Taking mum out for a lovely meal at her favourite restaurant or gifting her that gorgeous handbag she’s been eyeing are great gift ideas for Mother’s Day, which is happening on 8 May. However, mum deserves to be showered with love every day, even in understated ways like optimizing technology to ease her busy work and home life.

While digital devices and home appliances have a ubiquitous presence in our lives, it is important that they can work together seamlessly and intuitively around our daily routines. This is where Samsung’s SmartThings app comes in – it can easily control and share insights on connected devices, enhancing work and life for mum and the rest of the family, both in and outside of the home.

Read on to find out how Samsung’s SmartThings app and smart devices can make mum’s busy daily life easier.

Always be in (Remote) Control

When mum is busy at work in the office, SmartThings lets her focus on work while the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ gets started on its vacuum run at home. Linking the Samsung home appliances to SmartThings, mum will be able to control the products with a tap of the finger or voice control through her virtual assistant, Bixby, on her Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

SmartThings also lets mum check the device status, such as how the wash cycle is going on the AI Ecobubble washing machine, and sends a notification to her phone when the laundry is done, so she can continue working on that proposal, or enjoy her favourite Netflix drama without needing to linger near the washing machine.

To make things even simpler, SmartThings allows devices to be assigned to specific rooms so everything is well-organized. Are the lights in the living room or study switched off? Now mum can check and control the lighting in any room without having to leave the bed.

Simplify and Automate Daily Routines

Managing a household requires a lot of planning and organising, as well as keeping to familiar routines to keep things running smoothly at home. By adding your home’s compatible smart devices to the SmartThings app, mum can schedule household appliances to automatically activate at specific timings so there are fewer tasks for her to manually keep track of.

Love waking up to the sun shining through your window and a groovy playlist? SmartThings routines can help open smart motorized curtains and switch on the Samsung Q series soundbar in the morning so mum can wake up to sunshine and her favourite tunes. She can also adjust the brightness of compatible smart lightings via SmartThings so that she winds down after a long day in a softly lit environment, exactly the way she likes it.

By using SmartThings as the main control hub for your home’s smart devices, mum also won’t need to worry about misplaced or malfunctioning remote controls when everything she needs is right there on her phone.

Live, Work and Play Smarter

Besides making household chores easier to manage, Samsung also offers a wide range of gadgets and smart solutions for mum’s lifestyle, digital entertainment, and productivity needs. Here are three of our top picks:

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8: For mums who are always on-the-go, the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 comes with Multi-Active Window[1] and Samsung DeX functions that can provide PC-like capabilities such as opening and resizing multiple apps at the same time and screen mirroring on an external display, giving mum extra versatility when multitasking through her projects and emails. The portability and generous screen sizes of the Galaxy Tab S8 series will also let her better enjoy her eBooks or K-dramas during a coffee break at a cosy café or while she’s on the way to her next appointment.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch4: For mums who love their workouts and are looking for ways to keep track of their health, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is the perfect accessory for keeping up with her active lifestyle. The Galaxy Watch4 not only functions as a fitness tracker for her myriad workouts, but it can also help measure body composition[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8], and blood oxygen levels[9] [10], giving mum swift access to her vital health data. The watch is also able to analyse her sleep[11] and comes with a Sleep coaching program[12] [13] [14] so mum can have a better rest at night.

3. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G: For mums who value convenience and prefer compact smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is an ideal balance between style, function, and nonstop fun. Even without unfolding the phone, Mum can keep up with her schedule, flip through her Spotify playlist and check out groceries on-the-go with Samsung Pay on its Cover Screen. Available in Cream, Phantom Black, Green, and Lavender, as well as three more online-exclusive colours (Grey, White, and Pink), there are plenty of choices to match mum’s personal style.

[1] Certain applications may not support Multi-active Windows.

[2] DO NOT measure your body composition if you have an implanted pacemaker or other implanted medical devices.

[3] DO NOT measure your body composition if you are pregnant.

[4] Measurement results may not be accurate if you are under 20 years old.

[5] Intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or disease. The measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.

[6] Availability of BIA may vary by country or region.

[7] All features and UI are subject to change.

[8] Only available on Galaxy Watch4 series and must be paired with a compatible mobile device.

[9] Availability may vary by country or region.

[10] Blood oxygen is for fitness and wellness purposes only and not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or disease. The measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a qualified medical healthcare professional for advice.

[11] The Galaxy Watch4 must be paired with a smartphone to use the sleep management function.

[12] Only available on Galaxy Watch4 series and requires latest software update.

[13] Requires Samsung Health app version 6.21 or later.

[14] Requires Samsung Galaxy Phone with Android 8.0 or later.

Photo credit: Aisha Nazar courtesy of Nadirah Zakariya

Renowned photographer Sally Mann once quoted, “Part of the artist’s job is to make the commonplace singular, to project a different interpretation onto the conventional.” Photography has always been a unique language, a wonderful art people seek to understand, master, and admire. It serves as a powerful instrument in expressing feelings and ideas for some, evoking various emotions, thoughts, and inspirations within the audience, and has done so for hundreds of years. More people now resort to mobile photography, where creative expression is made accessible to the masses and not limited to those who can afford professional tools and equipment. When one is an artist, any tool one has close by can help them make art.

Nadirah Zakariya believes that photography is all about the content rather than the device people use to take pictures. The internationally published photographer whose works were featured in numerous prominent publications such as Bloomberg, The New York Times Magazine, NYLON, VICE, and Vogue Italia, had the opportunity to experience the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G in her recent creative projects and dived into its fascinating features and functions. Even for a professional like her, smartphones prove to be a must-have artistic companion, and with the birth of social media platforms such as Instagram, more people are showing off their creative streaks online and pushing the boundaries of photography.

The co-founder of Layar Lucida, KL20X20 Photography Project, and Exposure+ Photo recently experimented with photographing flowers. What started as a coping mechanism during the Movement Control Order has turned into a business with people reaching out to purchase her art. “I personally enjoyed having the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G with me because of its compact size, and how easily it fits into my pocket. It brings back memories of the flip phones in the early 2000s. I think it’s cute, fun, and convenient!” said Nadirah. “The new Cover Screen that also acts as a preview screen for the rear camera is a useful feature to have in my opinion, because it allows me to take brilliant selfies without the need to rely on the secondary, front-facing camera like in most smartphones. And I don’t even have to flip it open or adjust the way I hold it so it wouldn’t fall!”

Photo credit: Aisha Nazar courtesy of Nadirah Zakariya

The visual artist documents her photoshoot process and often jumps into video calls to discuss her projects, and she had found the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G a delightful company to have by her side at work. “My most favourite feature on the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is definitely the Flex Mode! I love the fact that I can prop the phone up on any surface and it will just sit there nicely, ready to record or capture pictures at a click or just using a simple hand gesture,” she added. She reminisced the times she had to leave her smartphones leaning against books or use mobile tripods but the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G just conveniently eliminated this problem for her.

The foldable smartphone’s compact size was a breath of fresh air. Nadirah stated, “Normally, I am always carrying around camera gears to do what I usually do and have a separate smartphone for other things but after using the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, I discovered that I can take good quality test shots with it and the smartphone instantly feels like an essential tool for me to have when I’m working.” Apart from that, she enjoyed the Multi-Active Window feature on the device because it allows her to multitask with ease and discuss her work on video calls efficiently. She lamented that on regular smartphones, the window preview for her will always appear smaller and switching between active windows were a hassle. She liked using the Galaxy Z Flip3 for the Multi-Active Window feature as it can split the preview windows evenly. “It makes my discussions and work easier and smoother. It really makes a difference for me.”

Photo credit: Aisha Nazar courtesy of Nadirah Zakariya

Photo credit: Aisha Nazar courtesy of Nadirah Zakariya

Hardcore photography enthusiasts always rave about the biggest, maddest gears out there when it comes to photography. While they are great to have, Nadirah is confident that mobile photography can also produce great works of art. “I don’t see why not. After using the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G to take some still life photos, I must say I am very pleased with the quality. It is easy to carry around, the user interface is easy to navigate and can cater to professionals like me, the display is vibrant, and editing my pictures directly on the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G saves me the time to get them ready for instant sharing on the go.”

As she commented earlier, photography is all about the content rather than obsessing about the device used to take your pictures. “I believe that if the device is good enough and able to capture whatever it is that I have pictured in mind, gets the job done, and delivered the message I intended, then it is great enough for me.”

Photo credit: Aisha Nazar courtesy of Nadirah Zakariya

Photo credit: Aisha Nazar courtesy of Nadirah Zakariya

Flip phones were captivating and exciting when they were first introduced, until the standard, flat bar designs became popular and mainstream. After that, smartphone designs stagnated, and have not improved much. “This time with the new Galaxy Z Series, I can see that Samsung has managed to revive the fun factor in flip phones! The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is not just a pretty device- it has the depths to do more than just the regular smartphones in the market. It speaks to me because I love originality, authenticity, and the freedom to express myself. The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G encapsulates all that. The new features are fun to explore, and they have made my creative journey a memorable and colourful one.”

There are no rules in visual art. No matter the methods, camera work is limitless and always evolving, and even using a smartphone, you can always make it your own. After all, it is all about producing the best results with what you have in hand, and a great smartphone can be just the answer to your creative pursuits. Take the Samsung Galaxy Z Series with you today, capture the art around you, and unfold the future of creative possibilities within your grasp!

For more information on the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-z-flip3-5g/buy/