This past year, new technologies continued to reshape the way we live. Our collaboration with trusted industry partners allowed us to drive seamless experiences that offer more personalisation and versatility than ever. As we enter this new era of agile transformation, I believe that open ecosystems are the only way to accelerate innovation and give people more freedom to create their own experiences that are best for their lifestyles.

Samsung Electronics is poised and ready to unveil visionary, purposeful mobile technology for a better world. In a few weeks, we will unleash our latest and greatest Galaxy Z series to reshape the smartphone category and completely reimagine your experiences.

Life Opens Up with Galaxy 

Today, the world needs flexible technologies that give people room to explore. At Samsung, people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re constantly listening to you to ensure that any new device and experience we create really brings meaningful innovations. We want to enrich everyone’s life, not just the lives of a select few. From epic cameras and vivid, immersive viewing experiences to long-lasting batteries and strong security, we’re focusing on what really matters to you.

As we explore new ways to empower you, we often venture into uncharted territory. That’s how we ended up creating a brand-new category with the launch of the Galaxy Fold. And we didn’t stop there. We kept improving the category with our second generation of foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold2 and the Galaxy Z Flip, with more screen and more of the features you now know and love. I’m excited to say our third generation of foldable devices will open up amazing new multitasking capabilities and enhanced durability for even more people around the world.  

Samsung is Bringing More People into the Fold

This will be especially important as the world leap frogs into new frontiers of connectivity that demand open ecosystems and reliable mobile experiences. At Samsung, “open” and “secure” are never mutually exclusive. In fact, our collaborations with trusted industry leaders like Google and Microsoft are why we are able to deliver mobile technology that is secure and optimised for today’s rapidly evolving and interconnected world. We constantly work with key partners to create cutting-edge security solutions that keep your devices and data safe every step of the way. This allows us to give you even more control over your apps, data and privacy, so you can curate your own experience — with total peace of mind.

Collaboration enables us to build mobile experiences that make your life easier and better. It fueled the development of a new unified wearable platform, which we built jointly with Google. On top of your favourite Galaxy apps like Samsung Health and SmartThings, there will be so many others in the new Google Play Store. Furthermore, our One UI Watch user interface is deeply integrated with our other Galaxy devices and provides consistent connectivity between your Galaxy Watch and Galaxy smartphone.

We are also working with Google to enrich our foldable ecosystems with popular apps and services. For our third generation of Galaxy Z phones, we have lined up even more partner apps that make the most of the versatile fold-out format. From hands-free optimised video calling with Google Duo and watching videos in Flex mode on YouTube to multitasking in Microsoft Teams, our foldable ecosystem will offer a wealth of seamless and optimised experiences.  

A New Chapter in Smartphone Innovation Is Here

The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold combines the very best that smartphones and tablets offer and delivers completely new ways of working, connecting and creating, while the upcoming Z Flip exhibits an even more refined style, armed with more durable, stronger materials. I firmly believe these devices will answer the call for the versatile mobile technology we need as we navigate the open road ahead.

We are out to set new heights and open up a whole new world of exciting experiences for even more people. I hope you’ll join us as we debut our next Galaxy Z family and share some foldable surprises — including the first-ever S Pen designed specifically for foldable phones. Instead of unveiling a new Galaxy Note this time around, we will further broaden beloved Note features to more Samsung Galaxy devices. In the meantime, mark your calendars and tune in to our Unpacked event on August 11 to see what unfolds.

Ever since I was young, I’ve been captivated by engineering and technology — enthralled by new gadgets and curious about what made them work. I didn’t think I could be more obsessed with technology, but 2020 proved me wrong. This year gave me an even greater appreciation for all that it does and can potentially do. We had to reshape our lives, rethink the way we operate and become more flexible — and technology made it possible for us to do so. 2020 bolstered my determination to fully tap the infinite power and potential of tech to give people personalised experiences that enrich their lives and allow them to express themselves.

As we close out this year and I think of what’s to come in 2021, I feel encouraged by all the ways Samsung is cultivating open collaboration and driving innovation forward to empower people on their personal journeys. We have never believed in a one-size-fits-all mobile experience and we never will. We led the charge with 5G and changed the shape of the future with a series of foldable smartphones. Now, we’re working on revolutionary advancements in 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) that will redefine the parameters of what mobile can do and give consumers the freedom to tailor their mobile experiences to fit their lives — not the other way around.

2020 Highlights

This year, Samsung stayed true to its mission and forged new paths for landmark technology that will shape the next era of mobile innovation. Our vision of intelligent, connected devices with mobile phones at the centre has become a reality. 2020 saw 5G — a technology Samsung has been pioneering for more than a decade — move into the limelight. Over the course of the last 10 years, Samsung laid the groundwork for the fifth generation of cellular technology by helping to build the global 5G infrastructure. And in 2019, we released the world’s first commercial 5G smartphone and tablet: The Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Tab S6 5G. Samsung has been pushing to democratise 5G ever since. We are closing out the year with twenty 5G devices in the Galaxy ecosystem.

There was also growing momentum behind foldable smartphones, a category we launched commercially with the Galaxy Fold in 2019 and advanced with the release of Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold2 in 2020. Through our longstanding industry-leading partnerships, we established an open ecosystem for foldable devices and fostered UX innovation that enabled us to create an enhanced user experience with optimised app interactions and displays. The Z Fold2 was praised as a smartphone that reimagines what’s possible with mobile technology and I’m excited to say, it’s just a hint of what’s to come as we continue to explore, evolve and expand this category-changing space.

We also made headway in our efforts to make the world a better, more sustainable place. In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), we promoted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals on more than 80 million smartphones, mobilising and empowering the Galaxy community via our Samsung Global Goals app. And we continue to take dedicated action throughout our product lifecycle to help the world transition to a circular economy — by extending product longevity, making greater use of sustainable materials in our packaging, and creating environmentally conscious products and accessories.

Mobile Innovations to Watch in 2021

I’m thrilled with what Samsung accomplished this year, but as passionate pioneers committed to defying barriers to progress, we’re always thinking about what’s next. Our smartphones are truly becoming extensions of ourselves, and with so many people working remotely and spending more time entertaining themselves at home, video quality and capabilities on mobile devices have moved front and centre.

From teleworking and virtual celebrations to gaming and online dance challenges, the world is creating, sharing and streaming more video than ever. Whether you prefer to edit footage like a pro or just want intelligent, multitasking lenses to do the heavy lifting for you, the Samsung Galaxy will be more than ready to meet the demands of the video-obsessed in 2021. When it comes to advancement in this space, it’s going to be an epic new year.

Our engineers and developers have also been working hard to expand highly advanced on-device AI capabilities within the Galaxy family, enabling our devices to continually learn from daily activities and routines to take better pictures and videos, maximise battery life and storage space, optimise displays and much more. We’re planning to expand these personalised capabilities to every facet of Galaxy’s product portfolio to empower people to be productive and do all the things they enjoy.

And because we live in an interconnected world that requires interconnected devices, Samsung continues to vigorously support open source research and collaboration. It’s how we evolve new capabilities that can be deployed across devices, applications and services to enable more people to benefit from all that technology has to offer. Thanks to the open ecosystems we’ve created working in tandem with other like-minded industry leaders, we’re developing connected, compatible innovation that will take us into an exciting new era of integrated mobile experiences.

We’ve already advanced breakthrough technologies like ultra-wideband (UWB) through ongoing open collaboration with key partners. And soon, we’ll be rolling out incredible connectivity capabilities that will transform the way you open doors and enable seamlessly integrated car experiences that make personalised car connectivity a part of your digital life. We’re also making it easier to quickly locate the things that matter most, from your keys to your wallet — even your family pet.

As we introduce new and exciting innovations, our number-one goal is and will always be to create experiences that people can trust, knowing we’ll treat their data with the utmost care and keep their personal information safe every step of the way. These new devices will offer incredible personalised mobile experiences and will be built with security and privacy top of mind.

The Samsung Promise

We believe everyone should have access to the latest mobile technologies and a spectrum of product options that offer unfettered, personalised experiences. In 2021, our diverse product portfolio will deliver breakthrough capabilities that empower you and never hold you back.

True to our heritage of staying ahead of the curve with trailblazing mobile tech, we’ll be expanding our portfolio of foldables, so this groundbreaking category is more accessible to everyone. And while we’re already known for our revolutionary cameras, we’ll never stop trying to outdo ourselves — so be on the lookout for super-intelligent, pro-grade camera and video capabilities in 2021. We’ve also been paying attention to people’s favourite aspects of the Galaxy Note experience and are excited to add some of its most well-loved features to other devices in our lineup.

Limitations and boundaries are for other brands. At Samsung, we relentlessly test the existing rules because we know the margins for what technology can do are confined only by the scope of our imagination — and ours knows no bounds.

Thank you to everyone who supported us in 2020. I look forward to sharing more in January!

Since I took over the reins at Samsung Mobile six months ago, so much has changed. What was once ordinary now feels extraordinary – whether you’re visiting a friend or going out for a meal.

I consider this new era as the “Next Normal” and technology – especially mobile technology – has a critical role in it. In just a few months, we’ve seen our lives change in unimaginable ways. Distance learning, at-home fitness, online concerts, and so much more have all been enabled by mobile technology.

As leaders of the tech industry, we have a special responsibility – and now a true sense of urgency – to help society continue to move forward. So many people are counting on us to give them new ways to communicate, new ways to work, and new ways to connect.

At this summer’s Galaxy Unpacked, we’ll be introducing five new power devices. These devices deliver on our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go. They combine power with seamless functionality, whether you’re at work or play, at home or away. In the Next Normal, you will be empowered to live life to the fullest with these devices in your hand (and in your ears, and on your wrist.)

As I chart Samsung Mobile’s future, I’d like to share three strategic priorities I’ve been focusing on. They’re bold and forward-leaning, but that’s what Samsung has always been about. Instead of playing it safe, we take risks and move fast. Instead of waiting for others, we set the direction for the rest of the industry. Even in these difficult times, I know that these pillars will keep our focus squarely where it needs to be: on our customers.

Meaningful Innovations

At Samsung, we create every innovation with a clear purpose: to make your life better and easier. At a time when the pandemic has imposed so many boundaries on all of us, technology is a bridge to a bigger world. Mobile devices have become the only way for many people to work from home and stay connected – they’ve become a true lifeline.

In the last six months, we’ve super-charged our product line and invested heavily in R&D. We’ve deployed new solutions in record time, to do everything from improving video-chat technology to helping frontline workers stay safe on the job.

This Next Normal will be a period of even bolder innovation. We’ll make mobile technology that’s more personal, intelligent, useful, and secure. We’ll develop more ground-breaking products, like our industry-leading foldable phones. And as we roll out a wide range of Galaxy 5G devices in more markets, this technology will enable so many experiences we can’t even imagine yet.

From foldables to 5G, we have a tremendous amount in the pipeline, with some ready to be shown just around the corner. But I’m also excited about how people will use these technologies to change their lives. Because only then, will meaningful innovation be realised.

Open Collaboration

The power of the group is stronger than going it alone. The last few months have proved the truth of that saying many times over. The stories of so many people coming together to help each other are incredibly uplifting, and demonstrate that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s given me a newfound appreciation of the power of Samsung’s vast partner network. We’ve always believed that we should work together, to create new experiences for our customers.

Think about our collaboration with Google, Microsoft, and Spotify, to name a few. We worked with Google to optimise video-calling[1] so users could more easily connect. We also expanded our partnership with Microsoft so Galaxy smartphones and Windows PCs can share messages, photos, and calendar reminders in real-time[2]. This collaboration will only continue to expand through our gaming partnership with Xbox.

We also believe in the power of partnerships because we want everyone – including start-ups, developers, and our local communities – to have a chance to achieve their dreams. The Samsung C-Lab start-up incubation program and Samsung NEXT are just a few ways we help entrepreneurs inside and outside of our company build, grow, and scale.

At Samsung, we’ll continue to bring the best ideas to market – no matter where they come from. After all, we are truly stronger together.

Operational Agility

In our fast-changing world, agility is crucial. The breakneck pace of change dictated by our new reality has driven home the need for operational agility: the ability to prioritise resources and be efficient today, while anticipating trends and acting decisively for tomorrow. The pandemic posed a stiff test. It meant transforming quickly to take care of our local communities, partners and employees, while still building resilience for future operations.

This agility is also what has enabled us to bring to life the powerful devices, and their connected experiences, which we will be introducing at Galaxy Unpacked. We saw that people wanted – and needed – devices optimised for work, play, and multi-tasking for a diverse range of lifestyles. Our commitment to innovation, coupled with our operational agility, meant we could completely reimagine the mobile experience.

Operational agility has also led to fundamental changes in how we deliver a mobile experience you can trust. Because protecting customers is our number one priority, we incorporate security across every single layer of your device, from the chip all the way up to the apps. Today we are proud that our industry-leading, defense-grade Knox security platform protects more than a billion customers around the world.

The Future of Mobile Innovation

In summary, these three strategic priorities will guide Samsung Mobile through the Next Normal and beyond. They’ll allow us to constantly reinvent ourselves to realise our vision of delivering new and innovative mobile experiences to more and more people across the globe.

We’ll continue to expand the Galaxy ecosystem and deliver experiences that help you do more with less so that you can focus on what really matters. Ultimately, it’s about putting you at the center of the Galaxy experience so you can live life to the absolute fullest.

You will be able to see for yourself what we have in store for you next at Galaxy Unpacked on August 5^th. For the first time, we will be broadcasting live from South Korea – it’s going to be an exciting virtual experience. We look forward to sharing it with you!

[1] Through Google Duo on Galaxy devices.

[2] Through the Link to Windows and Your Phone app