JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 08 January 2019 – Samsung today announced how the company’s investment and leadership in AI, IoT, and 5G technologies will serve as the building blocks for its vision for Connected Living. The company also unveiled its future AI-powered robotics platforms, which can be used to manage activities of daily living, such as helping an aging population independently manage their health routine.

“2019 is Samsung Electronics 50th anniversary, and for the last five decades, we’ve been committed to bringing meaningful innovations to consumers everywhere,” said Cambridge Mokanyane, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung South Africa. “In 2019, we’re taking things to the next level, and leveraging our industry leadership to make our vision of Connected Living a reality.

Accelerating the Intelligence of Things with IoT, 5G, and AI

Driving Samsung’s Connected Living philosophy is the Intelligence of Things – IoT, 5G, and AI working together across devices, to create seamless experiences. At its CES press conference in Las Vegas today, the company explained how its work in these core technologies is enabling innovation throughout its product portfolio.

Since unifying the SmartThings app and introducing the SmartThings Cloud, the SmartThings ecosystem has grown significantly. The number of registered SmartThings users has grown 220 percent and app installs have increased 61 percent. The number of partners participating in this ecosystem has also grown by 44 percent. Today, consumers can enjoy SmartThings experiences with devices from top global brands like Amazon, Google, Bose, Sylvania, and Plume.

Samsung leveraged its telecommunications leadership to make major strides in bringing 5G connectivity to consumers. Samsung is the number one patent holder with ETSI , having registered more than 2,000 5G essential patents as of November 2018. And it is the world’s first company to receive FCC approval on its commercial 5G equipment. The company powered the commercialisation of home and mobile 5G networks with major U.S. carriers and all three mobile carriers in Korea, with additional trials running in Europe and Asia. Samsung is also committed to putting the power of 5G in consumers’ hands, with a 5G smartphone coming in the first half of 2019.

Samsung believes that AI is most useful when it helps to simplify a complex world. To that end, the company established seven Global AI Centres, and is adopting unique technologies into its products and services. And to ensure that Samsung works with the best and the brightest in the field, Samsung NEXT and the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Centre (SSIC) have invested in more than 20 AI-related start-ups over the last five years.

Bixby, Samsung’s Intelligence Platform, Expands

Bixby started as a smarter way to use your Galaxy phone. Today, it is evolving to become a scalable, open AI platform that will support more and more devices. The company announced that Bixby intelligence will be infused into its 2019 QLED and premium TVs, and smart appliances like refrigerators, washers, as well as air conditioners, mobile devices, AI speakers and more. What’s more, Bixby is expanding to a new Digital Cockpit and robotics platforms. Uber, Ticketmaster and others are using Bixby to make their services more intelligent. Today, Samsung announced that iHeartRadio joined as a new partner. And, Bixby will continue to grow as more partners, such as Google, join the ecosystem.

Samsung also announced its core AI philosophy: Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. As it works to advance AI technology, Samsung is committed to ensuring the algorithms it builds are inclusive, the protection of user information and privacy are top priorities, and it’s easy for consumers to understand what the company does with their data and how it is handled.

Next Level Experience of Samsung’s 2019 Portfolio

Samsung also introduced a line-up of new innovations, all of which streamline and simplify day-to-day tasks, and offer a more personalised and unique experience for each user, in a way that only Samsung can.

Entertainment:
Samsung unveiled its 98” QLED 8K – it’s largest yet – adding to its 2019 line-up that features 65”, 75”, 82”, and 85” models. Embedded with the Quantum Processor 8K chip, the 2019 8K line delivers the best in QLED picture quality, design, smart features in more sizes than ever in stunning 8K resolution. Whether a viewer is watching content through a streaming service, set-top box, HDMI, USB or even mobile screen mirroring, Samsung’s proprietary AI-based technology can recognise and upscale any content, regardless of the native resolution, to near pristine 8K quality. This is Samsung’s smartest and most powerful TV yet.

In 2019, Samsung Smart TVs offer more ways to search for content and more compatibility with connected devices than ever before. With an improved AI algorithm that leverages a user’s subscription services, favourite content, and TV viewing habits, the Universal Guide makes it easier for users to find the perfect show for them to watch. Users also have more options than ever to quickly and easily find and control their favourite content with just their voice by using new Bixby and the AI Remote as well as even more ways to control their Samsung TVs through Amazon Echo and Google Home.

In a move to deliver more entertainment options, value and open platform functionality to Samsung Smart TV users, Samsung announced it will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support on 2019 Samsung Smart TV models beginning this spring. Support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will be made available via a firmware update. In an industry first, a new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut only on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries. AirPlay 2 support will be available on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide.

Home:
Family Hub 2019 is more intuitive and intelligent than ever before. The new Family Board offers a completely redesigned screen experience, letting family members communicate and share memories in a creative space on the front of the fridge. Honoured with a CES 2019 Innovation Award, Family Hub 2019 with the new Bixby lets users interact in natural language to get answers to complicated questions, pre-set the oven, search for recipes, and even call an Uber. In addition, Bixby visually shows you information on the screen for a richer experience and displays an array of visual information. These new features will also be available via automatic update for most earlier Family Hub models.

The new front load washer, also a 2019 CES Innovation Award winner, can finish a full load in just 30 minutes with the SuperSpeed feature. With Bixby, users can also control its smart features like getting recommendations for the best wash cycle, scheduling a cycle to be completed at a users’ preferred time, automatically connecting the dryer cycle when the washer is done, or monitoring usage to efficiently manage their laundry appliances.

Work:
Samsung revealed a line of new, innovative products that combine productivity and flexibility to help consumers get things done more conveniently. The redesigned Notebook 9 Pro is engineered for on-the-go modern professionals to help them reach their true creative potential, while the Notebook Odyssey gaming laptop, powered by the new high-end NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 20-series GPU, is ready for both work and play. Samsung Space Monitor leverages its sleek design and functionality to allow users to focus on what’s on the screen and not what’s around it. Its unique built-in space saving solution, a minimalist, fully-integrated clamp stand that grips to the desk, tilting back and forth to free up space for optimal user productivity. Beyond aesthetics, Samsung’s Space Monitor is a feature-rich, high-performance monitor. The 27-inch model offers QHD resolution for incredibly detailed, sharp images, while the 32-inch model presents content in 4K UHD.

Connected Driving:
Samsung also presented its latest development with HARMAN, showcasing its innovation in automotive technology. The Digital Cockpit 2019 offers an enhanced connected car experience focused on connectivity, personalisation, and safety.

With the integration of Bixby’s connected car experience, drivers can remotely check how much gas they have before going on a long road trip or set the car temperature before heading out for the day. Using on-board cameras, the new Digital Cockpit recognises specific drivers and passengers and sets up the car’s personal space accordingly – adjusting the display preferences, seat height, lighting, and queuing up favourite playlists. Passengers can even enjoy personalised screens on the rear seats and connect to In-vehicle Samsung DeX to get work done on-the-go. The Digital Cockpit 2019 also provides a safer driving experience with the mirror replacement vision system and camera-based safety solutions.

All of this is possible thanks to Cellular-V2X technology that incorporates Samsung’s expertise in mobile network solutions with automotive technologies. With Samsung’s C-V2X, cars will be able to receive and analyse information that will make the driving experience safer and more enjoyable.

Device Solutions:
In order to power tomorrow’s AI technologies, Samsung emphasised that today’s AI infrastructure must evolve to handle intelligence at the edge. For this reason, the company is working to launch a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that will shape the future of intelligent devices.

Samsung’s mobile memory and AI-enabled processors, including the recently-announced Exynos Auto line, will allow for faster and more efficient on-device processing. At the same time, its advanced memory solutions will meet the rigorous demands of tomorrow’s datacentres and enterprises as they look to complete more complex AI tasks.

Robotics Platforms for the Future of AI

Samsung offered a peek into the future of Connected Living by demonstrating its latest developments in robotics platforms including the Samsung Bot Care, Samsung Bot Air, Samsung Bot Retail, and Samsung GEMS. Among the robotics platforms, Samsung gave a first public demonstration of Samsung Bot Care, which helps consumers manage their daily health routines. With its advances in AI and robotics, the company is harnessing its best assets to make a positive impact on society and shape a better world.

For more information including photos and videos, please stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for updates.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 03 January, 2019 – Samsung, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its first automotive-branded processor, Exynos Auto V9, has been selected to power Audi’s next-generation in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system, which is expected to make its debut by 2021.

Exynos Auto V9 is a powerful automotive processor designed for advanced IVI systems that display content on multiple displays, providing information that assists drivers and passengers for a safer and more enjoyable in-vehicle experience. Based on cutting-edge 8-nanometer (nm) process technology, the V9 packs ARM’s latest Cortex-A76 CPU cores, ARM Mali G76 GPU, premium HiFi 4 audio digital signal processor (DSP), intelligent neural processing unit (NPU), and a safety island core that supports Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL)-B standards. The processor also supports fast and power-efficient LPDDR4 and LPDDR5 DRAM.

“Audi thrives to bring the most exciting, yet the safest automobiles when we vision the drive of tomorrow,” said Alfons Pfaller, head of Architecture & Platform Development E/E at Audi. “Samsung has been a valued technology partner over the past few years and we are extremely pleased to have the Exynos Auto V9 power our next-generation platform that will shape the future in-vehicle infotainment experiences.”

“Samsung is fully committed to bringing top-of-the-line automotive processors for safer and more pleasant driving experiences,” said Cambridge Mokanyane, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung South Africa. “We are thrilled to introduce the new Exynos Auto line of products, starting with the Exynos Auto V9, which brings powerful processing performance to the next generation of automotive in-vehicle infotainment systems while meeting the industry’s strict reliability requirements.”

To deliver highly immersive driving experiences, Exynos Auto V9 supports up to six displays and twelve camera connections for various sub-system content in premium IVI systems. The V9 is powered by eight Cortex-A76 cores at speeds up to 2.1 gigahertz (GHz). The GPU is arranged in three separate dedicated sets of Mali G76 GPU cores that are able to seamlessly support multiple systems such as the cluster display, central information display (CID) and rear-seat entertainment (RSE) simultaneously. For premium audio quality, the chip comes with four HiFi 4 audio processors that provide captivating audio experiences with vivid and realistic sounds.

Functional safety is especially critical when it comes to automotive components. Exynos Auto V9’s embedded safety island allows real-time protection for system operations, facilitating ASIL-B requirements. In addition, the V9 is equipped with an NPU for a digital concierge service that can intelligently manage a safe and personalized driving environment. With incredibly fast operations, the NPU can process visual and audio data for features such as face, speech or gesture recognition.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos

Don’t miss Samsung at CES 2019

At CES 2019, Samsung will showcase innovative ways its latest AI and IoT technologies simplify daily life. These include brand new applications for AI and IoT, new ways to make AI do more, as well as new devices that place AI and IoT at the centre of users’ connected lives. It all starts on Monday, January 7 at 02:00 (SAST), with a press conference at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay South Convention Centre.

Be sure to catch all the exciting announcements by tuning in to the official livestream, which will be available via the following channels:

• Samsung Newsroom (https://www.samsung.com/za/)
• Samsung Electronics’ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/samsung)
• Samsung Newsroom YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/samsungnewsroom)

Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for more updates on Samsung’s CES 2019 news.

Exynos Auto Logo (top) and ISOCELL Auto Logo

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 16 October 2018 – Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced two new automotive solution brands – Samsung Exynos Auto and Samsung ISOCELL Auto – to bring cutting-edge application processor and image sensor technology solutions to the road.

“Samsung’s new automotive brand solutions, Exynos Auto and ISOCELL Auto, bring Samsung’s market-proven technologies to automotive applications with enhanced features and durability required by the market,” said Justin Hume, Director: Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “With fast telecommunication, accurate sensing and powerful processing capabilities, Samsung’s Auto-branded solutions will enable new driving experiences to next-generation smart vehicles.”

Samsung’s Exynos processors have been recognised for their performance and stability since its brand launched in 2011. On top of the powerful yet efficient qualities of Exynos’ mobile versions, Exynos Auto meets industry requirements for harsher environments, allowing automotive manufacturers to develop cutting-edge applications such as infotainment, advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and telematics.

Processors provided by Exynos Auto are sorted into three sub-categories: Exynos Auto V series for advanced in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems; Exynos Auto A series for ADAS; and Exynos Auto T series for telematics solutions. Samsung’s ISOCELL image sensors have brought innovative imaging technologies to mobile products since 2017 and the new automotive line-up will help bring the power of sight to cars. Built on the company’s innovative pixel isolation technology, ISOCELL, the sensors provide greater visibility of the road and surroundings even in low-light environments, while enabling more precise identification of objects. This allows, for example, vehicles to perceive road conditions or potential hazards even when driving through tunnels or other high-contrast environments.

Samsung’s Exynos Auto and ISOCELL Auto products will be demonstrated at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfburg, Germany, from October 16 to 18 at Hall 1.

* For more information please visit the below sites;

– Exynos Auto: https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/exynos/application/automotive/

– ISOCELL Auto: https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/image-sensor/automotive-image-sensor/