Samsung Electronics announced an update to its global smart home platform SmartThings to provide improved experiences that help users better care for their families and themselves in everyday life. With the latest update, SmartThings has strengthened its Family Care service so users can better support parents they live apart from. It also integrates additional key SmartThings features into Now Brief, the personalised briefing service available on Galaxy mobile devices, to further enhance the convenience and comfort of the customer’s daily life.

“Samsung’s AI technology goes beyond everyday convenience to help users care for themselves and their families with greater peace of mind,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of the SmartThings Team, AI Platform Centre, Samsung Electronics. “SmartThings will continue to strengthen its role as a platform that seamlessly connects customers’ daily lives with AI, and it will keep expanding differentiated services on an ongoing basis.”

Enhanced Family Care Makes It Easier to Check-In on Loved Ones

Family Care connects SmartThings with a range of home appliances and mobile devices to provide notifications regarding the activities of users’ aging parents and reminders for medication and hospital visits — as well as location-based alerts. With this update, the service enables even more thoughtful care.

Additionally, Samsung’s new Care on Call^[1] feature allows users to more closely check on the status of the care recipient through a simple phone call. When a caregiver using the service calls the care recipient, a floating pop-up that displays key information like the time of the first activity of the day, the most recent activity time and the local weather — all at a glance — appears before the call begins. This helps caregivers ask more meaningful check-in questions and respond accordingly.

SmartThings can also continuously monitor devices like air conditioners, air purifiers, dehumidifiers and humidifiers for indoor temperature, humidity and air quality. If unusual usage patterns are detected, the caregiver is immediately notified and can remotely control the relevant device.^[2]

To further enhance the level of care provided to loved ones, the Care Insight feature been enhanced to provide even more actionable, long-term data within the Family Care service. It analyses factors like temperature and humidity levels, paying attention to whether they deviate from optimal ranges. It also tracks significant changes in activity levels and connected device usage compared to the previous week.

_{^[1] Care on Call is available on Galaxy smartphones running One UI 8.5 or later. Internet calls are not supported.}

_{^[2] Remote control is available when the caregiver has been set up to remotely control the care recipient’s devices.}

Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd. held the final session in its CES 2026 Tech Forum series, “The Human Side of Tech: Designing a Future Worth Living”, at Samsung’s The First Look space at The Wynn Las Vegas. The panel, moderated by Debbie Millman, host of Design Matters featured Samsung Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini and industry-leading designers Karim Rashid and Fabio Novembre.

With minimalism having defined the visual language of the tech industry for the past two decades, this panel of designers convened by Samsung asked: “What comes next?” Together, the panellists explored how warmer, more expressive and emotionally resonant technology can shape meaningful experiences in today’s AI era, while also charting a path forward for the industry.

Design as an Act of Love

The session covered a shared view on the purpose of design as fundamentally people-first. “In recent years, design in tech has been somewhat uniform,” said moderator Debbie Millman. “Compared to other industries, the uniformity in the world of tech is an anomaly. So, what if we were to extend technology beyond specifications and functionality?”

Samsung is currently addressing this question by introducing meaning beyond products by focusing on how technology fits into people’s lives, experiences and needs. The panellists discussed the growing importance of this mindset in the current landscape in which traditional barriers to entry such as access to tools, scale and technical capability continuing to diminish.

The Human Side of Tech

The discussion highlighted technology’s role in making intention, care and humanity visible in everyday life. Panellists noted that technology should help people recognise the thoughtfulness embedded in the products they invite into their homes and routines.

In this context, Samsung Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini shared Samsung’s design purpose: to enrich the quality of people’s lives through meaningful technology designed for humanity. He outlined the company’s commitment to help people live longer, live better, live louder and live on through advanced technologies that support wellbeing, creativity and self-expression.

Panellist Karim Rashid added to this sentiment. “When we think about physical things in our world, we think not only about diversity of choice but also the fact that we can develop strong connections to objects,” he said. “Through design, you can end up with a very powerful, emotional connection with inanimate objects, or even products.”

Designing for Human Values

The panel went on to explore how AI can unlock new possibilities for expression when shaped by human values. Panellists discussed a shared view that AI reaches its true potential when guided by Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination, not as a replacement for human creativity but as a force that expands it.

Porcini articulated this with “AI × (EI + HI)” – his approach to balancing Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination to bring meaning to innovation. While describing this philosophy, Porcini said, “When we design and develop, AI is amplified by Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination. “Then, when people use products, AI amplifies Emotional Intelligence and Human Imagination.” He added, “Do not fear technology. We are here to humanise it, guide it, and shape it.”

Through these insights, the session reinforced the belief that technology can serve people’s lives in increasingly new and meaningful ways.

Expressive Design Drives More Meaningful Experiences

The discussion also reinforced the importance of expressive design in bringing human-centred purpose to life, creating experiences that reflect emotion, support self-expression, invite connection and stimulate imagination.

“Happiness is the aim of design,” said Novembre. “Our pursuit of happiness is through design, making the impossible possible. I strongly believe in design, and that it must move back to the centre of the stage.”

Panellists noted that this reflects a shift from merely designing objects to designing experiences where emotion, meaning and identity are increasingly integral to how people relate to technology. This approach inspires a new kind of expression, resulting in designs that range from subtle and minimal to bold and imaginative — all meant to shape a future that isn’t just worth living, but worth loving.

 

 

Samsung Electronics today hosted a panel of global experts for “In Tech We Trust? Rethinking Security & Privacy in the AI Age” as part of its Tech Forum series at CES 2026. Held at The Wynn in Las Vegas, the session convened global experts in technology, research and ethics to explore how trust has emerged as one of the most critical factors shaping how people adopt and engage with AI as it becomes more seamlessly interwoven into daily life.

Making Invisible Intelligence Feel Trustworthy

As AI increasingly anticipates needs, curates routines and operates autonomously across devices, panellists Allie K. Miller, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Open Machine; Amy Webb, CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group; Zack Kass, Global AI Advisor at ZKAI Advisory and former Head of Go-To-Market at Open AI; and Shin Baik, AI Platform Centre (APC) Group Head at Samsung Electronics, emphasised that trust must be earned not through promises, but through consistent, understandable behaviour.

At the session, Samsung shared its approach to trust-by-design, highlighting the importance of AI systems that are predictable, transparent and easy for users to control. “When it comes to AI, users are looking for transparency and control,” Allie Miller said. “They want to be leaders in their own personalised experiences — to understand whether an AI model is running locally or in the cloud, to know their data is secure and to clearly see what is powered by AI and what is not. That level of visibility builds confidence. On the provider side, there is a responsibility to show up for users by designing personalised experiences around the core components of trust — clarity, security and accountability.”

Samsung also underscored how on-device AI allows personal data to remain local whenever possible, while cloud-based intelligence can be used selectively when greater speed or scale is required, giving users flexibility without compromising privacy.

Security Built for an AI-Driven World

The panel also explored how, as intelligences becomes distributed across phones, TVs and home appliances, security must evolve. In the session, Samsung highlighted its Knox security platform — which now protects billions of devices from the chipset up — as well as Knox Matrix, a cross-device security framework that enables products to authenticate and protect one another.

“Trust in AI starts with security that’s proven, not promised,” Shin Baik said. “For more than a decade, Samsung Knox has provided a deeply embedded security platform designed to protect sensitive data at every layer. But trust goes beyond a single device — it requires an ecosystem that protects itself. With Knox, devices continuously authenticate and monitor one another, so each device acts as a shield for the rest, creating a resilient, secure environment users can rely on.”

A Cross-Industry Conversation on the Future of Trust

Shin Baik emphasised how trust grows when AI behaves predictably and securely across devices, arguing that users need visible signals of control rather than “black box” systems. Samsung pointed to its partnerships with industry leaders such as Google and Microsoft as a way to strengthen shared security research, interoperability and ecosystem-wide protection, while Allie Miller highlighted the importance of transparency for users including clear visibility into where AI models run, how data is used and explicit labels that show what is powered by AI and what is not. Meanwhile, Zack Kass added that while misinformation and misuse of AI present real challenges, “For every risk, there is also a countermeasure and technology itself will play a critical role in mitigating AI’s downsides.”

Amy Webb evaluated the relationship between trust and the purchasing habits of consumers. “I don’t think they’re making decisions based on trust alone,” she said. “People aren’t paying for trust. They don’t buy things because of trust. They buy things because of convenience. So, if the AI piece of this hooks people in it makes their lives easier and more convenient.”

As AI becomes increasingly invisible, the panel concluded that the technologies that earn long-term trust will be those that prioritise security, transparency and meaningful user choice from the start.

▲ Visitors from around the world enter the exhibition.

The First Look 2026 by Samsung Electronics unveiled a forward-looking vision for AI under the theme “Your Companion to AI Living.” Held at Samsung’s dedicated space at Wynn Las Vegas, the exhibition guided visitors through how AI can enhance everyday enjoyment and convenience while supporting health and safety.

Samsung Newsroom explored the exhibition, highlighting the company’s evolving AI companion experiences across entertainment, home and care^[1].

AI Gallery Zone: An Artistic Welcome to AI Living

The AI Gallery zone welcomed visitors with iconic works from both Eastern and Western art, seamlessly integrated into the space. Featured pieces included Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhône”, along with selections from the Lee Kun-Hee Collection — donated to public institutions by the late Samsung chairman and available through Samsung Art Store — such as Jeong Seon’s “Clearing After Rain on Mount Inwang” and the Joseon Dynasty painting “Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks”.

Entertainment Companion Zone: Every Moment of Sight and Sound

▲ View of the Entertainment Companion zone

▲ Micro RGB 130”

The Entertainment Companion zone stood out as the exhibition’s largest area, featuring a variety of visual display and audio products. Excitement built as Samsung debuted the Micro RGB 130” TV, winner of the CES Innovation Awards 2026 Best of Innovation.

▲ Vision AI demonstration

Centred on the Micro RGB TV, the Vision AI showcase highlighted hands-free interaction. Through voice commands, visitors could look up match predictions, search for recipes or play music — demonstrating how the TV functions as an Entertainment Companion.

▲ Music Studio series

▲ Sound Tower

Beyond innovation, this year’s lineiup emphasised a refined design philosophy balancing simplicity and elegance. Highlights included the Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7, Wi-Fi speakers developed in collaboration with French designer Erwan Bouroullec; the AI Beauty Mirror for personalised beauty care; the Sound Tower with lighting optimised for sports viewing; and the Transparent Micro LED, reimagining the nostalgic charm of vinyl records as a floating visual audio device.

▲ Crowds gather in the gaming area.

▲ Odyssey 3D 32”

▲ Transparent Micro LED

▲ Spatial Signage

The zone concluded with Spatial Signage — an interactive display that animates visitors in real time — combining the clarity of 2D imagery with the depth of 3D expression.

Home Companion Zone: Less Housework, More Everyday Freedom

▲ View of the Home Companion zone

The Home Companion zone presented the evolution of Samsung’s home appliances — moving beyond reducing household chores toward eliminating them and pointing to a future with less housework.

▲ AI home appliance demonstration

At the entrance, three flagship Samsung AI home appliances — the Bespoke AI Refrigerator Family Hub 32”, Bespoke AI Laundry Combo washer-dryer and Bespoke AI Jet Bot Combo robot vacuum — demonstrated how cameras, screens and voice interaction work together to support daily life as an integrated Home Companion.

▲ Bespoke AI Refrigerator Family Hub

The home appliances highlighted smarter food management through AI Vision and hands-free control through voice recognition, offering greater freedom in the kitchen.

▲ North America kitchen package

A North America kitchen package, unveiled publicly for the first time at the exhibition, also drew attention from visitors.

▲ Bespoke AI AirDresser and Bespoke AI Laundry Combo

The exhibition showed that a zero-housework home is within reach, highlighting stronger connectivity among washing machines, dryers and garment care systems, alongside advances in the AI capabilities of robot vacuums.

Care Companion Zone: A Safer, Healthier Everyday Life

▲ View of the Care Companion zone

In the Care Companion zone, visitors saw how the latest Galaxy form factors — including the new Galaxy Z TriFold — connect mobile and wearable devices with home appliances to serve as a central hub for AI-powered living.

▲ Galaxy Z TriFold

The area demonstrated how Samsung Health is continuing to improve sleep environments by controlling air conditioners, air purifiers, lighting and sensors. A brain health training programme for users concerned with cognitive health was also showcased. Other features of the health platform include analysing health metrics through connected devices to help identify potential signs of chronic conditions, as well as exercise and sleep coaching and recipe recommendations based on ingredients in connected refrigerators.

▲ Sleep environment demonstration

Samsung further highlighted its Care Companion approach through a Pet Care system that helps identify potential health issues in companion animals and Home Care services, such as SmartThings Safe, that can request emergency assistance in critical situations.

▲ The Family Care section

▲ (From left) Jonathan Harvey and Maxence Fleury

“What impressed me was how everything is connected,” said Maxence Fleury, a digital content creator from Los Angeles. “The exhibition clearly showed how the ecosystem is expanding and the impact it is having.”

▲ Lucy Hedges

“Once again, Samsung didn’t disappoint,” said Lucy Hedges, host of The Travel Show on the BBC. “What I especially liked was how AI blends naturally into everyday life. These connected products ultimately make users’ lives easier and more comfortable.”

As a standalone exhibition, The First Look 2026 presented a more expansive and advanced range of AI products and experiences than ever before. Samsung’s vision of AI — as a trusted companion in everyday life — offers much to look forward to in the years ahead.

On 4 January, two days ahead of the opening of CES 2026, Samsung Electronics held The First Look 2026 press conference at Wynn Las Vegas. Hosted at Samsung’s dedicated exhibition space, the event drew attention from major international media outlets.

Under the theme “Your Companion to AI Living”, Samsung outlined its vision for bringing joy, convenience and care to people’s daily lives — unveiling new products and technologies designed to support that goal. The company also emphasised its commitment to democratising AI by integrating the technology across its product line-up and services.

Watch how Samsung is embedding AI into everyday life.

TM Roh, CEO and Head of Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) Division opening The First Look

TM Roh, CEO and Head of Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) Division, opened The First Look by describing the company’s AI philosophy and outlining how, due to its vast, AI-enabled, connected ecosystem, Samsung can provide users with a true AI companion experience in their daily life. This approach gives users a chance to access more than just the basics from their technology and instead, provides opportunities to find more meaningful moments everywhere.

“Samsung is building a more unified, more personal experience across mobile, visual display, home appliances and services^[1],” said TM Roh. “With our global connected ecosystem, and by embedding AI across categories, Samsung is leading the way to offer more meaningful everyday AI experiences.”

Entertainment Companion: Extending the Experience Beyond Simple Viewing

SW Yong, President and Head of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics, and Sukhmani Mohta, Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer, VD Business at Samsung Electronics America, took the stage to describe how Samsung’s displays are combining hardware excellence and visual intelligence to provide a true entertainment companion. Drawing from twenty years of TV innovation experience, Samsung has built a full AI TV line-up that provides an entirely new way for users to interact with their TVs.

SW Yong, President and Head of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics introducing Samsung 2026 Visual Display Line-up

The centre of the display line-up is the 130-inch Micro RGB, which represents a monumental leap in scale and picture quality. The 130-inch Micro RGB marks a new era of colour, featuring the widest and most detailed spectrum ever seen in Samsung TVs while its Timeless Frame design minimises distractions and allows the picture to take centre stage with understated elegance. A micro-sized RGB light source drives the unprecedented picture quality, with each microscopic red, green, and blue diode shining independently to produce colour in its purest, most natural form. Micro RGB AI Engine Pro enables precise control of RGB colours and creates overwhelmingly vivid picture quality in every scene.

Elevating this next-level viewing experience, Vision AI Companion (VAC)^[2] uses AI technology to work alongside users as a full entertainment companion to enhance viewing, dining and mood, anywhere in the home. With it, users can receive guidance on what to watch, what to eat, and what music to listen to, enhancing the overall TV experience in a way that extends far beyond simple viewing.

Samsung also offers intuitive modes to personalise the viewing experience. For soccer fans, AI Soccer Mode Pro delivers a more exciting gameday experience through AI-driven picture and sound tuning to stadium-level quality. AI Sound Controller Pro lets you raise or lower the volume of the crowd, commentary or background music, providing a personalised listening experience for TV shows and movies. Users can simply make verbal requests, and any TV equipped with VAC – which includes Micro LED, Micro RGB, OLED, Neo QLED, Mini LED and UHD TV – contextually carries out those requests.

Across different types of programming, VAC also boosts the overall lifestyle experience. It allows users to find recipes for meals they see on TV by simply asking and uses the most up-to-date information to make recommendations that align with health and fitness goals. VAC offers multi-device functionality, as well, sending recommended recipes directly to other devices like the newly-unveiled The Movingstyle, designed to move easily throughout the home and kitchen appliances, for a multi-device experience achieved through complete ecosystem integration.

Building on its legacy of advancements in soundbar technology, Samsung is introducing two new WiFi speakers, the Music Studio 5 and 7, to further expand its integrated ecosystem. These models support a wider range of sound system combinations, enhance audio-visual quality and improve the aesthetics of any space. Each model shares a timeless, dot design concept by renowned designer Erwan Bouroullec, inspired by a universal symbol in music and art and grounded in Samsung’s signature design language.

Samsung also unveiled a host of new products that blend beautifully with users’ homes and aesthetics.  The new, ultra-thin OLED S95H features a refined frame and a nearly invisible bezel that gives it art gallery elegance, and Samsung’s new portable projector, The Freestyle+, is powered by VAC and allows users to view content on walls and ceilings, as well as uneven surfaces like corners and curtains.

The 2026 TV line-up^[3] supports HDR10+ ADVANCED, delivering enhanced brightness, genre-based optimisation, intelligent motion smoothing, advanced local tone mapping and improved gaming experience.

As HDR10+ adoption grows among major OTT providers, Samsung will be the first to launch HDR10+ ADVANCED in its 2026 TV line-up. Samsung also features Eclipsa Audio, the company’s new spatial sound system, introduced across all 2026 TVs.

Samsung also unveiled its most advanced Odyssey gaming monitor line-up yet, introducing five new models that push the boundaries of resolution, refresh rate, and immersive visual performance. Led by Samsung’s first 6K 3D Odyssey G9, the 2026 line-up debuts world-first display technologies for gamers and creators, including the next-generation Odyssey G6 and three new Odyssey G8 models.

At the centre of all these display innovations is the most powerful Tizen OS yet. Users can now enjoy seven years of Tizen OS upgrades, ensuring that TVs continue to evolve long after they have entered the home.

Home Companion: Connected Smart Appliances That Guide You Through Your Day

Cheolgi Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Appliances (DA) Division at Samsung Electronics, and Elizabeth Anderson, Head of Integrated Marketing, DA at Samsung Electronics America (SEA) outlined Samsung’s vision to evolve from providing home appliances to true home companions that work to eliminate the stress of daily chores. Kim also announced that as of December 2025, SmartThings now serves more than 430 million users, empowering Samsung with a significant scale and depth of insight.

Cheolgi Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Appliances (DA) Division at Samsung Electronics introducing Samsung 2026 Digital Appliances Line-up

This insight comes to life with the Family Hub. The AI-enabled refrigerator is the centrepiece of the home and now, with an upgrade to AI Vision built with Google Gemini^[4], it redefines living for an AI future. With this update, AI Vision unlocks existing limitations in recognising food items, seamlessly tracking what is placed into and taken out of the refrigerator, making meal planning and food management simpler than ever^[5]. The Family Hub has won 10 CES Innovation Awards so far, and Samsung’s AI-enabled fridges have received the award for the past three years.

Through a gamified feature called “What’s for Today?”^[6], Samsung’s refrigerators provide recipe recommendations based on what is in the refrigerator or also random recommendations, reducing the stress caused by choosing what to cook. When selected, recipes show up through SmartThings Food, where users receive a step-by-step guide to help them get started instantly. The selected recipe can also be sent to connected cooking appliances to begin the process seamlessly. Video to Recipe^[6] adds even more simplicity, providing users with recommended cooking videos and converting those videos into easy-to-follow steps, allowing users to follow along while they cook without pausing the video or backtracking.

Samsung also unveiled FoodNote^[6], a new, weekly report that recaps users’ food intake patterns, from most-used ingredients and recipe recommendations, and which items it’s time to restock. Additionally, Now Brief^[7] includes more widgets on the Family Hub screen and with Voice ID^[8], can distinguish between family members and display content relevant to each individual. Ultimately, these features come together to provide various helpful insights and information throughout the week.

In the laundry room, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo removes the need to transfer loads of laundry, solving a major pain point for households. This year’s model comes with enhanced features, like a faster super speed cycle and enhanced drying performance. Moreover, Samsung’s new Bespoke AI AirDresser is here to solve another common problem with your clothes. It features Auto Wrinkle Care, which blasts strong air and steam jets to smooth out shirts. All users have to do is hang their shirt and wait, reducing the burden in busy mornings.

Around the house, the Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra, powered by a Qualcomm Dragonwing processor, features an Active Stereo 3D Sensor to recognise liquids^[9] like coffee, juice, or even transparent liquids like water. While its camera helps with navigation, it also allows the robot vacuum to serve as a monitoring device for when users are away from home, notifying them about their pets and whether there is any suspicious activity^[10]. Plus, with a smarter Bixby^[11], users can speak conversationally to their robot vacuum to carry out tasks with ease. For the deep level of connectivity and integration that forms the backbone of a holistic, AI-powered experience, Samsung’s Bespoke AI appliances have received a CES Innovation Award.

Additional benefits include a first-of-its-kind partnership with Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) to help unlock real, meaningful savings to the smart home experience. HSB President and CEO Greg M. Barats joined the presentation to discuss the partnership, explaining the potential benefits of having smart appliances connected to SmartThings to reduce insurance premiums. This is the best of the AI era – increased protections and reduced costs for users. After a successful pilot run in the U.S. in 2025, the collaboration is expanding to more states across the U.S., as well as to leading home insurance carriers in other global regions.

Care Companion: Shifting From Reactive to Proactive Care

Finally, Praveen Raja, Vice President and Head of Digital Health at Samsung Research America (SRA), introduced Samsung’s long-term vision for intelligent care enabled by Samsung’s integrated device ecosystem, redefining care from a reactive need to a proactive opportunity. With AI, phones, appliances, wearables, and other connected devices will help users prevent potential health concerns before they occur.

For example, Samsung aims to provide personalised health coaching, offering effective exercise and sleep coaching to help decrease risk for major chronic diseases and also suggesting appropriate recipes based on ingredients available in connected refrigerators. Additionally, if any abnormal signs or patterns are detected, it will alert users while allowing their health metrics to be shared with providers via the Xealth platform and facilitating virtual professional consultations.

Recognising the importance of preventative health, Samsung is also expanding its capabilities in dementia detection through research partnerships, with wearable devices registering subtle changes to mobility, speech and engagement that can be indicative of long-term cognitive changes.

Samsung Knox and Knox Matrix serve as the foundation of this hyper-personalised ecosystem, safeguarding user data at every turn. As AI is constantly evolving, so are Knox and Knox Matrix. To maintain security despite constant changes, Samsung’s security systems are consistently identifying AI risks by advancing to protect data in AI training processes and approving models through red team analysis.

The Samsung Exhibition Zone at CES is available to the public from 4 January until 7 January. For more information, visit the Samsung Newsroom.

Consumers can register their interest now to receive exclusive vouchers on Samsung’s latest 2026 TVs, soundbars, monitors, home appliances and selected Galaxy devices^[12].

_{^[1] This article contains products, features and services that have not yet been launched in-market. The plans, timelines and specifications described are forward-looking and subject to change without notice. Their future availability in markets not explicitly mentioned is not guaranteed.}

_{^[2] Feature available in certain regions and models. Availability and supported features may vary by region and watching conditions. Voice commands recognise English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian and Korean, but not all accents, dialects and expressions are recognised. This feature provides AI-created content, with accuracy not guaranteed, so results should be confirmed. Requires a specific Bluetooth remote (TM2660H/TM2661H) (sold separately on some models). In-box remote for some models (M70H/U800H) does not support voice recognition. Requires either a Mobile Quick Remote or separately purchased Bluetooth remote. Feature accessible with the AI button or the Home button (via long press) on remote controls without an AI button.}

_{^[3] HDR10+ ADVANCED will be available on the following models: QN990H, R95H, S95H, S90H, R90H, S85H, LS03HW, LS03H, and QN80H.}

_{^[4] Google Gemini is provided by Google LLC. Service availability, supported functions, and accuracy may vary by country, language, device model, and OS/One UI version. Users must be 18 or older. Some functions may require additional app settings, and features or results may vary by subscription.}

_{^[5] AI Vision refers to the refrigerator’s internal camera and AI-based processing that helps recognise food items. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. If a food item is not recognisable, it may be listed as an unknown item. AI Vision cannot identify or list any food items in the freezer. Recognition uses AI models that may be updated periodically to help improve performance. The user may need to manually check and adjust the list to ensure its accuracy. A red light turns on when the camera is operating. The user’s appearance may be captured, but areas other than the food item are automatically blurred.}

_{^[6] A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung Account are required}

_{^[7] A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung, Google, or Microsoft account may be required. You must use the same log-in account on each of the devices. Availability of certain apps may vary by country, region, service provider, network environment, or device, and may change without notice.}

_{^[8] Each user must register for a Samsung Account on screen appliances in advance. Up to six accounts can be registered on a single device. To use Voice ID, users must have agreed to the Bixby terms and conditions. Voice ID registration is available on select appliances, TVs and mobiles, and only one voice can be registered per account.}

_{^[9] A liquid spill is defined as a coloured or transparent liquid, such as water or juice, having a size of 7cm x 7cm (15 ml in volume) or larger. Identification may be affected by the size of the liquid or the environmental conditions of the floor, such as the floor pattern, colour of the floor, direct or reflected light, or shape of the liquid. Excessive amount of liquid on the floor may cause secondary contamination.}

_{^[10] Must download the SmartThings app available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung Account are required. Only cats and dogs can be recognised. The recognition capabilities may be limited by the posture or position of a pet. The ability to recognise your pet may vary depending on the type of animal and the living environment. It only recognises a pet presence based on generic visual indicators, and cannot identify individual pets. Each appliance needs to be set to be optimised for pets by the SmartThings App.}

_{^[11] Bixby is Samsung’s brand of Internet of Things (IoT) voice assistant. Bixby service availability may vary depending on the country. Bixby recognises selected languages and certain accents/dialects, including Korean, English (US/GB/IN), Spanish (MX/ES), German, French, Italian, and Portuguese (BR). The user interface may change and differ by device. The availability of Bixby features and content providers may vary depending on the country/carrier/language/device model/OS version. A Samsung Account log-in and data network connection (Wi-Fi or data network) are required.}

_{^[12] Vouchers in respect of TVs, soundbars, monitors and home appliances will be sent to registrants within 48 hours of registration; Vouchers in respect of Galaxy devices will be sent to registrants in a separate email between 23 January to 26 January 2026. Samsung reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions and/or amend or withdraw this Promotion at any time without prior notice and without assigning any reasons.}

Samsung Electronics will host The First Look on 5 January at 11:00 AM SGT in the Latour Ballroom at the Wynn Las Vegas. At the event – set to take place two days before the opening of CES 2026, the world’s largest IT and consumer electronics show – the company will unveil its vision for the DX (Device eXperience) Division in 2026, along with new AI-driven customer experiences.

TM Roh, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division, will be the keynote speaker for The First Look. SW Yong, President and Head of the Visual Display (VD) Business, and Cheolgi Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Appliances (DA) Business, will also appear on stage to share their respective business directions for the upcoming year.

The event will be streamed live on Samsung Newsroom, Samsung Electronics’ official YouTube channel and as well as Samsung TV Plus, the company’s FAST(free, ad-supported TV streaming) service. Additional Samsung events and exhibitions will take place at the company’s exclusive exhibition at the Wynn Las Vegas through January 7.

Heart and brain health are two key areas of global healthcare innovation, where our groundbreaking advancements are shaping the future of preventative care.

Our wearable technology will soon enable early detection and monitoring of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD), a serious cardiovascular condition responsible for approximately 50% of all heart failure cases^[1] and is more fatal than some cancers. Similarly, we are advancing brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies by overcoming the limitations of bulky devices to unlock immense potential in mental health management and productivity.

World-First LVSD Detection

Heart failure stands out as one of the most fatal cardiovascular diseases, with a 5-year survival rate of only 50% following diagnosis.^[1] As a result, early detection of LVSD is critical, as timely diagnosis along with medication and lifestyle adjustments, can significantly reduce hospitalisation and lower the risk of death.

Samsung has overcome this limitation by introducing Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that have been developed in collaboration with Medical AI, a leading Korean medical device company specialising in AI-based ECG technology. These algorithms have been developed based on Medical AI’s in-house algorithm for the 12-lead ECG analysis, which is already deployed across over 100 major hospitals in Korea and used for over 120,000 patients on a monthly basis^[1], bringing clinically proven, real-word reliability that led to securing regulatory approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as the first smart watch to gain LVSD detection capabilities.

This technology not only enables early screening for asymptomatic individuals but also aims to reduce the surging healthcare costs associated with heart failure by promoting early diagnosis and timely treatment^[2]. Furthermore, this product aligns with global healthcare priorities, including personalised patient care, proactive health management, lowering healthcare burdens, and advancing the application of AI in medicine.

Advancing Brain-Computer Interface Technology in a Wearable

Our commitment to collaboration extends beyond heart health innovation. Much like the groundbreaking work with Medical AI on LVSD detection, we recently partnered with Hanyang University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering to develop an around-the-ear electroencephalogram (EEG) prototype device, advancing BCI technology with unmatched wearability and precision.

Engineered to overcome limitations of traditional EEG systems, the Ear-EEG offers a sleek, ergonomic design that allows seamless brainwave monitoring outside laboratory settings. Designed to capture high-quality signals with strategically placed electrodes around the ear, the research prototype delivered strong real-world application potential:

• Drowsiness Detection: It accurately detected the onset of drowsiness in real-time, showcasing its potential to enhance learning efficiency and support focus in education and beyond.
• Video Preference Analysis: Using AI to analyse brainwaves, the device identified participants’ personal video preferences with 92.86% accuracy, pointing to potential applications in neuromarketing and entertainment.

This research was recently featured in the Volume 25, Issue 18 of the IEEE Sensors Journal, where it was selected as the sole feature article, further solidifying Samsung’s leadership in wearable sensor innovation.

“This study is a prime example of academia-industry collaboration being recognised internationally for its scholarly significance,” said Professor Chang-Hwan Im of Hanyang University. “The technology we developed is not limited to education and marketing but has the potential to expand into diverse fields such as entertainment and mental health management.”

Collaborating for a Smarter, Healthier Future

Through relentless focus on innovation, rigorous research, and ongoing partnerships with world-class experts and institutions, Samsung is redefining the future of healthcare by delivering technologies that are personalised, connected, and more accessible than ever.

Looking ahead, Samsung is poised to redefine the future of healthcare by delivering technologies that are personalised, connected, and accessible to everyone. Through relentless innovation and strategic collaboration, Samsung continues to simplify the wellness journey, offering users the tools they need to proactively manage their health and embrace smarter, healthier lifestyles. This commitment ensures that Samsung’s solutions not only meet the needs of today’s users but also push the boundaries of what’s possible in tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.

^{[1] The views and statements expressed in this article are based on available information and do not necessarily represent verified facts or the official position of Samsung.}

^{[2] Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.}

Samsung’s Antioxidant Index on Galaxy Watch8 transforms what once seemed like science fiction into everyday technology. In five seconds, a thumb scan returns carotenoid levels – the industry’s first measurable nutrition index.^[1]

By miniaturising lab-grade sensor technology, the feature turns your diet into an actionable metric for healthier aging. Establishing this new benchmark in wearable health tracking required years of intensive R&D, countless prototypes and unwavering grit.

Breaking New Ground in Nutrition Tracking

Back in 2018, Samsung saw a critical gap in wearables: we could count steps and calories, yet there was no simple way to measure how our diet impacted our health. Deeper nutritional insights were locked behind expensive and time-consuming lab tests, out of reach for many people.

As people live longer, the focus is shifting from simply increasing lifespan to improving the quality of those additional years.

“In this context, antioxidation naturally gains attention as a method to slow down aging,” explains Dr. Hyojee Joung, a Seoul National University public health nutrition expert who guided parts of the tech’s development. “If antioxidant management is neglected, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) accumulate in the body, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.”

This realisation made antioxidants the cornerstone of Samsung’s mission. Engineers and scientists focused on carotenoids – key antioxidants and proven indicators of fruit and vegetable intake – to create a device small enough to sit on your wrist, yet powerful enough to turn complex antioxidant data into simple, actionable health insights for everyone.

The first prototype of the spectroscopy-based antioxidant sensor

A clinical-ready version of the sensor

A prototype designed for use in skincare products

Challenge #1: How to Shrink the Lab-Grade Sensor Technology

From day one, the dream of a nutrition-tracking wearable hit an immediate snag: traditional methods for measuring carotenoid levels like Raman spectroscopy are laser-based, non-invasive and precise, but rely on bulky machines that are far from wearable. So, the team’s first mission was to shrink the lab-grade tech into a coin-sized sensor.

After seven years of rigorous testing and optimising since the first prototype, the team developed the miniaturised sensor, a groundbreaking tech that combines multi-wavelength LEDs with a custom photodetector array to provide carotenoid readings in a compact design.

“Our breakthrough was integrating reflectance spectroscopy with LEDs, which allowed us to miniaturise the technology while maintaining a high level of accuracy,” explains Jinyoung Park, a developer from Digital Health Team at Samsung Electronics.

Antioxidant sensor LED-PD sensor modules

Unlike lasers, which emit a sharp, narrow wavelength, LEDs emit a broader wavelength range. By analysing how much light is absorbed by the skin at multiple wavelengths through photodiodes,^[2] the watch estimates carotenoid levels with impressive accuracy. The advanced algorithms that continuously calibrate in real-time also support precision while delivering personalised insights to each user.

The LED-PD Watch prototype testbed

Challenge #2: How to Ensure the Tech Reaches Everyone

Creating a coin-sized carotenoid sensor was a major milestone, but the next challenge was ensuring it could work accurately and reliably across diverse skin types, making it truly accessible to everyone.

To overcome challenges like melanin interference in darker skin tones, Samsung’s engineers opted to use the fingertip for measurements since it has the least melanin across all ethnic groups. They also added simple tweaks, like light fingertip pressure during scans, which helps temporarily reduce blood flow and hemoglobin interference, making the results more accurate.

Extensive trials conducted at Samsung Medical Centre, included hundreds of participants, validating the sensor’s performance. This paved the way for a feature that seamlessly transitioned from the lab to users worldwide, offering an inclusive solution designed for everyday life.

How It Works

Carotenoids are the natural red, yellow, and green pigments found in fruits and vegetables. Since our bodies can’t produce carotenoids on their own, the levels stored in the body offer a clear snapshot of how much fruit and vegetables someone has been eating.

This is where your Antioxidant Index score comes in, reflecting your carotenoid levels based on these categories:

• Very low: Less than 50% of the daily WHO recommendation of 400g per day.
• Low: Between 50%–100%.
• Optimal: 100% or more.

“Skin carotenoids metabolise and accumulatein tissues gradually, so short-term changes in fruit and vegetable intake won’t immediately appear in the score,” explains Dr. Hyojee Joung. “Our research shows that increased carotenoid intake leads to a meaningful rise in skin carotenoid levels after about one to two weeks, making the Index a valuable tool for tracking consistent, long-term dietary habits.”

Lifestyle factors like sleep quality, stress levels, and physical activity also influence the Index, making it a well-rounded indicator of overall health. Paired with other Galaxy Watch8 features like sleep coaching, activity tracking and Vascular Load monitoring, the Antioxidant Index offers a holistic view of your well-being, empowering smarter decisions for healthier aging. ^[1]

The Antioxidant index feature measures carotenoid levels in seconds with the sensor on the back of the Galaxy Watch8 and provides additional nutritional insights on paired Galaxy smartphones.

Your Health, Reimagined

“New wearable sensors can play a role in helping people build healthy eating habits by tracking and encouraging sufficient daily intake of fruits and vegetables,” says Professor Yoonho Choi from Samsung Medical Centre. “Over time, this simple practice can help prevent some cancers and other age-related diseases, making it a very effective way to support long-term health.”

Antioxidants are an emerging area of focus, but research has been limited due to the challenges of accurate measurement. Galaxy Watch8’s Antioxidant Index goes beyond current industry developments and delivers meaningful innovation.

Samsung’s ability to measure antioxidant levels with precision, acknowledged by experts as a benchmark for future research, represents a breakthrough in health monitoring. By helping users identify risks early and take proactive steps towards better health, Samsung is paving the way for a smarter, more proactive approach to wellness and redefining the role of wearables in preventative healthcare.

^{[1] The Galaxy Watch 8 series is not a medical/therapeutic device. It solely intended for fitness and wellness purposes only and is not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition. The result is for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.}

^{[2] Photodiodes are semiconductor devices that convert light into electrical signals.}

The signing ceremony was held at Samsung’s corporate headquarters in Seoul, Korea, attended by Young Hyun Jun, Vice Chairman & CEO of Samsung Electronics; Sung-an Choi, Vice Chairman & CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries; Sechul Oh, President & CEO of Samsung C&T; and Junehee Lee, President & CEO of Samsung SDS.

Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics will work with OpenAI as a strategic memory partner to supply advanced semiconductor solutions for OpenAI’s global Stargate initiative. With OpenAI’s memory demand projected to reach up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month, Samsung will contribute toward meeting this need with its extensive lineup of high-performance, energy-efficient DRAM solutions.

As a comprehensive semiconductor solutions provider, Samsung’s leading technologies span across memory, logic and foundry with a diverse product portfolio that supports the full AI workflow from training to inference.

The company also brings differentiated capabilities in advanced chip packaging and heterogeneous integration between memory and system semiconductors, enabling it to provide unique solutions for OpenAI.

Samsung SDS

Samsung SDS has entered into a potential partnership with OpenAI to jointly develop AI data centers and provide enterprise AI services.

Leveraging its expertise in advanced data center technologies, Samsung SDS will collaborate with OpenAI in the design, development and operation of the Stargate AI data centers. Under the LOI, Samsung SDS can now provide consulting, deployment and management services for businesses seeking to integrate OpenAI’s AI models into their internal systems.

In addition, Samsung SDS has signed a reseller partnership for OpenAI’s services in Korea and plans to support local companies in adopting OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise offerings.

Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries

Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries will collaborate with OpenAI to advance global AI data centers, with a particular focus on the joint development of floating data centers.

Floating data centers are considered to have advantages over data centers because they can address land scarcity, lower cooling costs and reduce carbon emissions. Still, their technical complexity has so far limited wider deployment.

Building on their proprietary technologies, Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries will also explore opportunities to pursue projects in floating power plants and control centers, in addition to floating data center infrastructure.

Starting with the landmark partnership with OpenAI, Samsung plans to fully support Korea’s goals to become one of the world’s top three nations in AI and create new opportunities in the field.

Samsung is also exploring broader adoption of ChatGPT within the companies to facilitate AI transformation in the workplace.