’t be sent out to a server.

Above all, ‘Samsung Knox,’ Samsung’s proprietary security solution, will thoroughly protect devices and personal information so users can enjoy a safe AI home.

The Future of AI: What This Means for Consumers

The rapid evolution of AI raises many social, ethical, economic and legal concerns. But ultimately, AI will evolve in a way that provides greater value for consumers.

Samsung strives to create a new way of life with AI screens by understanding, responding and adjusting to users’ needs — for new screen experiences that were not possible before.

Whether breaking down language barriers during communication, sharing content recommendations or controlling home appliances, AI is already impacting all of our lives. Through continued improvements to its AI screens, Samsung will create a more valuable daily life in the AI home.

Be it a home workout session, gaming marathon with friends or even a date night, create the perfect setting with only a single tap and experience connected living. Samsung SmartThings app is here for you.

With our range of smart televisions, air conditioner, soundbar, air purifier, and more, setting the right mood is just a click away. Here’s how you can use Samsung SmartThings app to set the ideal mood at your home:

Indulge in a Romantic Movie Night

Transforming your home into a romantic movie haven has never been simpler. Customise the perfect setting on the Samsung SmartThings app, which will dim the lights, activate WindFree mode on the AC, and let you have an enchanting sound experience with the Soundbar. Snuggle up with your special someone and enjoy the movie on a big screen.

Kickstart your Workout Sessions

Prepare yourself for extensive workout sessions right at your home. Open the curtains to let in natural light, activate the air purifier for fresh indoor air, and set the WindFree air conditioner to cool mode to keep the interior space cool and comfortable during workout. Stream a workout video on Samsung Smart TV, connect your Galaxy Buds, and create your own gym in your home.

Get Ready to Party

Planning a gathering at home? Create your very own ‘party mode’ on the Samsung SmartThings app. With a single command, your curtains will close, lights will dim, and The Freestyle Projector will turn on, setting the stage for a fun-filled event. Have a great time with your friends and family with easy access to entertainment and fun.

To know more, check out the link: https://www.samsung.com/us/smartthings/set-the-mood/

Samsung India today inaugurated a new Premium Experience Store at the Lulu Mall in Lucknow, its largest in Uttar Pradesh, bringing in exciting new technology experiences to consumers in the city.

At the new store, consumers can enjoy Samsung’s entire product range through exciting zones around Samsung’s connected ecosystem such as SmartThings, smartphones, laptops, audio, gaming and lifestyle televisions.

Lulu Mall, which is located at Amar Shaheed Path in Golf City area in Lucknow has emerged as a hub for Gen Z and millennials. The store here will host a variety of Galaxy workshops under the ‘Learn @ Samsung’ program for consumers. This will include free hands-on workshops around consumer passion points such as digital art, doodling, photography, videography and fitness.

Built on an area of more than 1200 sq. ft. of space, the store will also host a variety of entertainment activities offering a Samsung experience customized to the city of Lucknow.

Consumers visiting the store in the first week after opening will get assured gifts on purchases of INR 20,000 & above, 2X loyalty points and Galaxy Buds2 at INR 2,999, on purchase of select Samsung products. In addition, consumers can also avail always-on special benefits such as student discounts of up to 10% on smartphones, tabs, laptops and smartwatches, up to INR 8,000 cashback on select devices and up to INR 21,000 in additional benefits.

“We are excited to open the doors to our next-gen Premium Experience Store in Lucknow. We have tailored unique experiences through zones such as Samsung SmartThings and Gaming & Creativity, designed especially for Gen Z consumers. Moreover, to engage our young consumers through their passion points, we will also host ‘Learn @ Samsung’ workshops. These workshops will focus on varied consumer interests such as digital art, doodling, photography, videography, fitness and music, among others,” said Sumit Walia, Senior Director, Samsung India.

The newly launched store offers a next-generation larger-than-life experience of Samsung products alongside a one-of-a-kind experience to young gaming enthusiasts with a dedicated gaming zone that showcases a premium range of smart monitors.

At the new store, consumers will get a phygital experience through Samsung’s Store+ endless aisle platform. With Store+, consumers will be able to browse Samsung products with over 1,200 options across its portfolio, whether available online or in-store, using a digital Kiosk. Consumers can also order online from the store and have the products delivered home directly.

Consumers can also access Samsung’s digital lending platform Samsung Finance+ and Samsung’s device care plan Samsung Care+ for Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches at the store.

Consumers visiting the store will also be able to enjoy hassle-free after-sales service for their smartphones and book service calls for their consumer electronics products at home.

When innovative technology meets great design, our lives can become more convenient. Samsung Newsroom spoke with inspiring people who use Samsung products and features to unlock new possibilities and enhance their lives.

Exploring the World Together

It is only natural for parents to want to share special moments together with their children, especially as they grow curious about the world and find joy in discovering new things. For parents with visual impairments, exploring the world with children requires a different approach.

“This is an apple, and this is a puppy.”

Children often point at objects they don’t know as they grow up and learn about their surroundings. With Bixby Vision for accessibility, parents with visual impairments can find out what their children are curious about as the device narrates for them. Even if parents aren’t able to see what’s in front of them, they can experience the world with their children through sound.

[Bixby Vision for Accessibility]

With an easy setup and simple interface, Bixby Vision vocally describes what it sees, helping people make sense of the world around them. Bixby Vision supports scene describer,¹ object identifier,² text reader and color detector.

* On smartphones and tablets: Settings → Accessibility → Spoken assistance → Bixby Vision for accessibility
** Service availability and content providers may vary by country, device, OS and One UI version.

Enjoying the World Together

Everyone is different — even members of the same family. For CODA³ families, hearing children converse with their parents who are deaf through sign language. As children grow up, parents want to learn more about what their children are experiencing and enjoying.

“Mom, look at that. Isn’t it funny?”

With Sign Language Zoom, it’s easier for CODA parents to better understand what their children are watching through a bigger sign language screen. Now, the entire family can enjoy their time in front of the TV and share even more laughter and joy together.

[Sign Language Zoom]

Sign Language Zoom automatically recognizes and enlarges the sign language area, enabling users who are deaf to see more detailed mouth and facial expressions. You can specify a sign language area and adjust the magnification by up to 200%. Users who are deaf or hard of hearing can also use this function to zoom in on a specific area of the screen, such as scores for sporting events or quiz programs.

* On TVs: Home → Menu → Settings → All settings → General & Privacy → Accessibility → Sign Language Zoom Settings
** Available on all Samsung Smart TVs released in 2021 or later.

Sharing With the World

Each and every one of us is different, with our physical abilities changing over time. Given the diverse range of experiences being lived by others around the world, it is important that everyone feels empowered to do what they want, meet who they want and live the life they want.

“I want to inspire people through social media.”

People with physical disabilities can seamlessly take, edit and share selfies on social media using the Assistant menu on Samsung smartphones or tablets. With the Assistant menu, everyone can use their personal devices to communicate and meet new friends.

[Assistant menu]

The Assistant menu lets you easily control your phone by simply tapping a shortcut icon to access hardware buttons, apps, features and other settings.

* On smartphones and tablets: Settings → Accessibility → Interaction and dexterity → Assistant menu

Staying in Tune With the World

For people who are deaf and hard of hearing, navigating the world can take a different shape. With this in mind, it’s important for them to receive everyday notifications in new ways.

“Light can become a language of its own.”

Light can help those who are deaf and hard of hearing receive the information they need in their day-to-day life. SmartThings uses lighting to notify users when someone’s at the door, when meals are ready or when the laundry is done. Light has become a way to communicate through SmartThings.

[SmartThings]

Sync your devices and appliances via the SmartThings app to control and get notifications about your air conditioner, washing machine, fridge and more.^* Then, connect partner products such as door sensors, lights and thermostats to automate and simplify your own day-to-day routine^** — like setting your smart light to dim or change colors once the laundry is done.

* To set notifications

• On smartphone and tablets: SmartThings app → Menu → Notifications → More (⋮) → Notification settings
• On TVs released in 2021 or later: SmartThings app → Settings → Notifications

TV notifications are limited to minimize any interruptions to the viewing experience.

** To set SmartThings routines

• SmartThings app → Automations → Add (+) Create routine
  

Possibilities Never Before Imagined

Samsung believes these stories can foster a world where all people benefit from the convenience enabled by technology.

Users with disabilities have utilized Samsung’s features in creative ways to enhance their lives — despite the fact that some functions were not originally designed as accessibility features. To this end, Samsung has provided new ways for users to interact with its products and services and has taken inspiration from real-life cases to develop stories with guidance from the Samsung Accessibility Committee⁴ and Samsung Family Supporters.⁵

Samsung hopes to continue creating accessible designs that unlock new possibilities so everyone will be empowered to lead meaningful, independent lives.

From the UX Team of the Corporate Design Center, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

* This article consists of stories based on interviews with people with disabilities and guidance from Samsung Family Supporters, an organization made up of Samsung employees and family members with disabilities.
** Illustrations by KIMUSTUDIO, an organization working with talented designers with developmental disabilities who create artistic pieces that challenge long-held stereotypes that have previously created prejudices in art.

¹ Scene describer mode currently supports English (US), French, German, Italian, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish (Spain).
² Object identifier mode supports 54 languages, which are the same languages supported in the translation feature.
³ CODA is an acronym for Children of Deaf Adults, referring to children raised by at least one guardian who is deaf.
⁴ The Samsung Accessibility Committee works closely together with designers and developers to continuously improve the accessibility experience for all Samsung users.
⁵ Together with Samsung Family Supporters, consisting of Samsung employees and family members with disabilities, Samsung assesses the needs of users across the spectrum to create ease of use for all.

This milestone demonstrates a swift and steady expansion for SmartThings Find, which has registered 100 million more nodes since July 2022, achieving 1.5 times growth in just 10 months. It also means a boost in the efficacy of the device location service, as each opted-in device has the ability to help locate another. The higher the number of devices, the more powerful SmartThings Find becomes for users.

“We’re thrilled to witness this fast growth in SmartThings Find. Our connected device ecosystem enables many new possibilities and meaningful benefits, such as alleviating the stress of misplacing a device and ensuring the safety of belongings,¹” said Jaeyeon Jung, Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings at Samsung Electronics. “With the benefits SmartThings Find provides, we also are deeply committed to the safe and secure use of these technologies. SmartThings Find incorporates enhanced security and privacy features to protect user data and also guard against misuse, and we also are working with the wider industry to support specifications and standards that further enhance security.”

SmartThings Find can quickly locate multiple types of Samsung Galaxy devices, including smartphones, tablets, watches and earbuds. It can also locate Galaxy SmartTag or SmartTag+² devices, which attach to items such as keys or luggage.

Peace of Mind Through Convenience and Security

As SmartThings Find continues to benefit an increasing number of users, security and privacy remain top priorities for Samsung. To ensure sensitive information is safeguarded, SmartThings Find encrypts user data and implements further protection through Samsung Knox, the defense-grade security platform on Samsung Galaxy devices. A device’s location data is only shared with other people with the user’s permission, and the ID of each user’s device changes every 15 minutes and is stored anonymously.

With the “Search for unknown tags near you” feature, Android and iOS users can easily determine if unknown tags are near them manually. This feature can provide a gauge showing the signal strength of the tag, allowing users to know how close the unknown tag is to their current location. If needed, users can designate certain tags as “safe” if they are identified.

For Galaxy users, SmartThings Find can also provide security through its “Unknown tag alerts” feature. This feature alerts users of any unauthorized tracking by sending them a notification if SmartThings Find detects an unknown SmartTag following them. This helps protect users and prevent against the abuse of location tracking services.

To activate the feature, users should locate the Find service within the SmartThings app’s “Life” tab. Within the settings menu, users can toggle “Unknown tag alerts” feature on and off or search for unknown tags near them manually.

¹ Must be within Bluetooth range of eligible Samsung Galaxy devices.
² SmartTag and SmartTag+ are available for all Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tablets and other devices running Android 8 or later. AR finding feature in SmartTag+ is available on UWB-equipped devices including Galaxy S23+ and Ultra, Galaxy S22+ and Ultra, S21+ and Ultra, Note20 Ultra, Z Fold2, Z Fold3 and Z Fold4.

Samsung Electronics’ SmartThings uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to connect your mobile devices and home appliances all in one convenient place. With SmartThings, you can transform your home into a connected space, allowing you to track the status and manage your devices with ease.

Building on Samsung’s vision for “Calm Technology,” SmartThings reflects the innovations that seamlessly link your smart devices together and enhance your daily life at home. Check out the infographic below to explore how SmartThings can enrich every aspect of our daily lives.

Samsung Electronics today was recognized by Interbrand, a global brand consultancy, as one of the top five in the Best Global Brands 2022. Each year, Interbrand announces the world’s top 100 brands, and Samsung’s brand value was evaluated for USD 87.7 billion, which represents 17% growth compared to USD 74.6 billion in 2021, ranking the company in fifth place for three years in a row.

The achievement was based on Samsung’s restored financial performance, which is now near pre-pandemic levels, and higher demand for memory due to an increase in data usage. In 2021, Samsung scored a brand value growth of 20% compared to 2020 and this year, continues the double-digit growth. Samsung first entered the top 10 list in 2012, placing in ninth position, and has managed to rise in the chart each year, reaching sixth place in 2017 and fifth place in 2020.

“Samsung Electronics was able to record two consecutive years of double-digit growth in brand value, all thanks to the support from our global customers,” said YH Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics. “In return, the entire company will work together as a team to provide a better and more satisfying customer experience.”

Various Factors Evaluated by Interbrand to Build the Samsung Brand Value

At the end of 2021, Samsung Electronics merged its SET Division and created the Device eXperience Division to increase synergy among its products and provide a next level of experience to customers. Furthermore, Samsung also launched the Customer eXperience-Multi Device Experience Center to strengthen its multi-device connection experience.

Along with these measures, Samsung has integrated the SmartThings across its product categories, creating an inclusive ecosystem and a multi-device experience. SmartThings also empowers consumers to get the most out of their Samsung devices, as well as third-party products they may already own.

In addition, Samsung’s Future Generation Lab has been created to foster authentic conversations around the activities of the next generation. The insights from the lab have been applied to the products and marketing activities.

As well as innovative products based on consumer experiences, the development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, automotive and robotics through consistent investment also played a role in Samsung’s growth.

Samsung’s Recognized Efforts in Each Product Division for a Better Customer Experience

Mobile

• Camera innovation of Galaxy S22 series based on customers’ insights, and Nightography campaign rollout Cementing leadership in the foldable mobile phone category
• Partnership with Google and Microsoft to strengthen users’ connected experience
• Respecting the value of user security and privacy through Samsung Knox

Network

• Pioneering network innovation path in virtualization and openness with large-scale commercial experiences
• Driving 5G industry with its market-leading 5G portfolio from RAN and Core to automation tools
• Realizing the ESG commitment through intelligent network solutions for energy efficiency

Visual Display

• Continuing innovation of premium TVs, including Micro LED, the Neo QLED 8K/4K
• Strengthening its product portfolio based on customers’ lifestyle, such as The Frame, The Freestyle
• Providing new gaming experiences to consumers, including the Samsung Gaming Hub and the Odyssey Ark

Home Appliances

• Expanding Bespoke product categories beyond kitchen to entire home including clothing care, floor care and air care
• Delivering sustainability values through its products (achieving high level of energy saving rate for major products, guaranteed warranties for digital inverter compressor, reduced microplastic emission from washing machines in collaboration with Patagonia)
• Creating excitement among Bespoke fans through participation-focused online and offline campaigns

Semiconductor

• Investing in next-generation technologies and production capabilities to ensure stable supplies for cutting-edge applications (constructing new $17B manufacturing line in Texas, KRW 20-trillion R&D complex in Giheung)
• Delivering industry-leading semiconductor innovations that enhance product performance and energy efficiency (industry’s first 3nm GAA mass production)
• Developing innovative memory solutions to address the explosive growth of data-intensive tasks in areas such as AI and ML (CXL memory, HBM-PIM, second-generation SmartSSD), and expanding strategic partnerships to tackle new industry challenges
• Pushing boundaries of logic solutions that can offer enhanced user experiences and new opportunities (5G Exynos Modem, Exynos 2200, 200MP ISOCELL HP3)

Interbrand’s Best Global Brands are listed according to the evaluation of each brand value, which is a result of comprehensive analysis of the financial performance of the company, the influence of the brand on customer purchases and brand competitiveness.

Consumers are more willing than ever to embrace connected experiences within their homes, resulting in explosive growth and mass industry adoption. According to the “2021 Connectivity and Mobile Trends Survey”¹ issued by Deloitte, U.S. households own an average of 25 connected devices, and consumers are increasingly prioritizing ease-of-use, interoperability and cost savings when making a purchase decision.

“Historically, consumers relied on dedicated hubs to connect each of their devices,” said Mark Benson, Head of Product and Engineering at Samsung SmartThings. “By integrating SmartThings Hub technology into select Samsung products, we are eliminating a barrier to entry and streamlining the entire process to enable consumers to create the connected home of their dreams.”

With billions of devices already compatible with SmartThings’ rich ecosystem of partnerships, along with future support for the groundbreaking smart home interoperability standard, Matter, SmartThings is at the center of creating a unified connected home experience.

The integration of the SmartThings Hub empowers users to get the most out of their Samsung devices by leveraging various smart home communication protocols. In addition to Matter, the built-in software will support connection over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, which will enable communication among a wide range of smart devices. Additional connectivity to Zigbee devices will also be possible through an optional USB accessory.

“SmartThings’ mission has always been to create experiences that can make people’s lives better. To bring this mission to life, we have doubled down on enhancing SmartThings technology and this is the next step in Samsung’s vision to make all homes connected,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President at Samsung Electronics and Head of SmartThings. “With the breadth of the Samsung portfolio and the open, versatile and flexible platform offered by SmartThings, we are uniquely positioned to deliver on the increasing demand for connected home devices that has been building since the start of the pandemic.”

SmartThings Hub capabilities will be available in select Samsung products throughout 2022. For more information about SmartThings, please visit www.smartthings.com.

For more information, including images and videos of the products Samsung is announcing at CES 2022, please visit news.samsung.com/global/ces-2022.

About SmartThings

SmartThings is the premier technology enabling connected living and driving the future of IoT. Its open platform already supports thousands of devices across hundreds of brands and offers endless possibilities to innovators and developers seeking seamless connectivity in a vast IoT ecosystem. The company is committed to bringing smart functionality and capabilities everywhere consumers want to be, while enhancing the user experience. There are currently millions of people in more than 200 countries accessing SmartThings technology daily to create automations and control facets of their smart homes via the SmartThings App and through a range of Samsung products such as phones, TVs and digital appliances. SmartThings offers the most flexible amount of protocols, including the new IoT standard, Matter.  Launched in 2012, SmartThings is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and is a founding board member of Connectivity Standards Alliance, an organization of hundreds of companies creating, maintaining and delivering open, global standards for the IoT. For more information, please visit www.smartthings.com.

¹ https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/connectivity-mobile-trends-survey.html