The Best of Galaxy Store awards launched in 2018 when the company recognized five winners for the best App, Game, Theme, Galaxy Watch App and Galaxy Watch Face.

Samsung expanded the awards this year, recognizing 25 developers and designers of games, apps, watch faces, and smartphone themes. The award celebrates both the top performing apps of the year and those who best embrace the Samsung spirit of innovation, quality, and creativity.

Best of Galaxy Store Awards winners were invited to SDC to participate in the Best of Galaxy Store Awards Ceremony, where they received their Best of Galaxy Store 2019 Award.  Winners also receive a Best of Galaxy Store Award 2019 banner, featuring on the Galaxy Store as well as other benefits.

This year saw the Galaxy Store get a makeover, bringing with it a new look and a rebrand along with a number of improvements and new features. Better personalized recommendations, enhanced search capability, and integration with Samsung Rewards give users a much better experience. But perhaps the most exciting new feature are the editorial pages to more effectively promote the content and apps available in the Galaxy Store to more than 400 million monthly active users around the world.

“We believe the hardworking and dedicated community of developers are the heart of the Galaxy Store,” said Chris Jo, VP & GM, Head of Store Mgmt., Biz Dev & Biz Operations. “Over the last few years the store has made some incredible strides forward and our developers have contributed to this success. Therefore, we wanted to both recognize and reward the best work that this community has to offer.”

Here are some of the winners from the Best of Galaxy Store 2019.

Best Racing Game 2019: Asphalt 9: Legends

Put the pedal to the metal and race the streets in the latest edition of Gameloft’s blockbuster racing game, Asphalt 9: Legends. Gamers can pick their dream car from a roster of cars based on real vehicles from the world’s top race car manufacturers.

The immersive graphics bring a console-like experience to the palm of your hands, taking full advantage of Samsung’s best-in-class display technology to deliver a premium mobile gaming experience. The game also features social elements, such as the racing club, to allow players to connect and collaborate.

Download from the Galaxy Store here.

Best Social App 2019: TikTok

Celebrating the internet’s most authentic moments, TikTok is a popular short video app for creating and sharing bite-sized content. From videos showcasing creative entertainment, dances and sketches, to DIY skills, TikTok has taken the world by storm.

The app allows users to create short videos, often including music, which can be enhanced with a variety of filters and in-app editing tools. Videos are typically 15 seconds long and can be shared directly on TikTok or on other social media apps.

“Millions of creators use TikTok to showcase their creativity and skills in short videos that are exciting, spontaneous, and authentic,” said Edward Chou, Head of Marketing, TikTok US. “We’re honored to be recognized by Samsung’s Galaxy Store Editorial Team and excited to continue delivering creative opportunities and a joyful experience to our global community of users.”

Download from the Galaxy Store here.

Best Themes Brand Collaboration 2019: Cogul Planet MLB Theme

Partnering with US Major League Baseball, Korean digital content provider, Cogul Planet, launched MLB smartphone and watch themes on the Galaxy Store in April 2019. The themes celebrate the World Series winning teams, featuring ringtones of broadcaster commentaries from major game moments to recreate the excitement of the championship games.

“We are expanding MLB’s brand power in the US with over 100,000 downloads since the release of the MLB theme in the Galaxy Store last April,” said a CEO Bo-mook Choi. “In the future, we are planning to release more diverse MLB themes so that we can get closer to fans around the world.

Download from the Galaxy Store here.

Best Watch Designer 2019: Matteo Dini

Featuring a range of digital and analog watch faces for Tizen smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch, Matteo Dini is celebrated by users for his mix of modern and classic designs.

“Working with Samsung is something exceptional,” said Matteo Dini, Designer and CEO. “Every day I am in contact with people from all over the world who appreciate my watch faces and use them daily. It’s very exciting!”

Download from the Galaxy Store here. http://galaxy.store/matteodini, http://apps.samsung.com/gear/

“Consumers often have to choose between mobility and high-performance hardware when choosing a laptop,” said YoungGyoo Choi, Senior Vice President of, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion eliminate the need to compromise by offering powerful performance with unparalleled portability and display innovation.”

New Laptops with New Innovations 

Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion feature the world’s first QLED Display on a laptop, offering a vivid, true-to-life viewing experience. Outdoor Mode, enabled by a maximum 600-nit display capability, ensures every detail is clear even under bright sunlight. Both devices make it easy to go cordless thanks to long-lasting batteries and power-conserving displays. Samsung’s industry-leading Wireless PowerShare feature can also charge any of your Qi-compatible smartphones, Galaxy Buds or wearables with the laptop’s touchpad. Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion both exemplify Samsung’s design legacy for an ultra-thin and light device that easily slips into bags and backpacks without the added bulk.

Co-engineered with Intel as part of the Project Athena innovation program, Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion passed rigorous testing to meet the program’s targets for advanced computing experiences and specifications to enable exceptional responsiveness, high efficiency battery life and instant action. Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion also boast 10th Gen Intel^® Core processors for intelligent performance and stunning entertainment, and Intel^® Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) and Thunderbolt 3, industry-leading wireless and wired standards for fast, flexible and easy connectivity.

“We are building on our long history with Samsung to drive innovation and bring new mobile computing experiences to market,” said Gregory Bryant, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group. “The introduction of Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion, the first Project Athena-verified laptops from Samsung and both based on 10th Gen Intel Core, showcase what can be achieved when we bring great engineering talent together to work towards a united vision of a new computing experiences of the future.”

Galaxy Book Flex: A Powerful, Portable, Premium 2-in-1

Galaxy Book Flex is designed for people who need the latest and greatest technology to help them push the envelope and achieve more. Galaxy Book Flex can handle every demanding task thrown at it, from perfecting the latest line of code to sketching the latest artistic creation. Galaxy Book Flex’s 360-degree hinge lets the user experience the device both as a tablet and a PC. Designed for the road, Galaxy Book Flex sports an aluminum body for added protection with a “Royal Blue” finish that will turn heads. With the enhanced S Pen’s new gesture controls, you can quickly switch slides in PowerPoint during a presentation, or rewind a video you’re showing to friends using just your hand. Optimized S Pen apps provide a powerful writing and drawing experience across the device. Access to the expansive PENUP community is also available for the first time ever on a laptop, allowing users to easily create and share their favorite sketches. And built-in biometric credentialing, powered by Windows Hello, provides peace of mind even in the most unfamiliar places.

Galaxy Book Ion: An Advanced, Agile, Ultra-Lightweight PC

Galaxy Book Ion was built for the on-the-go professional who isn’t bound to a desk. Made with ultralight magnesium, its clamshell frame and ultrathin design were engineered specifically with portability in mind, measuring just 12.9/14.9mm thick and weighing less than a kilogram¹. Galaxy Book Ion’s 15.6-inch version comes with an additional SSD and DDDR4 RAM slot, boosting PC performance without adding any bulk. Featuring a luxurious “Aura Silver” color, Galaxy Book Ion offers a spectrum of hues at every angle, giving it a premium look to complement its portable design.

Both Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion will be available in two sizes, 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch, starting from December in select market. For more information about Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion, visit news.samsung.com/galaxy, www.samsungmobilepress.com.

Product Specifications

	Galaxy Book Flex 13	Galaxy Book Flex 15
Dimensions	302.6 x 202.9 x 12.9 mm	355.0 x 227.2 x 14.9 mm
Weight	1.15kg	1.52kg / 1.57kg (Discrete graphics model)
Display	13.3″ QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080)	15.6″ QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080)
CPU	10th Generation Intel® Core Processor (Ice Lake)	10th Generation Intel® Core Processor (Ice Lake)
Graphics	Intel® Iris Plus Graphics or Intel®UHD Graphics	NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 Graphics with GDDR5 2 GB Graphic Memory / Intel® Iris Plus Graphics / Intel® UHD Graphics
Memory	Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x)	Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x)
Storage	Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe)	Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe)
WLAN	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2
Camera / Mic	720p HD / Dual Array Mic	720p HD / Dual Array Mic
Audio	AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp	AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp
Security	Fingerprint	Fingerprint
S Pen	Built-in S Pen	Built-in S Pen
Keyboard	Backlit	Backlit
Battery	69.7Wh (Typical)	69.7Wh (Typical)
Ports	Thunderbolt 3 (2) | USB-C | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic	Thunderbolt 3 (2) | USB-C | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic

	Galaxy Book Ion 13	Galaxy Book Ion 15
Dimensions	305.7 x 199.8 x 12.9 mm	356.1 x 228.0 x 14.9 mm
Weight	0.97 kg	1.19kg / 1.26kg (Discrete graphics model)
Display	13.3″QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080)	15.6″QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080)
CPU	10th Generation Intel® Core Processor (Comet Lake)	10th Generation Intel® Core Processor (Comet Lake)
Graphics	Intel® UHD Graphics	NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 Graphics with GDDR5 2 GB Graphic Memory / Intel® UHD Graphics
Memory	Up to 16GB (DDR4)	Up to 16GB (DDR4) + 1 Sodimm
Storage	Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe)	Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) + 1 SSD expandable slot
WLAN	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2
Camera / Mic	720p HD / Dual Array Mic	720p HD / Dual Array Mic
Audio	AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp	AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp
Security	Fingerprint	Fingerprint
Keyboard	Backlit	Backlit
Battery	69.7Wh (Typical)	69.7Wh (Typical)
Ports	Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.0 (2) | HDMI | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic	Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.0 (2) | HDMI | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic

¹Available on Galaxy Book Ion 13 only

“The mobile industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation and opening up new ways of business by bringing innovative technologies like 5G, AI and IoT to enterprises,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “We believe open collaboration is central to unlocking these opportunities and look forward to driving digital transformation for our enterprise clients in the 5G era with IBM and Samsung’s mobile devices and connected services.”

Safety Platform Powered by IBM Cloud, AI and 5G

Today’s announcement is designed to bring together IBM’s cloud innovations and Samsung’s Galaxy devices ecosystems, including Galaxy Tabs, Galaxy smartphones, and Galaxy Watches. This is designed to help improve the work environments for police officers, fire fighters and other first responders.

According to the International Labour Organization, nearly 3-million deaths occur each year due to occupational accidents. Governments and enterprises have an increasing need to build systems which track the health vitals of workers in remote or high-stress environments.

Built on the IBM Cloud, the new platform will now allow clients to track a worker’s vitals, including heart rate and physical activity, to determine if that person is in distress and automatically dispatch help.

For example, equipped with Samsung’s Galaxy Watches with biometric sensors and Galaxy smartphones enabled with 5G capability, first responders will have their safety and wellness indicators shared on this platform in real time. The solution constantly tracks their vital signs and other key indicators to instantly alert emergency managers if there is a change in any of these data points, which may indicate the responder may be in danger of a heart attack, heat exhaustion, or any other life-threatening event requiring immediate attention. The platform transmits the data to emergency managers to provide insights for their decision-making.

On this new platform, Samsung’s high-speed Galaxy devices can now be used at scale almost anywhere. These devices can be customized to withstand intense environments, such as those encountered by a soldier in the field, power plant employees working in harsh weather conditions, an emergency worker responding to a disaster or a worker in a mining plant.

Currently being piloted by multiple police forces, this new solution provides real time health and situational awareness insights on first responders to reduce operational risks in the field.

“IBM continues to bring leading cloud and AI capabilities with deep industry expertise to our enterprise clients,” said Martin Schroeter, senior vice president of global markets from IBM. “Together, IBM and Samsung will use the power of IBM Cloud, 5G, AI and edge computing to enable our clients to leverage these advanced technologies to have greater impact on the way people work, shop and protect their health and families.”

Samsung and IBM Pave the Way for Enterprise Innovation with 5G and Edge Computing

Samsung’s fit-for-purpose design approach and IBM Garage Methodology creates an open collaboration, accelerating how the two companies test and launch new business ideas with advanced cloud services. This approach integrates practices grounded in deep industry expertise at global scale through culture change into a single approach and driving enterprise design thinking.

The two companies are also collaborating across multiple industries to bring the power of IBM and Samsung to bear, including financial services, energy and healthcare. In addition, with the digitization of the manufacturing industry, this partnership lays the foundation for the automation of factories to become efficient and productive with advanced network services and 5G.

Developers can access and utilize the technology behind the platform and build further capabilities on top to impact other vertical industries like manufacturing, defense and retail.

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.

About IBM Cloud

With over $20B in annual cloud revenue, IBM has built a leading enterprise hybrid cloud business. This includes a comprehensive range of as-a-service offerings, software, hardware and professional services that enable IBM to advise, move, build and manage cloud solutions across public, private and on-premises environments. Through its global network of more than 60 cloud data centers across 19 countries and 18 availability zones across 6 regions, IBM public cloud helps enterprises in all industries to meet security, resiliency, performance, and global deployment requirements. Built on an open source, multitenant environment, clients have secured access to an enterprise-grade IaaS and a leading PaaS that provides them with the latest developer capabilities and ready-to-go innovation engines. This includes more than 190 cloud-native APIs, such as AI, blockchain, IoT, serverless and quantum computing, and consistent function all the way to the edge. For more information, visit https://www.ibm.com/cloud/public

A wide variety of sessions – led by Samsung and tech industry leaders – will offer attendees a first look at the company’s latest SDKs and dev tools, as well as exclusive previews of cutting-edge advancements in the fields of AI, 5G, secure solutions and more.

Read on for our roundup of SDC19 sessions that attendees won’t want to miss.

Bixby

SDC19 features a variety of sessions that showcase just how easy it is to develop seamless device experiences using Samsung’s open AI platform, Bixby. Included among these are:

• Game Changing Voice Assistant: Industry Perspectives
• Listen to industry leaders and premier developers share their experiences developing Bixby Capsules and scaling their services for the Bixby experience. Speakers will discuss the platform’s ability to drive business growth, and outline their vision for the future of intelligent voice assistants.
• Building Bixby Conversational Experiences for Devices with and without Screens
• This session will explore how Bixby behaves across devices both with and without screens, and discuss how to provide the best user experience for multiple devices. Learn from the best Bixby engineers in the world how to account for the many interfaces you’ll encounter in the Bixby device ecosystem.

• Bixby Developer Center and Marketplace
• Learn how to configure and submit Bixby Capsules for launch in the Bixby Marketplace, and how to set up teams for seamless collaboration. Plus, gain insight and access to Samsung’s exclusive Bixby Premier Developer Program.

5G

The 5G era is officially upon us, and at SDC19, Samsung is spotlighting some of the incredible opportunities that 5G connectivity offers businesses and developers. Those in attendance should be sure to check out:

• Unleashing Business with 5G Solutions
• This session offers valuable insights into how 5G will transform enterprises and businesses. Beyond the increase in speed, 5G will remove a wide range of existing limitations. Speakers will discuss 5G’s impact on key industries, offer predictions for the future, and share how developers can use these insights to identify new opportunities for B2B app development.

• Making 5G Wireless Technology a Reality and Initiatives Towards 6G

• The 5G platform is expected to play a critical role in connecting devices not just in the home, but across a wide range of industries. This session will explore Samsung’s 5G leadership, chart 5G’s evolution, and outline Samsung’s vision for the next generation of wireless technology: 6G.

Security

SDC19 features several sessions that underscore Samsung’s commitment to providing comprehensive security. Notable sessions include:

• Is Your Code Secure? Automatic Security Analysis Tools and Systems

• This session will introduce Samsung’s automatic analysis tools and systems for detecting security vulnerabilities and weaknesses in developed software. Discover how Samsung utilizes these tools, and learn how to make your code more secure.

• Samsung Blockchain Is Open for Partnerships
• Samsung believes in an open environment and embraces the idea that a decentralized world will revolutionize how we interact, work and play. This engaging session will outline the company’s approach to blockchain technology, and examine its efforts to further this revolution through collaboration with developers.

Enterprise Solutions

In addition to serving as a platform for partners and developers to unlock exciting business opportunities, SDC19 will showcase Samsung collaborations that are redefining what’s possible for enterprises. Notable sessions include:

• How AI Can Improve Operational Effectiveness, Safety and Wellbeing
• IBM and Samsung are expanding a decades-long partnership. This session will discuss the companies’ shared objective – to bring their combined innovation capabilities from the lab to your daily life – and showcase examples of this reinforced cooperation.
• Knox Partner Program and Knox Dev Tools
• This session will introduce the mobile enterprise-focused Knox Partner Program, which places a wide range of valuable resources and B2B dev tools – including EMM, Mobile Threat Detection, Remote Control and Secure Voice – at developers’ fingertips.

IoT (the Internet of Things)

This year at SDC, Samsung will introduce enhancements to its open IoT platform, SmartThings, that will enable partners and developers to enrich people’s lives with better connected living experiences. Highlighted sessions include:

• IoT 2.0: The Next Phase of IoT Engagement and Growth
• Learn more about SmartThings, its services and devices, and Samsung’s plans for the platform going forward. Find out how to join the SmartThings ecosystem, and how Samsung improved the platform to help partners and developers grow their businesses.

• Digital Marketing and e-Commerce Development for Smart Appliances
• Whether it’s e-commerce or digital content, developers are leveraging IoT and emerging technology to drive innovation and offer consumers additional convenience. Find out how partners are working hand-in-hand with Samsung to make this happen through collaborative development.

And Much More

All in all, SDC19 features more than 90 sessions covering a wide range of important subjects – including, in addition to those listed above, topics like developing apps for foldable devices, 8K content streaming, and Samsung’s One UI. Notable sessions include:

• More Than Foldables: Android Apps for Foldables and Larger Screens 

• Android apps are now available on more than just single and small screens. Consumers are increasingly demanding versatility in screens, and this broadening device landscape is fueling a shift toward more immersive and productive usage. This interactive session will offer insights from Samsung, Google, VSCO and top developers on how to make your applications work well across multiple form factors, including foldables, tablets and desktops. Listen to experts share best practices on improving the user experience, expanding your audience, and increasing engagement across screens and devices.

• One UI 2: Designed for Everyday Simplicity  

• • Since introducing One UI at SDC18, Samsung has been hard at work refining its signature mobile software in ways that enhance users’ daily lives. Join this session for a deep dive into One UI 2’s design principles and visual language, and examine Samsung’s vision for its user interface, as well as its progress toward creating a single, unified user experience.

• 8K Streaming, Low-Latency Livestreaming, and AI Streaming

• This session will discuss Samsung’s collaborations with various content and service providers on 8K streaming services. Discover how to integrate 8K streaming support into new and existing apps, and learn how Samsung’s neural network-based AI streaming technology intelligently scales images and videos in order to dramatically improve image quality and enable users to enjoy more 8K content.

More details on these and other SDC19 sessions may be found here. And don’t forget to follow @samsung_dev on Twitter and keep an eye on the hashtag #SDC19 for the latest news and updates from San Jose.