JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 29 August 2018 – There’s so much to take in everyday – humans are constantly bombarded with information and time-wasting messages like fake news or cute cats which cause distraction. This is why it’s essential to be able to stay on top of what is meaningful to your life and work. The Ancient Greeks had a way of taking notes – recording important information – called hupomnema and Plato had a theory which recognised writing as an artificial memory device and which he taught his students.

Some things don’t change. Humans have always sought out different ways to use the exact same tool, or to use a different tool to do the exact same thing.

Justin Hume, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung South Africa, says, “Samsung focusses on people-centred innovation and we know that taking notes is one of the most powerful tools in anyone’s day. So, we developed a product that not only allows you to take notes with ease, it’s also a game-changing device.”

For some, their device needs to be a magical wand that makes deadlines disappear at will. For others, it’s the technology that makes their weekend selfies look #winning on Instagram. The game-changing Samsung Galaxy Note9 appeals to both. Samsung has captured the hearts and minds of gamers, creatives, the always-on business professionals, socialites and many more – all at once.

The Creative

The Samsung Galaxy Note9 does not sport an impeccably manicured hipster beard or dispense the perfect macchiato, but it does act the part. The Note9 is a creative’s best friend – an imaginative guide to navigate a world of possibilities. Intelligence embedded into the device’s camera, like scene optimiser or flaw detection transforms the amateur into the professional. It offers the promise of power – power that can easily knock out items on a to-do list of tedious tasks faster and better. Which means there is more time dedicated to concept and execution. The remote-control abilities of the Bluetooth-enabled S Pen adds flair to the fun, ensuring creative professionals can do presentations, take pictures and play music with an ingenious click. And any successful presentation can be happily discussed over a macchiato purchased effortlessly with Samsung Pay.

The Suit

For the business professional the device is an efficient, well-tailored assistant dedicated to serving every business objective. The Samsung Galaxy Note9 has created a platform for employees to connect with colleagues and clients to accomplish a myriad of duties. It goes without saying that the all-day battery is designed to ensure continuous productivity at a time when the pressure to deliver has never been higher. The new Bluetooth-enabled S Pen also adds a whole new dimension to the device. It’s a remote control to do so much more from client presentations to teambuilding weekends. Additionally, the Note9 has biometric scanning (facial recognition, iris scanner and a fingerprint reader) for the ultimate in modern business security, as well as the built-in peace of mind of Samsung Knox, so your business secrets stay on a need-to-know basis. And the device’s generous amount of screen space makes it easy to run and use two apps at the same time, which is ideal for multitasking. This device is most definitely destined for the boardroom.

The Gamer

The Note9 has a slick, 6-4-inch Super Amoled screen. In the hands of a gamer its look is transformed. It’s a beast – bigger, better and stronger. The best of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note 8 have been combined into a system that enriches gaming with a massive battery and ultra-fast, water-carbon cooling system that helps manage heat during serious gaming sessions. This performance can be tested with the release of Fortnite on the Samsung Galaxy Note9, the first Android phone to support this widely popular video-and-smartphone survival game. Game on!

The Socialite

In the hands of the selfie meister, this phone and its powerful S Pen are a must-have fashion accessory. The device’s diamond cutting 3D infinity screen is priceless. It’s as good in the spotlight as it is in the dark. The Note9’s camera intelligence in low-light conditions mean there is no occasion where it doesn’t sparkle, and with the planet’s best water and dust resistance, it’s always dressed to impress.

The Samsung Galaxy Note9 has many faces, but it hardly blends into the crowd. It’s a standout device designed to be what its user wants it to be. It can adapt at will, which is why it can truly be called a game changer.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 26 June 2018 – Whilst Samsung cannot claim to have inspired the first duck face (pout), or the wagging tongue we see so often on social media today, it can lay claim to having spurred the mania when it introduced its first camera phone as far back as the year 2000. Back then even the names of the phones were unimaginative but being able to capture pictures with a mobile phone, using an image sensor of 0.35MP, is pretty cool even with a name like SCH-V200.

Two years later Samsung innovated the flip phone with its SCH-X590, which boasted an image sensor of 0.11MP, by pioneering a rotating camera, allowing users to capture pictures from the front and rear of the phone – sound familiar? Yes, this was the phone that birthed selfies on a grand scale [#Iconic].

Leading the pack, Samsung decided to up the ante on the flip phone and introduced a phone with a swing-style screen in 2003, allowing users to capture images from new angles. The SCH-V420 came with an image sensor of 0.3MP, granting it bigger pixels to accompany those creative photographs.

Leaping from one milestone to greatness, in 2005 Samsung gave the world a mobile camera phone for all aspiring pocket photographers. The SCH-V770 had a first of its kind 7MP camera, that supported manual functions and wide-angle & tele-conversion lenses. It also featured 3x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom and auto focus. Ground ‘shuttering’ stuff.

The year 2010 gave us the best soccer world cup to date and Samsung’s first smartphone. Even the names started getting cooler. The Galaxy S had a 5MP camera with a wide range of modes like panorama, stop motion and cartoon shot. The touch screen changed how people interacted with their phones and viewed their pictures.

Good isn’t good enough if it can be better and in 2014 Samsung gave us better in the form of the Galaxy S5. Coupling the fastest auto-focus (0.3seconds) and Real-Time High Dynamic Range (HDR), the Galaxy S5’s 16 MP CMOS camera made pictures more vivid, brighter and instantly ready to be shared.

The more records you smash, the more driven to out-do yourself you become. In 2017 Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 8, its first smartphone with dual 12MP rear cameras with optical image stabilisation on both the telephoto and wide-angle lenses. The Live Focus feature allowed users to add a bokeh effect for more professional-looking portraits.

Craige Fleischer, Vice President of Integrated Mobility for Samsung South Africa, says, “Capturing images to remember special occasions has been part of the human story since the beginning of time – from rock paintings to the latest art portraiture. Samsung’s innovative development grew from the SCH-V200’s camera to what we have today. Even though this is now feels light years away, Samsung continues leading the way when it comes to superlative photographic ability. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphone cameras are simply the best on the market today.”

Having ticked all the boxes and surpassed its own imaginings, Samsung decided to reimagine the camera. From these alchemic efforts came the Galaxy S9’s camera. It is called a camera because the English language has not evolved enough to come up with the correct name. The-super-speed-DualPixel-12MP-with-960 frames per second-sensitive even to low light-reads-like-a-human-eye-camera allows users to capture the world as they see it in both bright and dark lights. It also enables you to express yourself using an emoji that looks just like you through its Augmented Reality Emoji feature. Users are able to create captivating Super Slow-mo videos to share with their friends and also make GIFs with three styles of looping: reverse, forward, or swing.

The pageant is always a glamorous affair and this year, the diamond jubilee, will be unmissable. Today, in the run-up to the final, twelve of the competitors were announced as finalists, giving them the opportunity of a lifetime – to win the coveted title of Miss South Africa 2018.

In order to enable them to share the reality of their journeys with their adoring fans, Samsung handed each finalist a superlative Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone. Not only will the Samsung Galaxy S9 ensure the competitors can keep in touch at all times, they’ll have the very latest in smartphone camera technology at their fingertips, so not a single moment will be missed. With our category defining Dual aperture lens, the Miss South Africa finalists will be able to capture stunning pictures in bright daylight while doing a fashion shoot on the beach, or in super low-light conditions during a night out on the town.

Justin Hume, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung South Africa, says, “We’re excited to be part of this prestigious event. The Miss South Africa pageant celebrates women who lead the way and as a world leader in technology, Samsung’s involvement ensures that contestants get the very best support for their passageway towards the ultimate title.”

One of the twelve will be crowned the new Miss SA on Sunday 27^th May at the pageant’s final, to be held at Sun International’s new flagship venue, Times Square Sun Arena in Pretoria. The final will be hosted by leading media personality Bonang Matheba. It is tipped to be unmissable.

“In keeping with the exquisite style and elegance of the event, the twelve finalists each received a Galaxy S9 in the Pantone Colour of the Year – Ultra Violet – which not only enhances their personal sense of fashion, but more importantly, it’s the perfect tool to share their stories and keep in touch with their fans,” concludes Hume.

Says the Miss South Africa Organisation, “We as Cell C and Sun International on behalf of the Miss South Africa Organisation are proud to bring the long term association we have with Samsung to the property. The inclusion of a technology partner is an exciting venture as it allows us to tell the Miss South Africa story through the finalists’ eyes to the public, especially in the diamond jubilee year of the pageant.”