Founded in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., the iF Design Award conducts comprehensive evaluations of differentiation and impact, among others, in a total of nine categories – Product, Packaging, Communication, Professional Concept, Interior Architecture, Architecture, Service Design, User Experience (UX), and User Interface (UI).

“It is important for a design to connect the changing values with innovative technologies,” said Jinsoo Kim, Executive Vice President at Corporate Design Center in Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to offering a meaningful experience that both meets the various demands of customers and improves the quality of our lives.”

Three Gold Award Winning Products Recognized for Designs That Offer Customized Experiences to Different Lifestyles

The Freestyle is a portable screen that can display as large as 254cm in diagonal length depending on the environment where it is used, be it on the wall, the ceiling or the floor as it rotates 180 degrees.

Thanks to its lightweight and minimal design, The Freestyle is highly portable, allowing the user to hold it in one hand, and can be used with ease both indoors and outside such as on camping sites. Depending on each individual lifestyle, it can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker or as an ambient lamp that can glow light in various colors.

The Galaxy Z Flip3 was honored for its iconic and compact design that comes with premium features and exclusive foldable experiences providing a truly personalized smartphone experience. With Galaxy Z Flip3’s unique form factor, users are able to enjoy the full smartphone experience when unfolded and pocketable design when folded in half. Not only is the design refined by providing a large Cover Screen, but it also maximizes the usability by allowing users to view notifications and capture a quick photo even when folded.

The vacuum cleaner The Bespoke Slim[1] also won the Gold Award for its simple design that blends well with the surrounding living space. The Bespoke concept, which brings customized products to fit lifestyles and tastes, was applied to the product, improving the experience throughout the entire cleaning process from product storage to dust emptying.

Total of 71 Awards, From Product to UX design, Including TVs, Home appliances and Smartphones

With its designs being recognized in all categories at the iF Design Award 2022 including Product and User Interface (UI), Samsung Electronics won the most number of awards totaling 71.

In addition to the three Gold Awards, the Neo QLED 8K, the Bespoke French Door Refrigerator, and the Galaxy Buds2 also won awards in the Product category.

The One UI 4, new interface of Galaxy smartphones that enables users to customize their devices, and the Galaxy Upcycling at Home, which allows users to build a smart home by recycling unused Galaxy phones into Home IoT devices were also recognized for the design excellence.

[1] Product availability may vary by country

Since 2009, the Reuters Responsible Business Awards celebrates businesses that showcase world-class sustainability strategies and deliver positive impacts on society and the environment. The Circular Transition Award recognizes innovations that help the world’s transition to a more circular economy.

Honored at a virtual award ceremony, Galaxy Upcycling at Home is an initiative that gives new life to older Galaxy smartphones by repurposing them into IoT (Internet of Things) devices with a simple software update. Through the SmartThings app, users can repurpose unused smartphones into convenient smart home devices such as a childcare monitor or a pet care solution.

Judges noted that Samsung’s upcycling solution is “A simple initiative with a basic idea, which helps shift the mindset on the value of old phones. A genuine closed loop versus recycling of e-waste with an innovative twist.”

This innovative program exemplifies Samsung’s global efforts to transition to a circular economy through greater use of sustainable materials, reusing resources and extending product longevity with added value and alternative purposes. Embodying Samsung’s determination to create a better world through promoting more sustainable production practices and consumer behaviors, Galaxy Upcycling at Home enables users around the world to make a positive impact and help build a better future for generations to come.

“Samsung is dedicated to finding new, innovative ways to minimize global e-waste and we’re proud to be recognized for our leadership in integrating sustainable practices into our product lifecycle,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of the Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “We invite the larger Galaxy community to join us in our mission to breathe new life into unused devices and increase reuse habits, and we hope our efforts will serve as a blueprint for a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.”

Galaxy Upcycling at Home is a part of Samsung’s continued commitment to use the power of technology to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Galaxy Upcycling at Home specifically focuses on Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – by minimizing environmental impact and promoting eco-conscious habits. The program also supports Galaxy for the Planet, Samsung’s recently announced sustainability platform for its Mobile Communications Business.

This is why the company is this June launching a month-long celebration of sustainability initiatives, programs, and innovations to celebrate World Environment Day, a global day of sustainability awareness created by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that sees participation from people all around the world.

In order to encourage people to embrace creative and sustainable solutions for World Environment Day this year, Samsung is kicking off its month of sustainable celebration with the launch of Small World, a make-it-yourself cardboard collection to give packaging a second life developed in collaboration with artist Papersmith.

In order to bring the Small World program to life, Samsung collaborated with renowned Amsterdam-based paper artist AJ Smith, known as Papersmith, to create an astonishing art piece featuring buildings, animals, and plants built from the product packaging of Samsung TVs, Galaxy S21, Galaxy Buds Pro – and more – alone. What’s more, people around the world, too, can get involved at home through twelve downloadable prints of some of the characters featured in Small World. Along with this do-it-yourself cardboard template collection, users can then share their creations online using the hashtag #ReimagineABetterPlanet.

Towards a Better World for All

This June, Samsung is also going to highlight its existing range of programs, initiatives, and products that support environmental sustainability across the company’s social media channels and website, including the Galaxy Upcycling and Galaxy Upcycling at Home programs that encourage the repurposing of older smartphones into IoT devices and the company’s industry-leading energy-efficient memory chips that enable smarter power consumption from the inside out.

When It Comes to Sustainability, Every Bit Counts

When it comes to sustainability, no effort is too small. Accordingly, another event during Samsung’s month of sustainability awareness is seeing the company put the power of innovation right into the hands of its own employees. This June, Samsung employees based in Korea are set to have the opportunity to take part in an eco-conscious Idea Contest, hosted on the company’s collaboration platform, called MOSAIC. Starting June 9, employees will have two-weeks to share their own ingenious and creative eco-conscious product or service ideas via MOSAIC. By the end of the month, the winners of the competition will be announced internally and awards granted to the submissions that best build on or complement the company’s existing product, service, and packaging sustainability solutions.

Samsung Electronics strives to incorporate environmental sustainability into everything we do. Our products are thoughtfully designed to minimize the impact on the environment during their entire lifecycle – from planning and manufacturing to consumption and recycling.

Stay tuned for more updates on Small World, the Eco-conscious idea contest, and more during this June’s month-long celebration of sustainability, and be sure to share your own sustainable creations with the hashtag #ReimagineABetterPlanet.

Science and technology have made our lives easier and more convenient thanks to the addition of various innovative products and services into our daily routines. But the downside of these additions has been the development of serious global environmental challenges including climate change and resource depletion – issues that threaten the future of our world.

In order to help mitigate these issues, Samsung Electronics strives to incorporate environmental sustainability into everything we do. Let’s take a look at how Samsung’s eco-conscious product innovation and consumer engagement come together to help us all achieve a sustainable future.

Senior Vice President Hyeongnam Kim, Head of Global CS Center, Samsung Electronics

Minimizing the Environmental Impact of a Product’s Entire Life Cycle

Based on the principle of product stewardship, our products are thoughtfully designed to minimize their impact on the environment. Samsung is deeply engaged in activities to minimize the environmental impact of its products throughout their entire life cycle – from development and manufacturing to distribution and usage through to after-sales service and recycling.

Firstly, Samsung incorporates environmental concerns into its product development process. To this end, the company has introduced an Eco-Design Process to evaluate its products against eco-conscious standards across different countries, including the U.S. and Korea. In 2008, the company established a company-wide eco-committee and division-level task forces to step up its efforts in developing eco-conscious products. To this day, Samsung is committed to developing innovative, high-performing products that have minimal impact on the environment.

Samsung’s emphasis on sustainability continues into the manufacturing stage. The company has been expanding its usage of renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal heat in its facilities and is also incorporating the use of recycled water and waste. As a representative example, Samsung has also made strides in sustainability by sourcing 100% renewable electricity for all its facilities in the U.S., Europe and China last year. What’s more, Samsung plans to expand the usage of renewable energy to the rest of its facilities around the world following the development of local systems and infrastructure in each region.

Moving on to the distribution stage, Samsung has replaced its plastic and shrink wrap with packaging made of renewable biomaterials in order to reduce packaging waste. The company also now holds its paper suppliers to requiring a Forest Stewardship certification, and following these efforts, managed to completely replace all the paper used in the manuals and packaging for its mobile and consumer electronics products at the end of 2020.

Samsung helps users decrease their electricity consumption during the usage stage of a product’s lifecycle by providing them with energy-efficient products – thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the company is making continuous efforts towards developing durable products and a quick and easy repair process, since if consumers use their products for longer, they are then making a difference by reducing their environmental impact.

Going through to the final stage of a product’s lifecycle, disposal, Samsung is continuing to pioneer its waste collection and recycling programs around the globe, currently operating in 55 different countries. Users can in the U.S., for example, can drop off their end-of-life mobile devices at any of over 500 uBreakiFix locations, an independent repair chain. The company is also currently planning to expand its closed-loop recycling system in order to recover and reuse more iron, copper and plastics from e-waste.

Reducing 301 Million Tons of Greenhouse Gas Through Initiative and Innovation

Thanks to its product stewardship practices, Samsung has reduced the average energy consumption per unit of a product by 32%,¹ equivalent to the cumulative reduction of 301 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the past 12 years since 2009. The company has also recycled over 4.54 million tons of e-waste through its global e-waste collection sites from 2009 to 2020.

To encourage customers to use their products for longer as part of a circular economy, Samsung has established a quick and easy repair process for users, through which the company supplies product repair information and parts to contracted repair shops as well as independent repair stores.

Upholding User Values Through Eco-Conscious Upcycling

Going beyond employing eco-conscious practices solely in the development of its products, Samsung has been making various efforts to reduce the use of resources across all of its supply lines in order to promote more sustainable consumption.

Last year, Samsung introduced its revolutionary Eco-Packaging for its TV products made from cardboard boxes in an effort to encourage upcycling and creativity in users, as they can form animal toys or small furniture pieces using their discarded packaging.

In addition, Samsung has also recently launched its Galaxy Upcycling at Home program, which enables users to harness their unused Galaxy smartphones as IoT devices, in Korea, the U.S. and U.K. The program also repurposes older smartphones into medical diagnosis cameras, helping to address vision impairment cases that are preventable with proper diagnosis.

We at Samsung are dedicated to creating a sustainable future that provides a better life for all by introducing creative eco-conscious products and solutions across all of our business areas. With a focus on sustainable management, we are putting carbon reduction, resource circulation and ecosystem restoration at the forefront of our efforts to protect the environment.

¹ Figure from 2020 compared with 2008 level of energy consumption.

Make Any Home a Smart Home

The Galaxy Upcycling at Home program provides enhanced sound and light-control features, by repurposing built-in sensors. Users can transform their old devices through SmartThings Labs, a feature within the SmartThings app.

• Using an improved artificial intelligence (AI) solution, Galaxy devices can more accurately distinguish sounds in everyday surroundings, and users can choose to save certain sound recordings. For example, if the device detects sounds such as a baby crying, dog barking, cat meowing, or a knock, it will send an alert directly to the user’s smartphone and the user can listen to the recorded sound.
• Devices can also be used as a light sensor to measure the brightness level of the room. Users can easily set the device to automatically turn on the lights or the TV through SmartThings if the room becomes darker than the preset standard of light.

For a device to continuously detect sound and light, it needs to be actively operating for long periods of time. For this reason, Samsung equipped the Galaxy Upcycling at Home upgrade with battery optimization solutions to minimize battery usage. Devices will also be able to connect effortlessly to SmartThings, allowing them to interact with countless other IoT devices in the SmartThings ecosystem.

“Smart home devices are a fast-growing trend for consumer electronics, and we believe that Galaxy devices currently not in use can play an important role in turning every home into a smart home,” said Jaeyeon Jung, VP & Head of the SmartThings team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The program transforms Galaxy devices into SmartThings devices and demonstrates the power of our intelligent IoT platform to broaden the possibilities of what users can do with their old phones. Through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users will have access to the complete SmartThings ecosystem, enabling them to explore broader updates and features without having to purchase a new device.”

Shaping a Sustainable Future with Repurposed Technology

“We created Galaxy Upcycling at Home to enable more people to repurpose their old devices into useful tools, allowing both Samsung and our users to be mindful of the impact we have on the environment,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of the Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are rethinking how we use existing resources, and we believe the key to upcycling is to enable solutions that transform old technology into something new by adding value. We are committed to integrating sustainable practices into our day-to-day lives, and through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users can join our journey toward a more sustainable future.”

This innovative solution is part of Samsung’s continued commitment to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global blueprint for the world to achieve a more sustainable and prosperous future for all by 2030 through 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Galaxy Upcycling at Home specifically focuses on Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – by reducing waste and promoting more sustainable production practices and consumer behaviors.

Today, Galaxy Upcycling at Home provides a wide array of new solutions that help make everyday life a little easier while promoting more sustainable habits that benefit the planet. By offering consumers a way to upcycle their products with new features and alternative purposes, Samsung is helping to extend the lifecycle of its products while diverting its users from contributing to global e-waste.

Samsung is building environmental sustainability into everything we do. This includes taking dedicated action across every stage of the product lifecycle to help the world transition to a circular economy that makes greater use of sustainable materials, extends product longevity and reuses resources. Through programs like Galaxy Upcycling, Samsung intends to deliver innovative technologies that reshape consumer experiences while empowering them to play a part in sustainable practices.

¹ Availability may vary by carrier.

² Galaxy Upcycling at Home feature is available on all S, Note, and Z series released from 2018 (S9, Note9 or later) running Android 9 and above. More devices will be supported in the future.