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At IFA 2023, Europe’s largest consumer trade show held in Berlin, Germany, Samsung Electronics underscored its vision for the future of home living — powered by the company’s cutting-edge devices and leading Bespoke products.
 
Notable figures from Samsung and partner companies outlined Samsung’s plans to drive positive change through exceptional innovation, impacting the individual lives of users as well as the world around them.
 
Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Europe, began by looking back at some of the company’s instrumental innovations that changed the status quo and shaped technological development. Samsung reiterated its commitment to fearlessly pioneering new endeavors, demonstrating its position as a leader within the industry.
 
“We are proud to be first and we will continue to innovate, however strange it seems to begin with,” Braun stated.
 
▲ “We have over 200 amazing products on show for you,” shared Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Europe.
 
Amidst an ever-changing world, Braun emphasized how Samsung has been actively listening to consumers throughout the years — producing leading products that meet their needs and add value to their lives. Continuing this pursuit, Samsung has shifted its focus to developing devices and appliances that both empower users on a global scale and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable future.
 
 
Enhancing Lives and Bettering the Planet
With climate change at the forefront of people’s minds, Samsung highlighted the company’s ongoing commitment to reducing its environmental impact and prioritizing climate-positive solutions, touching on the targets outlined in its new environmental strategy announced in September 2022. Understanding the urgency of the climate crisis, the company set ambitious goals to achieve net-zero carbon emissions for its Device eXperience (DX) Division by 2030 and company-wide by 2050. To meet these goals, Samsung noted the progress in transitioning to renewable energy sources, with 31% of its operations currently running on clean energy — up from 11% in 2021. Additionally, Aimee Holloran, Business Development Manager at Samsung Climate Solutions U.K., discussed how Samsung’s environmental commitment is embedded into its products, allowing users around the world to live more sustainably through the company’s devices and appliances.
 
▲ “We strive to embed sustainability in every aspect of our business and product strategies,” stated Aimee Holloran, Business Development Manager at Samsung Climate Solutions U.K.
 
To create innovative solutions based on scientific data, Samsung has joined hands with a variety of industry leaders such as Ocean Wise and Patagonia to tackle environmental issues gripping the planet. In September 2022, the companies partnered to develop the Less Microfiber Cycle for Bespoke washing machines, a remarkable step in addressing microplastics emissions.
 
Taking this further, Samsung leveraged its partnership with the companies to develop another groundbreaking innovation in June 2023. Charlie Cox, Manager of Microplastic Solutions at Ocean Wise, highlighted the development of the revolutionary new Less Microfiber Filter for Samsung washers to reduce up to 98% of microplastic emissions from laundry cycles.
 
“In just a year, Ocean Wise and Samsung have demonstrated the opportunity that exists for industry leaders — to empower their communities to take positive action and create impact at scale,” added Cox.
 
▲ “Ocean Wise’s collaboration with Samsung and Patagonia shows there are simple ways we can all be part of the solution to microfiber shedding,” said Charlie Cox, Manager of Microplastic Solutions at Ocean Wise (left). Samsung’s Less Microfiber Filter (right) helps reduce microplastic emissions from laundry.
 
The Less Microfiber Filter is a prime example of Samsung’s overall approach to sustainable product development – providing consumers with solutions that help them live eco-consciously using minimal effort. In line with this vision, Samsung continues to outfit its Galaxy devices with internal and external components made from recycled materials, in addition to creating product packaging that uses 100% recycled paper.
 
As climate change creates new challenges for people around the world, forward-thinking solutions are becoming increasingly necessary. To respond to global energy shortages and advance the transition to clean energy, Samsung emphasized its efforts in building out heat pump technology and leading the rapidly growing market in Europe.
 
Likewise, the company highlighted how its SmartThings home ecosystem is utilizing the latest technologies to help more than 280 million registered users save energy. By harnessing the power of AI across its line of Bespoke home appliances, Samsung’s AI Energy Mode optimizes appliance energy usage, reducing unnecessary energy waste and lowering energy bills simultaneously.
 
 
Transforming Homes Through Powerful Solutions
Aside from helping the planet, Samsung showcased its newest products that add value to consumers’ lives. Zeena Hill, Marketing Director at Samsung U.K., announced the launch of Samsung Food — a new AI-based application that gives users access to thousands of recipes. Samsung plans to link Samsung Food to Samsung Health by the end of this year, allowing users to better keep track of their health and dietary goals.
 
▲ “We’re excited to be bringing our complete lineup of Micro LED screens to Europe,” shared Zeena Hill, Marketing Director at Samsung U.K.
 
Samsung is revamping home entertainment and putting users in the center of the action through its new releases, such as the new 98-inch Neo QLED 8K TV. Samsung TVs feature unmatched image quality in sleek forms, and the company continues to release unique patterns and designs to meet the style needs of every user. As such, Samsung has partnered with Disney to launch The Frame-Disney100 Edition — a special, limited-edition version of The Frame TV for Disney lovers.
 
In addition, the company showcased its recently launched Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor and The Freestyle 2nd Gen portable projector — devices perfect for gamers who want to expand their field of vision to ensure they never miss a moment of gameplay. Users can experience games like Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios’ new action-packed role-playing game, in stunning detail on Samsung TVs and displays. Florian Liewer, Senior Director of International Gaming Marketing at Microsoft, discussed the two companies’ partnership on expanding Samsung Gaming Hub, highlighting how Samsung’s technology offers the ultimate gaming experience.
 
“Together with Samsung, we’re forging a path that aligns with Xbox’s vision for the future of gaming — reaching more players with breathtaking content,” said Liewer.
 
▲“We are inviting more players to embark on a journey with us,” said Florian Liewer, Senior Director of International Gaming Marketing at Microsoft
 
Aside from enhancing entertainment, Samsung detailed the ways it is helping users stay connected to the world around them. The company reemphasized its commitment to ensuring its devices and products meet the diverse needs of consumers and touched on how its latest accessibility features help as many users as possible. This includes TalkBack for Home Appliances and Services, which reads home appliance and service content on SmartThings, and Relumino Mode, which optimizes content on Samsung TVs, for those with visual impairments.
 
 
Future Possibilities Enabled by Technology
Partnerships have helped make some of Samsung’s technologies possible and, more broadly, brought the company closer to realizing its vision for a brighter future. In line with its goal to upgrade at-home living, Samsung partnered with electric vehicle charger manufacturer ABB and residential inverter brand SMA to collaborate on changing the ways houses are constructed.
 
“By integrating Samsung’s products with those of ABB and SMA, we can help make our homes even safer, smarter and more sustainable,” stated Lu Han, EVP of Building and Home Automation Solutions at ABB.
 
▲“With hundreds of new technologies and innovations each year, a joined up approach to home energy systems is vital,” said Lu Han, EVP of Building and Home Automation Solutions at ABB
 
Looking forward, Samsung sees the value in future technologies and the limitless applications they can have on the lives of consumers. With new ventures such as 6G deployment, AI capability expansion and more, the company remains excited and optimistic as it explores the remarkable potential of technology. Braun concluded the conference by stating Samsung will continue to improve users’ lives by listening to their needs.
 
▲ At its Press Conference at IFA 2023, Samsung Electronics emphasized how the company works to connect customers to “what matters most” to the media members and business partners in attendance
 
“With the help of 6G, AI and XR, augmented reality and mixed reality and artificial intelligence, we will make great advances in everything from healthcare to entertainment and remote work,” he stated.
 
For more information, please visit Samsung.com.
 
 
More pictures from the Samsung Electronics Press Conference at IFA 2023:
 
▲ SmartThings Energy puts users in control of how much power they use and when.
 
▲ The annual sales of Samsung’s foldable devices have exceeded the Note Series in Europe.
 
▲ Samsung’s Less Microfiber cycle and Less Microfiber Filter help reduce microplastic emissions from laundry.
 
▲ ABB and SMA have partnered with Samsung to work towards Zero Emission homes.
 
▲ Samsung’s vision for Samsung Food is for it to become the ultimate app for the entire food journey.
 
▲ Samsung’s state-of-the-art technology, combined with the limitless universe of Starfield, signals a thrilling new chapter in gaming.
 
▲ The Samsung Gaming Hub has over three thousand games to choose from, from leading games streaming partners Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna and Utomik.
 
▲ An attendee takes a picture as Samsung shares that it has been recognized as No.1 in soundbars by global sales and market share for the ninth year in a row.
 
▲ The Frame-Disney100 Edition is “magical!”
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Rumors about Apple launching a foldable device aren’t new. This time, Samsung is preparing for the Cupertino company to join a market that the South Korean firm currently has the lead. While everyone expects a foldable iPhone, Samsung doesn’t think this will be the first Apple device to bend.
According to a report by The Elec, Samsung thinks the foldable market will grow 80% by 2025, and one of the reasons will be Apple joining the competition in 2024. Samsung’s mobile business, Mobile Experience, said that the Cupertino company would enter the foldable market, not with smartphones, but with notebooks and tablets first.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 next to Galaxy Flip 4. Image source: Samsung Last month, CCS Insight published its annual prediction report and said Apple would likely launch a foldable iPad in 2024.
One of the reasons why Apple won’t likely launch a foldable iPhone at first is not to cannibalize the existing iPhones as, according to the analyst, the foldable option would have to be “incredibly expensive.”
Early this year, display analyst Ross Young said Apple was mulling a 20-inch foldable MacBook display, which could also be an iPad. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman also corroborated Apple entering this new market.
Both analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Ross Young expect a foldable iPhone to be introduced in 2025 at the earliest. In a couple of years from now, a foldable iPad/MacBook makes more sense.
BGR will keep reporting on Apple’s new market approaches as the company is rumored to announce soon a Mixed Reality headset, an Augmented Reality headset, and a car in this decade.
More Apple coverage: What’s really causing the M2 MacBook Pro launch delay?
The post Samsung expects Apple to join foldable market in 2024 but not with iPhones appeared first on BGR.
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This month in San Francisco, the 2022 Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) spotlighted some of Samsung’s best and brightest minds across tech, marketing and product fields, sharing a compelling vision of the future, showcasing the transformational technologies that will improve consumers’ daily lives and giving users more time to focus on what matters most.
 
With opening remarks from Jong-Hee Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device Experience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, the presentations revealed how Samsung is crafting systems that help make lives smarter, safer, more convenient and more connected than ever before.
 
▲ Attendees take their seats at SDC 2022 in anticipation of the day’s wide-ranging Keynote
 
Read on to see Samsung Newsroom’s recap of the innovation and inspiration revolutionizing how we live and work both now and in the future.
 
 
Opening: A Seamless, Frictionless Experience
Jong-Hee Han opened up the day’s talks by underscoring the importance of convenience in an age of brilliant yet complex technologies. “At Samsung, our goal has always been to make our lives easier through technology innovation,” said Han. “But innovation can also be burdensome for users if convenience is not at the forefront. Our teams are determined to deliver devices that are as smooth and accessible as they are advanced.”
 
▲ Jong-Hee Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of DX Division at Samsung Electronics, welcomes attendees to SDC 2022.
 
Covering everything from Calm Technology to Knox Matrix to holistic household platforms like Bixby Home Studio and SmartThings, Han outlined a device and systems ecosystem that puts the user experience at the center. “The goal of all this is to give you an easier, seamless and more frictionless experience,” Han emphasized. “So you can focus on what matters most.”
 
 
A Home That Learns and Adapts Through SmartThings
Following Jong-Hee Han, Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business, discussed how Covid-19 galvanized teams at Samsung to prioritize the important things in life, particularly in the home. “If you’re like me, the past few years have been a time to prioritize what matters, to find moments to pause and refresh,” said Jung.
 
▲ Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business, outlines how the platform is helping realize a truly seamless, intuitive household device ecosystem.
 
Samsung’s SmartThings platform, Jung explained, is the perfect way to do this in your home. Thanks to a wide range of improvements to the household ecosystem platform, finding, setting up, onboarding and synchronizing new devices into your household will be easier and more efficient than ever. This includes Galaxy Quick Pair, Matter Hub connectivity, SmartThings Energy and SmartThings Music Sync, as well as boosted integration with partner systems and an expanded SmartThings website.
 
 
Matter: A Truly Harmonious Household Experience
At the end of her talk, Jung introduced Matthew McCullough from Google, who provided an overview of Matter, a system that lays the groundwork for true interoperability between devices in the home. Samsung is committed to Matter integration, and confident it will make the dream of a fully integrated household a reality.
 
▲ Google’s Matthew McCullough explains how the Matter interoperability system works, reinforcing Samsung and Google’s collaborative efforts to expand its integration.
 
By working closely together, Samsung and Google aim to make life for both users and device makers simpler and smoother, with multi-admin features that cut down on manual management and make Google Home and Nest Hub more accessible. “This ease of use across Samsung and Google is just the start, and we’re looking forward to delivering a more seamless, delightful home experience,” said McCullough.
 
 
Industry Collaboration Making Device Ecosystems More Open
▲ Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings U.S. at Samsung, expands on the company’s enthusiasm for Matter adoption and introduces the SmartThings Matter Early Access Program.
 
Continuing with the theme of interoperability, Mark Benson, U.S., emphasized Samsung’s commitment to supporting Matter. “To accelerate Matter adoption, we created the SmartThings Matter Early Access Program, where we work with major device manufacturers to ensure their Matter-enabled devices work seamlessly with SmartThings,” said Benson.
 
The SmartThings app, SmartThings Hub Core and SmartThings Cloud, Benson pointed out, are already prepared to support Matter. “It’s all about delivering interoperability right out of the box,” he said.
 
 
The Expanding Role of Bixby
Anil Yadav, Head of Bixby Lab at Samsung Research1 America, took to the stage to discuss SmartThings’ bespoke speech platform and de facto voice in the home, including its exciting new feature: Bixby Home Studio. “With Bixby Home Studio, you can create experiences that span multiple devices and respond more intuitively to user commands,” said Yadav. “For example, if you ask Bixby to turn on your air conditioner, Bixby can check if you have any windows open and let you know to close them, saving energy.”
 
▲ Voice system expert and Head of Bixby Lab Anil Yadav lays out the platform’s evolving role in the home and celebrates the launch of Bixby Home Studio.
 
Ready to do everything from queuing up your next action movie on your Samsung Smart TV to boosting your mobile security with On-Device AI, Bixby is smarter and more powerful than ever.
 
 
Premium Security and Privacy for an Integrated Household
▲ Shin Baik, Principal Engineer of Security Team, Mobile eXperience Business, underscores the significance of strong security and personalized privacy, as exemplified by systems like Samsung Knox and Knox Matrix.
 
Samsung envisions more than just a convenient and integrated home experience. Its teams are also creating an experience that is as safe as it is smooth, as private as it is proactive. After Yadav’s Bixby talk, Shin Baik, Principal Engineer of Security Team, Mobile eXperience Business, discussed with the audience how top-notch innovations need top-notch security to go with them. Unwavering in its three security and privacy principles — transparency, choice and protection — Samsung has worked hard to develop platforms like Samsung Knox. This will keep everything from your phone to your refrigerator safe and secure, said Baik.
 
A new platform called Knox Matrix, in particular, is now on the frontline of multi-device protection. “Knox Matrix is your own private blockchain,” Baik explained. “Multiple devices share credentials, turning the ecosystem of devices into a shield that protects everyone.”
 
In step with these developments, of course, is Samsung’s insistence on a customizable privacy experience, which is provided by Samsung’s comprehensive Security and privacy dashboard. “We believe that you — and only you — should be making decisions about how your information is managed and stored,” said Baik.
 
 
A More Vibrant Content Ecosystem Than Ever
Sang Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Marketing at Samsung Electronics America, shared important insights on Samsung’s extensive media network, covering a range of recent successes.
 
▲ Sang Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Marketing at Samsung Electronics America, provides a roundup of Samsung’s diverse — and rapidly expanding — media network.
 
Samsung Gaming Hub, launched in June, is an all-in-one gaming solution that, thanks to partnerships with industry leaders like Xbox, lets players connect their controllers to Samsung TVs and access all the games they love without even needing a console or PC.
 
Samsung TV Plus, the FAST streaming TV and video platform that relaunched this summer, now reaches 24 countries and 465 million devices globally. It is projected to clock in an impressive three billion hours streamed by users by the end of 2022.
 
Thanks to broad reach, smooth monetization integration and an advertising environment optimized for both clients and users, Samsung streaming also offers an ideal platform for premium advertising.
 
“Today, Fortune 500 companies from around the world have leveraged Samsung TV Plus and our other advanced TV advertising solutions to reach valuable consumers,” Kim said.
 
 
Tizen’s Global Conquest
▲ Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President and Deputy Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business discusses all things Tizen, from the operating system’s global reach to its growing spectrum of applications.
 
Following Sang Kim, Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President and Deputy Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business, took to the stage to talk about Tizen, Samsung’s open source, Linux-backed operating system. Kim took the audience through a huge variety of developments in the Tizen journey, which is growing its capabilities to an ever-wider spectrum of uses and applications.
 
Leveraging partnerships with gaming leaders like Xbox, NVIDIA and Utomik, Tizen is helping bring a truly consolidated, uninterrupted gaming experience to users with Samsung Gaming Hub, with fantastic performance and image quality, Kim explained. It delivers stunning visual displays and blockchain wallet integration to Samsung TVs for better at-home art experiences, while also helping Smart Hub deliver the best in content searches and recommendations. Tizen Enterprise, meanwhile, is boosting B2B partners’ display and signage options, while Tizen Everywhere aims to expand licensing and bring the system to more countries.
 
“Since its launch ten years ago, Tizen now powers more than 330 million TVs, refrigerators and other smart devices,” said Kim. “At Samsung, we will continue to create Tizen experiences that transform and go beyond what many thought possible.”
 
 
One UI 5 and the “Your Galaxy, Your Way” Philosophy
Next up was Sally Hyesoon Jeong, Vice President of Framework R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business, whose theme for the day was the company’s latest leap forward in the UI experience: One UI 5.
 
▲ Sally Hyesoon Jeong, Vice President of Framework R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business, introduces One UI 5, the next stage of Samsung’s UI evolution and a distillation of the “Your Galaxy, Your Way” philosophy.
 
“On this stage three years ago, I shared our vision for One UI, the essence of the Galaxy experience,” Jeong began. “One UI truly captures the ‘Your Galaxy, Your Way’ philosophy by bringing users an intuitive, connected experience that is uniquely yours.”
 
Splitting the new UI update’s advancements into three areas — Personalization, Productivity and Possibility — Jeong shared a host of new and improved features. Personalization included deep customization enhancements, like Dynamic Lockscreen for smartphones, Watch Face Studio for Galaxy Watches and custom-built Modes and Routines, while health and security functions are also more adaptable than ever. The Productivity section included Bixby Text Call, improved phone-to-PC connectivity and multitasking upgrades like Taskbar improvements. Possibilities covered One UI 5’s integration with innovative Samsung Foldable devices and related functions like Flex Mode.
 
 
A Look Over the Horizon: Robotics and Health in Tomorrow’s Homes
The final talk before the wrap-up was from Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research. While many of the day’s talks focused on recent improvements, Seung has his eye on the innovations of tomorrow, aiming for no less than the merging of the physical and digital worlds.
 
“I’d like to invite you to look over the horizon, to a future dreamed of but not yet realized,” said Seung, who divided his presentation between the future of robotics in the home and Samsung’s ambitions to contribute to health & wellness research.
 
In the home robotics field, Seung discussed the company’s continued success with a household supported by advanced, AI-enhanced devices, including the object-detecting JetBot AI+ vacuum, the Bot Handy chore assistant prototype and even future plans for Samsung’s latest robot arm manipulation code, which will soon be available on GitHub.
 
▲ Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, discusses the company’s plans for a future where advanced robotics technologies support households and outlines Samsung’s ambitions in health & wellness research.
 
Moving on to the subject of health, Seung introduced Samsung Health Stack, an open source project from Samsung that aims to actively advance health & wellness research. “This is a full stack SDK, a mobile app for patients, a portal for researchers and a backend database,” said Seung. “A complete package of open-source tools designed for the easy creation of digital systems for the research of health and wellness.”
 
 
Closing: Building a More Sustainable Future With Samsung
To round off the talks, Jong-Hee Han returned to the stage to offer a final word, summarizing the technologies showcased at SDC and the course of the company’s future of innovation.
 
▲ Jong-Hee Han returns to the stage to conclude the day’s talks, ending on a proactive vision of a future driven by sustainable, eco-conscious technologies.
 
“I would like to talk about the future one more time,” he added. “The future of something very dear to my heart: our planet. I believe we have a responsibility to help create a sustainable future. We do that through Everyday Sustainability, a belief that every stage of the product lifecycle can be more sustainable.”
 
Han presented a range of Samsung sustainability commitments and environmental research directions, including responsible material sourcing, recycling, disposal, renewable energy and billions in investments toward meeting carbon emissions reductions.
 
“By 2027, we will run all DX operations on renewable energy,” Han said, ending the day on an optimistic note and a glimpse of a future for customers that is easier, more seamless, more frictionless and — crucially — more eco-conscious.
 
Watch the video below to see the complete recording of the SDC22 Keynote.
 
  
▲ Attendees explore the latest Samsung products at SDC22 booths.
 
 
1 Samsung Research, acting as Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, leads the development of future technologies for the company’s Device eXperience (DX) Division.
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