Samsung Celebrates Best of Galaxy Store Awards at SDC 2019

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 04 November 2019 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung celebrated app developers and designers at SDC 2019 today, announcing its Best of Galaxy Store Awards 2019 selections – an annual list of what they consider to be the best content available in the Galaxy Store.

The Best of Galaxy Store awards launched in 2018 when the company recognized five winners for the best App, Game, Theme, Galaxy Watch App and Galaxy Watch Face.

Cambridge Mokanyane, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung South Africa, says, “Samsung is all about innovation, especially innovation that celebrates and enhances the way people go about their daily lives – there are so many inspirational developers and designers out there and it is such a privilege to be able to honour their work.”

Samsung expanded the awards this year, recognizing 25 developers and designers of games, apps, watch faces, and smartphone themes. The award celebrates both the top performing apps of the year and those who best embrace the Samsung spirit of innovation, quality, and creativity.

Best of Galaxy Store Awards winners were invited to SDC to participate in the Best of Galaxy Store Awards Ceremony, where they received their Best of Galaxy Store 2019 Award. Winners also received a Best of Galaxy Store Award 2019 banner, featuring on the Galaxy Store as well as other benefits.

This year saw the Galaxy Store get a makeover, bringing with it a new look and a rebrand along with a number of improvements and new features. Better personalized recommendations, enhanced search capability, and integration with Samsung Rewards give users a much better experience. But perhaps the most exciting new feature are the editorial pages to more effectively promote the content and apps available in the Galaxy Store to more than 400 million monthly active users around the world.

“We believe the hardworking and dedicated community of developers are the heart of the Galaxy Store,” said Chris Jo, VP & GM, Head of Store Mgmt., Biz Dev & Biz Operations. “Over the last few years the store has made some incredible strides forward and our developers have contributed to this success. Therefore, we wanted to both recognize and reward the best work that this community has to offer.”

Here are some of the winners from the Best of Galaxy Store 2019.

Best Racing Game 2019: Asphalt 9: Legends

Put the pedal to the metal and race the streets in the latest edition of Gameloft’s blockbuster racing game, Asphalt 9: Legends. Gamers can pick their dream car from a roster of cars based on real vehicles from the world’s top race car manufacturers.

The immersive graphics bring a console-like experience to the palm of your hands, taking full advantage of Samsung’s best-in-class display technology to deliver a premium mobile gaming experience. The game also features social elements, such as the racing club, to allow players to connect and collaborate.

Download from the Galaxy Store here.

Best Social App 2019: TikTok

Celebrating the internet’s most authentic moments, TikTok is a popular short video app for creating and sharing bite-sized content. From videos showcasing creative entertainment, dances and sketches, to DIY skills, TikTok has taken the world by storm.

The app allows users to create short videos, often including music, which can be enhanced with a variety of filters and in-app editing tools. Videos are typically 15 seconds long and can be shared directly on TikTok or on other social media apps.

“Millions of creators use TikTok to showcase their creativity and skills in short videos that are exciting, spontaneous, and authentic,” said Edward Chou, Head of Marketing, TikTok US. “We’re honoured to be recognized by Samsung’s Galaxy Store Editorial Team and excited to continue delivering creative opportunities and a joyful experience to our global community of users.”

Download from the Galaxy Store here.

Best Themes Brand Collaboration 2019: Cogul Planet MLB Theme

Partnering with US Major League Baseball, Korean digital content provider, Cogul Planet, launched MLB smartphone and watch themes on the Galaxy Store in April 2019. The themes celebrate the World Series winning teams, featuring ringtones of broadcaster commentaries from major game moments to recreate the excitement of the championship games.

“We are expanding MLB’s brand power in the US with over 100,000 downloads since the release of the MLB theme in the Galaxy Store last April,” said a CEO Bo-mook Choi. “In the future, we are planning to release more diverse MLB themes so that we can get closer to fans around the world.

Download from the Galaxy Store here.

Best Watch Designer 2019: Matteo Dini

Featuring a range of digital and analogue watch faces for Tizen smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch, Matteo Dini is celebrated by users for his mix of modern and classic designs.

“Working with Samsung is something exceptional,” said Matteo Dini, Designer and CEO. “Every day I am in contact with people from all over the world who appreciate my watch faces and use them daily. It’s very exciting!”

Download from the Galaxy Store here. http://galaxy.store/matteodini, http://apps.samsung.com/gear/