Refresh rate refers to the frequency with which your display refreshes the image on the screen every second, measured in hertz (Hz). With the ability to display more information every second, displays with higher refresh rates offer smoother visuals and less motion blur than lower refresh rate options. As a result, they make for a better visual experience whether you are gaming, streaming video, or simply browsing the web.

Samsung is at the cutting-edge of this emerging trend, featuring 120Hz displays on the Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Note20 Ultra, and Galaxy Tab S7/S7+. Equipped with a 120Hz Super AMOLED Infinity-O Display, Galaxy S20 FE is the latest to join Samsung’s roster of high refresh rate devices. Here’s a closer look at how these next-gen displays work and what makes them a fan favorite feature.

¹ The survey, conducted between July 29 and August 14, 2020, asked over 10,000 Samsung Members from six countries (Korea, US, UK, India, Indonesia, Brazil) about their favorite Galaxy smartphone features. To learn more about the results of the survey, click here.

Change the Way You Capture

The Galaxy S20 has a camera packed with innovative features for a more professional shooting experience. Galaxy A51 and A71 users can now capture their memories exactly as they happen with such leading S20 features as Single Take.

Single Take takes the burden of choosing a camera mode out of your hands by recording with several camera modes simultaneously. Just by tapping record with the Single Take feature, users can capture up to ten seconds of footage with a wide range of capture modes, including Boomerang, Smart Crop, video and AI filter. Users can then revisit the clips in the Gallery app and choose which capture style they like the best.

Galaxy A51 and A71 users can now also enjoy several Pro Mode functionalities from the Galaxy S20, including Manual Focus and Shutter Speed control. These features give users more control when capturing photos and videos so they can have total command over their shooting experiences.

Users can get creative when capturing after sunset with Night Hyperlapse, and enjoy more personalization with features like My Filters, which lets users create their own personal image filters using existing images in their camera roll.

Share Seamlessly 

The software update brings with it two convenient ways – available originally on the Galaxy S20 series – for users to share media with each other. Quick Share and Music Share make it easier than ever before to stay connected and instantaneously share pictures, videos and music.

When viewing media in the Gallery and looking to share it with friends, users can now harness the Quick Share option to see immediately which users are nearby. Just by tapping the icon, users can then select one or more friends to seamlessly share their media with.

Music Share lets friends connect to a user’s Bluetooth speaker directly via the user’s smartphone. By swiping down on the Quick Panel and tapping on the Music Share icon, users can easily activate or deactivate this innovative feature to instantly enjoy good music with their friends. Users can also head to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth > Advanced to toggle Music Share on or off.

Let Your Device Do the Work

Galaxy A51 and A71 users are already able to do more of what they love with their smartphones, but this update brings even more Keyboard and Gallery functionalities to users that are designed to make their day-to-day interactions with their smartphones as convenient as possible.

When typing in the search bar in the app tray, accessible with just a simple swipe up on the home screen, users will now be presented with a range of predicted Apps, Settings, Quick Panel and Contacts search results before they even finish typing their query, and can then explore even more results by hitting the ‘See more results’ button. Enhanced keyboard functionalities also give users more freedom when typing; users can now translate text directly from the keyboard tray and easily undo and redo their most recent keyboard action with an intuitive swipe left or right with two fingers on the keyboard.

With the Clean View feature, the Gallery will group up to 100 images shot consecutively into one bundle for easy viewing – users can choose their favorite to serve as the group’s thumbnail – and an organized Gallery. Quick Crop lets users trim their photos right from the media viewing screen. When zooming in on an image with two fingers, the icon will appear on the left hand side of the screen for users to instantly save the edited picture to their Gallery.

Updates such as these, bringing flagship features to Galaxy A devices, are part of Samsung’s ongoing efforts to provide all users with the the best smartphone experiences. Samsung will continue to provide Galaxy A users with all the leading functionalities and features they need to make the most of their mobile devices and capture the world just as they see it.

Recently, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) gave people around the world something to cheer for by becoming one of the first sports leagues to get back to playing ball. With thorough cleaning protocols in place to protect the health and safety of players and staff, the KBO has been back in action for more than a month now. Unfortunately, however, teams have been forced to press on without the most important element of all: the millions of die-hard fans that make this league so special.

Captured using the Galaxy S20 Ultra and narrated by MLB star and former NC Dinos first baseman Eric Thames, the video below spotlights how KBO teams are adjusting to this era of crowdless games, and giving people hope for an eventual return to normal life.

Solutions with high refresh rate displays are optimal not only for gamers, for whom the technology softens and smooth out in-game movements, but also for the increasing number of users who watch videos on their smartphones, since a high refresh rate makes video playback smoother, too. Samsung Newsroom sat down with the developers of the Galaxy S20’s display to learn more about how the innovative 120Hz display is providing users with next-level viewing experiences.

Engineers Michael Kim (left) and Sung-won Ryu, developers of the Galaxy S20’s display

Gamers Driven to New Heights with a Display that Refreshes Every 0.008 Seconds

The Galaxy S20’s high refresh rate is a revelation when it comes to gaming. For fighting games in particular, in which split-second decision making can prove the difference between victory and defeat, a display with a rapid refresh rate can provide users with a vital edge.

“The key to winning in a fighting game is to effectively evade attacks from your opponent while timing your own attacks well,” noted Michael Kim, an engineer from the Display Group at Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business. “A screen with a high refresh rate displays more images every second, allowing you to pick up the movements of your opponent’s character quicker and act that little bit faster. A 120Hz display shows a new image every 0.008 seconds.” Using a display that features so many changes in a short period of time additionally has applications in underpinning and facilitating 3D gaming.

Enjoy a Smooth Screen Flow When Surfing the Web

While a 120Hz refresh rate serves to optimize a user’s gaming experience, the original goal behind developing this high screen refresh rate was to provide a better screen control environment, making it easier for users to touch, scroll and swipe their screens. “When users are scrolling on their display, the smoother the screen will flow, resembling the analog experience, the more comfortable it is to use,” explained Kim. “The resulting effect is that of watching something happen in real life right before your eyes.”

Feeling like you have a good grip on your smartphone is also a sensation closely related to a display’s refresh rate. Many conventional displays will scan a finger scrolling on the screen up to 120 times per second, but the Galaxy S20 goes beyond this by scanning finger movement up to 240 times per second. This instant feedback goes as far as possible to make users feel as if they are manipulating something physical when scrolling on-screen. “A high refresh rate on a display helps give a real, grounded sense of touch to users when they are scrolling,” noted engineer Sung-won Ryu. “You can actually experience that fast reaction speed in real-time on the display.”

The high refresh rate granted by the 120Hz display also improves a user’s experience when they are surfing the web, using social networking services and reading webcomics. When scrolling by pushing along your screen from bottom to top, the consecutive frames of a webcomic can remain hidden until this upwards scroll has been fully completed. “With a 120Hz display, you can see any and all contents on a web page even during the scrolling action,” explained Kim. “This makes for a much more satisfactory user experience.”

A Display that Optimizes the Color Gamut Based on Usage

The color gamut of a display refers to the limited spectrum of color expression within which a given screen or monitor will output content. Generally, the color gamut used for digital appliances is sRGB, first introduced in 1996 for Internet, computer, printer, digital camera and scanner devices. However, the Galaxy S20 harnesses the DCI-P3 standard as well as the conventional sRGB one, a color area formulated by the film industry for digital movies. The benefit this offers users is a darker and richer color gamut as compared to sRGB, and the Galaxy S20 also supports Automatic Color Management which optimizes the color gamut based on the type of content a user is enjoying.

“For the best viewing experience, the color gamut should reflect that of the images being shown on the display,” explained Sung-Won Ryu. “The Galaxy S20’s display will automatically adjust its color gamut from DCI-P3 for HDR videos to sRGB for images. This automatic shift to present the richest color possible is a strength that only the Dynamic AMOLED 2X possesses. Dynamic AMOLED 2X presents users with deeper and darker colors onscreen but also achieves precise color rendering thanks to this control over color gamuts.”

A Careful Balance of High Resolution, High Luminance and High Refresh Rate

“When designing our flagship products, our goal was to offer users the 120Hz display experience within a thin smartphone,” noted Kim. But providing this experience that married high resolution with a high refresh rate was a challenge even for the Samsung developers and their expertise in developing best-in-class technologies for TV, monitors and displays. “TV displays benefit from unlimited power supplies and four to five times bigger pixels compared with smartphones,” noted Kim. “Given that smartphones have more components, from the AP to the 5G chipset to the 5G antenna, the power supply has to be negotiated between all these parts.”

“In theory, having both a high resolution and a high refresh rate on a mobile device is feasible, but given power management and device use time considerations, we have been cautious when implementing these capabilities,” noted Ryu. “We are constantly developing our technological innovations to reduce power consumption by studying many different device use scenarios.”

One of the key determining factors of display performance is brightness. The brightness of a display is expressed with the term ‘luminance’, or the amount of light per unit area reflected from an object. The Galaxy S20’s luminance is a maximum of 1,200 nits, expressing both dark and bright shades in order to showcase images clearly, even during the daytime. “There are many elements to consider when it comes to screen quality, but it is a given that the higher a display’s luminance, the better the display looks,” said Kim. “The Galaxy S20’s display is at the maximum brightness accorded by the greatest possible extent of power management.”

Some users may not be aware of the true strength of a 120 Hz display. “With apps such as YouTube now offering videos in basic HD quality, when you go back and watch older videos on the platform in SD, you realize that the quality is actually much lower than you originally thought,” explained Kim. “The same is true of 120Hz displays. People may have no complaints about a 60Hz display, but once they get used to the quality of 120Hz, they can never go back to 60Hz.”

Bringing 120Hz to More Devices

Galaxy smartphones displays have always brought users new and innovative technologies, from high resolution and high pixels per inch (PPI) to AMOLED technology and Automatic Color Management. Looking forward, both Kim and Ryu are confident that there are still limitless possibilities for innovation when it comes to developing better displays.

“We can improve a user’s display experience by developing optimized device power management,” noted Kim. “We will continue to work hard to provide the best possible experience to all users.”

“By developing our high refresh rate technology, we are confident that 120Hz technologies will one day be available not just for the Galaxy S series, but across various other device lines, too,” affirmed Ryu.

This is where the device’s user interface (UI) comes into play, with the experience of the users in interacting with it referred to as the user experience (UX). In 2018, Samsung introduced an improved version of its standard user interface and software overlay called ‘One UI’.

As well as working to make them intuitive, consistent, and effective, UX designers try to base user interface interactions on the way we use physical objects in the wider world to promote familiarity. For example, users turn a digital page in an e-book just like they would a physical page, or slide their cards up in the Samsung Pay app in a way that mimics how they would remove a card from their wallet. But what do UX designers do when there is no way to base interactions on real-world actions? Samsung Newsroom sat down with the designers of One UI to find out.

An Interface to Help You Stay on Task

The concept of One UI started with the idea to try and help the busy users of today stay focused by simplifying their interactions with their smartphones. One UI designer Soeyoun Yim explained that the process of designing the interface was undertaken based on the concept of ‘everyday simplicity’, saying that, “One UI was designed to help users focus on important tasks by eliminating distractions.”

Now, One UI has been further developed into ‘One UI 2’, which was unveiled at the end of last year. This upgraded interface incorporates the icons from One UI in new styles and configurations, and includes revamped colors and movements. In addition, One UI 2 makes the icons more conspicuous with distinct color tones and motions, for instance when the ‘settings’ icon trembles to let users know that an update is underway.

‘Simplicity’ – to Help You Focus on What Matters

Simplicity was the number one priority for the designers when developing One UI 2. To that end, the pop-up screens that appear at the top and bottom of the screen were made more compact and simplistic to keep users from getting distracted while making use of features.

The camera app has also been simplified to ensure that the basic operation of the app isn’t impeded, and prevent users from getting distracted while they’re taking their picture. Taehee Hwang, the UX designer responsible for the camera app, outlined how this makes the user experience more straightforward. “The basic photo and video modes can be accessed at the bottom of the screen, while special modes such as the Food and Night modes can be accessed by selecting or swiping through to ‘More’,” she related. “This simplifies what is displayed on the screen so that users can concentrate on taking their picture.”

‘Comfort’ – So Your Eyes and Fingers Can Take It Easy

Making user interactions more comfortable and facilitating one-handed use were also at the fore of the development of One UI 2. Whereas One UI designated the top and bottom sections of the screen as the ‘viewing’ and ‘interaction’ areas respectively, One UI 2 allows the majority of tasks to be completed within the lower area of the screen. Moreover, for actions that require interaction in the top part of the screen, unnecessary finger movements were minimized to improve comfort and convenience.

The same principles were applied to the keyboard, making it possible for users to perform other tasks while keeping their fingers within the keyboard area. For example, by long-pressing the space bar, users can now control the position of the cursor from within the keyboard window without having to interact with the main text body. In addition, users can swipe left or right with two fingers to undo and redo actions, and adjust the dimensions of their keyboard to better match the size of their hands.

The ‘dark mode’ feature has been shown to reduce eyestrain, and One UI 2 has expanded the number of apps within which it can be applied. “Dark mode has been expanded to a number of apps that it wasn’t previously accessible in,” said Yim, “To make it more comfortable to use devices in the dark we are also applying a darkening filter to background wallpaper displays.” Yim also spoke to the designers’ efforts to further ease eyestrain, relating that, “An algorithm has been incorporated that analyzes the background image on the lock screen and automatically shows the time in the color that will show up best against that backdrop.”

‘Convenience’ – Streamlining Rich Experiences

The ‘Single take’ feature comes with One UI 2 on the Galaxy S20 and is capable of using Ultra wide, Live focus, and short video features to deliver various photo styles and results, all with a single shot. “We started by asking ourselves two questions,” explained Hwang, “Firstly, how can we make sure the users enjoy the moment? And secondly, how can we deliver a variety of results without requiring the user to do more than take a simple, standard shot?”

While explaining what went into developing the feature, Hwang explained that, “Since this feature was to be introduced on the Galaxy S20, we decided that a help message should be displayed when the user entered Single take mode. Moreover, to allow the user to view a wide range of results simultaneously on the same screen we introduced a new kind of viewer.”

The video calling feature was also further upgraded with the integration of ‘Google Duo,’ Google’s simple, high-quality video calling app. Sueyeon Lee, the designer in charge of integrating Google Duo and One UI, elaborated on the designers’ efforts to improve convenience, saying, “Our goal was to make the user experience more convenient by making the features of Google Duo the default for Galaxy devices.”

Lee went on to highlight some other user experiences specific to Galaxy devices, remarking that, “5G video calls have been brought to smartphones for the first time with this integration, allowing users to experience FHD video calls and use AR emojis and wide screen mode within their video calls.” Lee finished by saying, “We will continue to develop advanced, integrated communication experiences linked to the phone, message and contact apps.”

The Galaxy Z Flip represents a totally new style of device with a revolutionary format. Thus, the question of how to provide top-tier usability and convenience on the new smartphone required the designers to think outside the box. Hyungwoo Shin, the designer responsible for developing the Galaxy Z Flip’s UI, outlined the development process, saying, “This is a whole new kind of device. We didn’t have access to any sample devices to which we could apply the new UI, so we had to print out screens, attach them to mock-up products and fold and unfold the devices to figure out how best to apply One UI.” In designing this special UI, the designers incorporated the ‘cover display’ aspect, which expands the interface onto the small screen on the outside of the phone that enables users to check the time, read notifications and take selfies when the phone is folded.

Special effort was put into developing the UI for the Galaxy Z Flip’s ‘Flex Mode,’ a feature that divides the screen into two halves when the phone is half-folded and set at a 90-degree angle. Shin explained how the design team catered to this unique form factor, saying that, “Designing a UI that would be suitable for a phone being used in Flex Mode presented a real challenge. We ended up creating a new layout that reflected the UIs seen on the foldable phones of the past.”

‘Accessibility’ – Fair and Available to Everyone

‘Accessibility’ means how easy to use and available a device’s features are to a wide range of users. The designers of One UI 2 worked to provide an equally accessible experience to everyone – regardless of age or disability – with features such as high contrast themes, which improve usability for visually impaired users. Samsung additionally consulted with differently-abled users to receive feedback on accessibility within the UI and to hear the users’ ideas on where there was room for improvement.

As a result, color adjustments and high-contrast features were implemented within the UI to expand usability to more differently-abled users. These changes also make it easier for users to access specialty features within the UI like Light Sensing, which detects nearby lights and informs the user of their status with vibrations, and Live Transcribe, which uses Bixby to transcribe audio messages and nearby noises.

One UI to Satisfy the Individual User

So, what’s next for the One UI design team? Since the first and second incarnations of One UI were about establishing the foundation of the interface, the next steps will focus on catering more to individual users. “Going forward, One UI will offer more customized content,” related Yim. “Active customization will be brought to bear to improve the individual user experience.”

As they continue their development work, the One UI designers will keep working to provide the best possible environment for Galaxy users, while ensuring that the interface is inclusive and makes inconvenience a thing of the past.

We want users to enjoy our technology and innovations without a worry, which is why Galaxy devices come with a wide range of industry-leading security solutions to protect personal data. Samsung Knox protects, isolates, and secures data from the hardware chip up, while Secure Wi-Fi provides a safe environment for internet browsing on public wireless connections. And in case of loss or theft, the Find My Mobile service enables users to remotely locate the smartphone, as well as backup and protect data stored on the device.

For the Galaxy S20, we continued to build on this solid security foundation. At the heart of the enhanced system is the secure processor, which is engineered to ensure your data is protected even against advanced hardware attacks.

Enhanced Hardware Security

Just like the way locksmiths can use tools to get past a locked door, malicious actors can manipulate components (physical attacks), provoke hardware errors (fault attacks), or analyze heat and electromagnetic emissions (side-channel attacks) to breach smartphone security. These attacks, also known as hardware attacks, can only happen if the hacker gets hold of the device physically.

The Galaxy S20’s secure processor is Samsung’s solution to counter against hardware attacks. The component is a physical chip that provides an isolated space to protect confidential data in the device. In addition to the continuous scrambling and encrypting of confidential data, it employs a physical shield to guard against physical attacks. The component can also detect invalid voltage or temperature changes and is equipped with security algorithms to thwart side-channel attacks.

An Extra Level of Protection for Your Data

The secure processor protects a wide range of valuable data on your smartphone, starting from the lock screen. It ensures that your lock screen PIN, pattern, or password are not susceptible to guesses by making it almost impossible for attackers to reset the error counter, which monitors the number of failed unlock attempts.

In addition to lock screen data, the secure processor can also process blockchain private keys, which are similar to banking passwords for crypto-currency wallets. The component even supports Strongbox Keymaster, meaning it provides hardware protection for private keys or sensitive data on third-party apps.

As a part of Samsung Knox’s multi-layered security platform, the secure processor will not only keep your data protected on the go but also enable safer, more convenient mobile experiences in the future.

For more information about the Galaxy S20, visit news.samsung.com/galaxy, www.samsungmobilepress.com or www.samsung.com/galaxy-s20.

* Details may vary by market.

Samsung has taken every detail into consideration with the design of the UI that underlies the Galaxy S20 series. Read on to learn more about how Samsung made this satisfying sensory experience a reality.

Scroll, Zoom and Explore in Peace

A display’s ‘refresh rate’ refers to the number of times a monitor loads new information every second. The Galaxy S20 series features a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring the viewing experience is responsive and satisfying to engage with no matter the task.

Not only is the display easier on your eyes, the faster refresh rate means anything with motion or animation appears much smoother. Whether you are scrolling through your favorite website, flipping through apps on your Home screen, or playing a game, you will get a more polished experience.

Natural, Dynamic Interaction

One UI 2’s motion and interaction design are optimized for various Galaxy devices, from smartphones to foldables and tablets. Regardless of screen size, Samsung designed the UI to allow for effortless screen transitions, showcasing the swift and elegant design achievements made over the years. Those design achievements have culminated in a UI for the Galaxy S20 with intuitiveness, seamlessness, tangibility, and vibrancy at its core.

From picking up an incoming phone call to moving an app’s icon around the Home Screen, the Galaxy S20’s interaction responses fit intuitively with the way the device functions.

Interface responses are also seamless, allowing for smooth and continuous feedback to your touch inputs. When launching an app from the Home Screen, for example, the icon expands, and the screen switches to a new page in one fluid motion that feels more natural.

In addition to its seamlessness, the Galaxy S20 responds in real-time to user control and understands delicate touches to provide tangible, satisfying feedback.

Further adding to that experience is the streamlined style of notifications and other alerts the Galaxy S20 provides. Vivid animations and concise layouts deliver information in a clear, vibrant manner.

Tactile Satisfaction

A phone’s haptic feedback is that satisfying kinesthetic communication—or vibration—you get from your phone when interacting with it. In designing the Galaxy S20’s haptic feedback, Samsung prioritized two things: a satisfying sensation and applying haptic feedback to relevant features and actions. One of the areas you will feel the sensations is the camera.

Fine-tuned vibrations complement the S20’s powerful camera when pressing to take a picture, zooming in and out, and adjusting the Pro mode controls, such as the shutter speed and aperture. That same satisfying haptic sensation has been applied to many other features throughout the Galaxy S20.

When quickly flipping through the Contact list to search for “Mom,” for example, a vertical index appears on the right side. When scrolling through the index, you will get enhanced haptic feedback that signifies moving from one letter to the next in the index. Not only does it make it easier to find “M” in the index, it reduces the potential of skipping past your destination when scrolling. So, you get more precision when looking up friends, family, or business contacts. Toggle switches also have a gratifying new haptic design that mimics a light switch, so you will really feel like you are switching features on and off. The keyboard has also received significant improvements in haptic feedback.

When typing, more precise and refined feedback allows for a better overall experience. The haptic feedback also varies by input, providing distinct vibrations for regular keys, feature keys, and delete keys. There are also noticeable differences in feedback when holding down the backspace button to delete characters and when moving the cursor where you will find concise, tactile sensations.

Sound for a New Experience

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but songs and sounds can form lasting memories. Samsung took that lesson to heart by designing a satisfying auditory experience for the Galaxy S20. This year’s Over the Horizon song, for example, was built around the theme of ‘Digital Wellbeing’. The iconic ringtone features 26 monochords to deliver a soothing sonic experience powered by nature, reminding listeners to indulge in the delights of life offline.

There are four sound themes to choose from on the Galaxy S20, including Galaxy, Calm, Retro, and Fun. Each theme applies to the ringtones, notifications, and system sounds.

The Galaxy theme applies the classic Samsung sounds, including Over the Horizon. Tranquility and acceptance are at the heart of the Calm theme, which leaned on the atmosphere of a coffee house or beach for inspiration. Samsung styled the Retro theme after the iconic sounds of the ‘80s, including the video games and pop music of the era. Finally, the Fun theme embraces silliness and optimism, drawing inspiration from upbeat pop hits for a more light-hearted sonic experience.

But beyond just offering these innovative camera capabilities to ensure your memories are captured just as they happen, the Galaxy S20’s camera also features a range of capabilities developed to help you capture, view, edit and share your photos and videos as seamlessly as possible, from taking photos and managing your gallery to sharing your moments with friends.

Read on to learn more about these useful features and how they can help you enhance your Galaxy S20 camera experience.

Capture Freely

Custom Filter lets you create and customize your own personal photo filters using existing pictures, including those you have taken using the Camera app. You can now personalize your shots to match your own aesthetic and color tone preferences, both before and after taking pictures.

­Furthermore, for the most seamless video experience possible, you can switch between the front and rear cameras whilst recording a 4K UHD video – meaning you’ll never miss a chance to capture your priceless moments from every angle. Whilst recording a video, select the ‘camera switch’ icon on the bottom right of the screen to change between the front and rear cameras.

View Easily

With the Clean View feature, the Gallery app can group up to 100 consecutive images into one bundle based on when they have been shot for easy viewing. You can then easily review each bundle and select your favorite picture to serve as the group’s thumbnail.

The Gallery also offers enhanced search capabilities. Compared to the previous iteration, the improved search now shows a more diverse array of results when you search by time or place keywords. If your search term results in nothing to display, your S20 will suggest similar search terms to help you find what you are looking for, with greater ease.

Edit & Share Quickly

Highlight reel creates a dynamic video clip out of your favorite photos and videos. You can either simply enjoy this curated selection of your best snaps or further personalize your reel by amending the duration, adding text, changing the background volume or music and more.
ideo clip out of your favorite photos and videos. You can either simply enjoy this curated selection of your best snaps or further personalize your reel by amending the duration, adding text, changing the background volume or music and more.

Thanks to a partnership with premium Danish textile brand Kvadrat, the latest Samsung accessories for the Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy Watch Active2 are no exception.

Accessories for Good

When developing accessories for the Galaxy S20 series and other of the company’s latest products, Samsung made the decision to partner with Kvadrat, a company rooted in Scandinavian design tradition that has acquired the European Union’s Ecolabel certification – a certification known for its strict judgment criteria.

Following the sustainable practice of upcycling, the special Galaxy S20+ phone case is made up of re-purposed 500ml plastic bottles that are melted and reformulated into textile yarns. Upcycling, also known as ‘creative reuse’, is the process of transforming end-of-life products into new materials that not only are of better quality than the original, but also benefit the environment. In the case of Kvadrat’s yarn-making process, one plastic bottle can be repurposed to produce 2 Galaxy S20+ phone cases.

These recycled yarns help to reduce the number of plastic bottles found in landfills and are produced in a way that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during manufacturing as compared with traditional material processes. The plastic bottle-sourced yarn is formed in an eco-friendly process that preserves non-renewable energy resources. Samsung is the first company among major brands in the mobile industry to have produced a phone case for its flagship device using recycled materials.

The Galaxy S20+ phone case made with textiles by Kvadrat follows the sustainable practice of upcycling by transforming end-of-life plastic bottles into recycled polyester yarns, from which cases can then be fashioned.

These recycled yarns are eco-friendly because they reduce the amount of PET bottles in landfills; in the U.S. alone, it is estimated that over 60 million of these bottles end up in landfills every single day. Each recycled 500ml plastic bottle can create 2 phone cases, allowing users the peace of mind that with the purchase of this special phone case, they are actively contributing to the reduction of plastic pollution.

The recycled yarns are also manufactured in a way that reduces carbon dioxide emissions as compared to traditional processes. Compared to conventional polyester production methods, Kvadrat’s recycled yarns are formed in a process that consumes less energy and preserves precious oil resources.

Galaxy S20+ case made with Kvadrat textiles product images

Last year, Samsung announced a partnership with the UN Development Programme to support the Sustainable Development Goals (also known as the Global Goals) which address some of the biggest challenges faced around the world, including the fight for climate action. In line with this, a portion of revenue from sales of the Samsung Global Goals edition of the Galaxy S20+ case made with Kvadrat textiles will be donated to UNDP in support of the 17 Global Goals¹.

Samsung Global Goals edition Galaxy S20+ case made with Kvadrat textiles product images

As well as purchasing the Samsung Global Goals edition case, Galaxy users can also download the Samsung Global Goals app in order to discover more ways to get involved with the Samsung Global Goals initiative. With the app, users can learn more about each of the Global Goals and the issues they seek to tackle with detailed information, facts and figures on each Goal available. The app also helps raise money for the Global Goals, firstly by allowing users to donate directly to the Global Goals on the UNDP website and secondly by collecting ad revenue for the UNDP whenever users interact with ads on the app.

Galaxy Watch Active2 strap made with Kvadrat textiles product images

Let’s dive into how select Galaxy S20 features will work on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note10.

Advanced Photo and Video Experiences

This software update brings select Galaxy S20 photo and video experiences to the Galaxy S10 and Note10 series. With Single Take, stay in the moment while you capture the moment using integrated AI technology. Single Take uses the camera system and AI to capture a number of photos and videos at once and recommends the best shot for you².

With an improved Night Mode on the Galaxy S10 series, and the addition of Night Hyperlapse on both Galaxy S10 and Note10 series³, you’ll be able to capture even more amazing photos and videos even in low light.

When you’ve captured that perfect image, Custom Filter lets you create your own filter with colors and styles you like from a favorite photo serving as inspiration. This creates a reusable filter that can be applied to future photos when captured.

Single Take available on the Galaxy S10 (left), Single Take in the Gallery on the Galaxy Note10

Custom Filter introduction on the Galaxy S10 (left), How Custom Filter is used on the Galaxy Note10

For the aspiring filmmaker, Pro Video gives you even more control, allowing you to adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed and exposure level. You can also switch between the front and rear cameras while recording video.

Pro Video now available on the Galaxy S10 (left), Shooting video in Pro Video mode on the Galaxy Note10

Intelligent Gallery

This update also brings a variety of gallery features to help you organize your content. Thanks to AI technology, with Clean View enabled, the Gallery app automatically groups together similar shots of the same subject for a more organized gallery⁴. Users can easily review similar shots and select their favorite to serve as the photo group’s thumbnail. When viewing a photo in the gallery, you can zoom in on an image and press Quick Crop, located at the top left-hand corner, to crop photos to your desired size.

Tap the highlighted icon to group/ungroup gallery images on the Galaxy S10 (left), Clean View after grouping images on the Galaxy Note10

Quick Crop available on the Galaxy S10 (left), Quick Crop available on the Galaxy Note10

Easy Sharing Capabilities⁵

You can now share more content quickly. With Quick Share, you can see which of your contacts are nearby and share photos, videos, or even large files with multiple people. With Music Share, you can extend your paired Bluetooth connection and you don’t need to disconnect for a friend to play their music on a speaker or car stereo.

Quick Share and Music Share available on the Galaxy S10 (left), Quick Share and Music Share available on the Galaxy Note10

For more information, visit www.samsung.com/my or https://news.samsung.com/my/.

¹ Update release date and Update feature list may vary by market, carrier, and model.

² Single Take AI captures images and videos up to 10 seconds.

³ Not applied to Note10 Lite.

⁴ Up to 100 images in the gallery shot on the same day.

⁵ Available on Galaxy S10 and Note10 devices when this update is downloaded and the feature (Quick Share/Music Share) is turned on; already available on Galaxy S20 devices.

*All examples of feature usability provided in this article are simulations. Actual user experience may vary.