Watching TV and Working on a Single Screen With Samsung’s Do-It-All Smart Monitor
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By STF News
▲ (From left to right) The product experts behind The Freestyle: Jenny Jung, Sooyeon Chung, Dami Baik and Seungyeon Ian Jeong of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics
The Freestyle, Samsung Electronics’ all-new portable screen and entertainment device that displays crystal-clear images up to 100 inches in size, is proving a hit in markets around the world including North America, Latin America and South Korea.
The secret behind the popularity of The Freestyle, a device that is especially beloved by younger generations, is that feedback from Millennial and Zoomer-age individuals has been welcomed and incorporated right from The Freestyle’s product planning and early development stages.
In order to hear more about this process, Samsung Newsroom sat down with 4 of the product experts behind the planning and development of The Freestyle: Seungyeong Ian Jeong, who worked on product planning, Sooyeon Chung, who worked on service product management, Jenny Jung, who worked on UX design and Dami Baik, who worked on product launch marketing.
Developing an All-New Device Based on Changing Lifestyle Trends
Ever since the initial planning stages of The Freestyle, Samsung’s product experts have been researching Millennial and Zoomer lifestyle trends and have endeavored to apply them to the product. Millennials and the Zoomers pursue their own unique lifestyles, and are not afraid to speak out and express themselves. They place importance on practicality as well as the vibe and style of the products they choose. By respecting the preferences of such young users, The Freestyle took such changes in preferences into consideration.
The changes in lifestyles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic became the background for product planning as well. People began to spend more time in their own personal spaces, and it became more important to bring entertainment into spaces previously used for relaxing, such as the bedroom. At the same time, outdoor leisure activities, such as camping, have been becoming more common. “The concept of The Freestyle is its frameless portable screen that is ‘with me anywhere,’” explained Jung.
Creating a Unique TV Experience Out of a Unique Platform and a Young Vibe
It is not easy to describe The Freestyle in one word, simply because it is a completely new product with no precedent. Some users will use it as a screen, while some will use it as an interior mood light; others might use it as a digital placard, too. As the very name of the device states, the purpose of the product changes in freestyle along with the lifestyle and the unique style of each user.
We asked the 4 product experts what they think the secret behind the popularity of The Freestyle is, and all of them highlighted the strong synergy between the product experience that can be harnessed in all kinds of ways with the unique Samsung Smart TV platform. “The Freestyle provides all kinds of major OTT apps with built-in streaming services certified by partners so that you’re never behind on the best in content and screen experiences,” elaborated Chung. “Moreover, smartphone mirroring can very easily be undertaken with both Android and iOS mobile devices.”
Actively Reflecting the Interests and Experiences of Younger Generations
Since The Freestyle is a product that is the first of its kind, naturally some hurdles arose during the development stage. “Since it is the first product of its type being developed by Samsung, there was no defined reference for us,” explained Jung. “It wasn’t easy for us to plan the product’s features and to design its experiences from zero.” Whenever doubts arose about the direction of the product, what helped the most was actually the feedback the team could get from the community board for Samsung employees in their 20s and 30s.
At the beginning of the product planning stage, the crux of The Freestyle’s offering was mainly content watching through projection. However, colleagues who are Millennials and Zoomers at Samsung provided their feedback as to how excited they would be to use The Freestyle to create their own type of mood by projecting an image of their choice when not watching content, and this is what led to The Freestyle’s ambient features.
Even the device’s high-quality audio offering came to be following the incorporation of feedback on the community board. “While we were thinking about the sound specification of the device, we paid attention to the opinions being shared about how the sound quality should not be compromised,” noted Jeong.
Going Beyond the Limitations of a Space With Convenient Portability and Usage Options
In order to use this product, small enough to fit into a purse and weighing only 830g, anywhere regardless of place, a convenient usage environment is a must. Unlike other projectors, The Freestyle quickly adjusts its screen’s focus automatically through auto keystone correction, leveling and focusing features. Through the Scale & Move feature, users can adjust the projected screen size and position it without having to physically move the projector around.
In addition, the Freestyle features a convenient functionality that allows users to directly access settings while watching content that doesn’t require them to go through any menu — this is accessed by simply pressing and holding the home button. Moreover, users can control the device through voice recognition, as the product comes with technology to minimize surrounding noise, previously a persistent issue for projectors. Through farfield voice assistant support, The Freestyle also lets users play music and engage in virtual assistant features even when the screen is off.
A Versatile Device To Be Used Anytime, Anywhere — On Your Terms
So how do the product experts themselves use The Freestyle? “I enjoy using The Freestyle to listen to music in high-quality sound while projecting my favorite album cover image in the background,” said Jung. “I also enjoy projecting a video of the stars shining brightly onto my bedroom ceiling before I go to bed. When I feel like falling asleep, I can just turn off the device using my voice.”
“My kids really like it when we install The Freestyle on the headboard shelf and watch content projected onto the ceiling while lying in bed together,” added Baik. “Since the device can be used freely in any way you want, it is receiving rave reviews just not from Millennial and Zoomer-age users, but also from users of all ages, including those who are using The Freestyle as a family.”
The most appealing thing about The Freestyle is that it can be used in all kinds of scenarios in daily life thanks to its compact design and convenient usability. “We want to present a user experience that meets users’ diverse preferences and needs anywhere, anytime, by going beyond the limitations of a space,” said Jeong. “Our goal is to establish The Freestyle as a personal, movable, smart screen that can be truly utilized to the fullest.”
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By STF News
Over the past year and a half, our lives have changed inordinately, with social distancing measures taking over and requiring us to transform every part of our routines from the way we work to the way we shop.
In light of this ‘new normal’ that we find ourselves living in, Samsung Electronics has been working non-stop to develop innovative solutions for businesses as well as users. Samsung Kiosk, a point-of-sale (POS) terminal for customers, is one such solution.
Samsung Kiosk is not only equipped with a range of functionalities and operational settings to fit different business types and sizes, but also features a dedicated User Interface that allows for the easy set-up and usage of menu, payment and saving systems. With a refined design for seamless in-store integration and antibacterial coating technology, Samsung Kiosk has been developed to provide the best possible experiences to retailers as well as customers.
Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about Samsung Kiosk.
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[Interview] How Photographer Cody Cobb Brings Users to Remote Corners of the World Through The FrameBy STF News
Samsung Electronics’ award-winning lifestyle TV The Frame continuously transforms the space it’s in by offering users access to over 1,500 pieces of virtual art from some of the world’s most renowned artists, museums and industry tastemakers.
This month, the Art Store is highlighting those masterpieces that bring the most beautiful scenery found around the planet straight to your living room with its World Environment Day spotlight, a curated set of art pieces that feature breathtaking scenes from all over the world. One artist whose work is featured in this spotlight is Cody Cobb, a photographer who travels to some of the most remote places known to man to capture nature the way he believes it should remain: untouched.
Figure 1. In my “studio” which is in the landscape itself
Bringing the Beauty of Our Planet to More People
Cobb has worked in photography for the past 20 years, first as an artistic pursuit that began as a part of his digital illustration projects and subsequently developing to be his primary medium. He travels to remote places including the vast American West in order to find unique landscapes, natural formations and stand-out moments to capture. He spends much of his time working alone in order to allow for serendipity to lead him to the discovery of the exceptional scenes captured in his work.
▲ Death Valley (2015)
“I am not sure that I can turn off the part of my brain that is engaged when I am photographing,” noted Cobb of the ways he harnesses his camera to capture his unique view of the world. “I observe the world in a specific way, obsessively finding details and patterns. Sometimes I will happen to have a camera with me, and that’s when I am able to capture those observations. Photography is a natural extension of my way of experiencing the world.”
By bringing his works to the selection available to users on The Frame, Cobb hopes that people will be able to experience the world in the way that he is able to when he is taking photographs. “I would love for those who view my work to be transported somewhere else for a moment,” he noted. “I hope that they can experience the sense of stillness that I myself enjoy while shooting.”
Cobb also hopes that when a user takes in the incredible scenes he has been lucky enough to see firsthand, they are able to stop for a moment and appreciate the beauty of what they are seeing. “I hope that my artwork offers a nuanced way of experiencing nature,” he said. “I want these places to come across as mysterious and I hope that people are able to get lost in them.”
Experiencing the World Through The Frame
On The Frame, Cobb’s photos are displayed using nano-sized Quantum Dots which offer 100% color volume and bring over a billion shades of precise colors to users so that users can enjoy the artworks with the original color, detailing and texture intended by the artist. Users are able to experience the natural beauty of our planet just as it is, for what feels like a firsthand view of these amazing scenes.
▲ Parallel World (2017)
“The Frame is such a perfect expression of the cinematic visuals running through my head when I’m creating art,” noted Cobb. “I want my photos to feel alive and the technology powering The Frame allows for that. I also love that my fine art prints can exist on the same wall alongside the work I have available on the Art Store.”
Putting Nature First Thanks to Transformative Technologies
Having collaborated with The Frame’s Art Store since its early days, Cobb understands how important it is to bring art into peoples’ homes and how technology plays a pivotal role in doing so. He is grateful for transformative experiences The Frame offers as a digital platform for displaying art; “Thanks to The Frame, I now have a new audience and a whole new way of sharing my work,” he noted. “It is incredibly motivating.”
An ardent advocate for the environment and the protection of the spaces he captures, Cobb is now selling his work via NFTs (non-fungible tokens) on platforms such as Hic et Nunc as the form of digital currency they employ consumes much less energy than other platforms. For each NFT sale he makes, he is donating a portion of the proceeds to environmental preservation organizations.
Fifteen of Cody’s pieces are available on The Frame’s Art Store now, and two of his photographs are being featured as part of this June’s Environmental Day spotlight.
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By STF News
▲ (From left) Taejin Hong and Woomin Lee of Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display TV Product Planning CX Team
Every day, Samsung Electronics’ engineers and product planners work together to the end of creating products that are as fresh as they are innovative and groundbreaking. Their mission is no simple one: to introduce new ideas and advancements in technology while raising the bar, year after year.
Since the first introduction of the flagship QLED TV in 2017, Samsung’s product planners have been responsible for the introduction of countless innovations, ideas and partnerships with the goal of bringing users the tailored, true-to-life viewing experiences they expect.
As Samsung celebrates its 15th year as the number one global TV leader, no product better demonstrates cutting-edge product innovation of the company’s teams quite like the 2021 Neo QLED. In order to learn more about the development of the 2021 Neo QLED lineup, Samsung Global Newsroom sat down with two members of Samsung Visual Display’s TV Product Planning CX team, Taejin Hong and Woomin Lee.
Innovation That Understands the User
“Consumers expect new and exciting products every year, but there is a lot of competition out there,” noted Hong. “Many brands have TVs that are of the same size as Samsung’s, and also claim to have many of the same features and resolution, so central to our product development is breaking through the competition by really focusing on providing the most optimized user experiences for our Neo QLED lineup,” he added.
Central, then, to the teams’ QLED strategy direction is the user. “Recently, we have seen a dramatic shift in what consumers are looking and asking for,” highlighted Hong. “Users are moving away from specs and feeds to upgrades that are centered around personalized viewing experiences, design, and true-to-life picture quality.”
In order to realize this, both Hong and Lee stressed that timely feedback from real users as well as the market at large is critical. “It is so important for us to receive timely input and feedback from our customers, retailers, and behavioral experts in order for us to fully understand the most up-to-date TV trends,” noted Lee. “For our 2021 lineup, we focused on developing a new viewing experience that reflects the challenging and unprecedented times of late, one that is centered around hyper-personalized screens.”
Incorporating the New Normal Into TV Development
Not only has the recent global situation completely transformed the way users are interacting with their TVs, but it has also had an effect on the way TV product planning is carried out. “Traditionally, large trade shows such as CES and IFA serve as perfect opportunities for us to gather industry feedback, while in-person sales provide on-site consumer feedback,” explained Hong. “Since both of these opportunities have been off the table since early last year, we had to create a new internal meeting system that is both timely and agile enough to provide us with feedback from various regional offices regarding their local situations. This system incorporates touchpoints with vendors, partners, retailers, and customers, and allows us to easily communicate with all those on-site and helps us respond effectively to the changing landscape.”
Since its launch in 2017, the QLED lineup has taken the premium TV market by the storm. Last year, QLED sales reached 7.79 million units, accounting for 35.5% of total Samsung TV sales. The company’s 2021 Neo QLED lineup, recently launched across various regions throughout March and April, has also provided valuable insight for the planning teams. “In Korea alone, our Neo QLED TV sales have reached 20,000 units in under two months since product launch,” said Lee. “This speaks volumes to the importance of market research and timely consumer feedback.”
This new way of working, of course, comes with as many challenges as it does opportunities. “The number of meetings and calls we have held with regional product managers, retailers, and engineers around the world has more than doubled in the past year,” highlighted Hong. “Further to this, we have been actively carrying out surveys and research into our consumers and their ever-changing TV usage habits.” But this hard work has paid off, as noted by Hong: “The pandemic has been a challenge for all, but it has also provided us with a valuable opportunity to look back at what truly matters for both us and our users.”
Harnessing Teamwork to Adapt to the Latest Trends
There is no denying that mainstream consumer TVs are becoming larger in size and that the standards for picture quality are becoming higher than ever before. However, the recent shifts in TV and behavioral trends have seen Samsung’s product planners lean towards developing hyper-personalized screens able to fit into individual consumer lifestyles.
“The past few years have been a period of introspection for a lot of people and self-improvement has become the force driving many purchases around the world,” said Lee. “According to a Salesforce report, 5 out of 10 consumers responded that they would consider swapping out a product for a different brand if it doesn’t deliver a truly personalized experience.”
But this change in behavioral trends has not resulted in a complete transformation of the team’s strategy planning. “Picture quality and design have been our top priorities since the launch of our first TV, and changing consumer usage patterns, along with the increased need to provide a one-of-a-kind experience, are what ultimately led to the creation of this year’s Neo QLED lineup,” explained Lee.
Samsung’s Neo QLED 43-inch model was also created through this multifaceted way of thinking. “Initially, we had not considered developing any sizes below 55 inches for the QLED lineup given the industry trend that saw consumers embracing larger screen models,” noted Hong. “However, following a study we undertook, we learned that there is also a growing demand for ‘second’ screens and more personalized screens used within office settings as well as family and gaming settings.”
According to the study undertaken by Samsung, the advent of the ‘new normal’ that has seen consumers spending more and more time at home has seemed to accelerate different consumer TV use cases and there has been an uptick in interest in smaller screens. “We have seen an increased demand for smaller and medium-sized screens,” said Lee. “But when it comes to developing these smaller TVs, it is not just a question of simply shrinking the size. Every piece of engineering must be adjusted for a differently-shaped model, and everything from the supply chain to the production line must be customized for each product.” In the end, teamwork brought it all together: “We quickly got together with the engineering team and started developing the smaller flagship models for release this year – teamwork at its finest!”
Developing Neo QLED to Be the Ultimate Entertainment Hub
“Another exciting trend we have noticed since the beginning of 2020 is that a lot of people are playing more games, be it on their mobile, computer or on their TV,” noted Hong. According to a recent report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), there are approximately 214 million gamers in the U.S. alone, with 75% of households having at least one member actively playing games on a regular basis.
“Gaming has become a fun group activity during the pandemic, particularly for those looking to connect with others,” highlighted Hong. “Naturally, we incorporated this trend into our latest products to provide a one-of-a-kind gaming experience. Such dedicated features on the 2021 Neo QLED include Super Ultra-wide Game View and the all-new Game Bar gaming interface – all while maintaining one of the lowest input lags in each TV category.”
Hong, in particular, is a fan of these game-centric additions to the QLED lineup. “Personally, I enjoy the Super Ultra-wide Game View feature, which enables gamers to experience ultra-wide gaming. It is a feature completely new to TVs with its 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios, and this expanded field of view is great for finding hidden items or discovering enemies lurking in the corner while gaming.”
Maintaining the Samsung Legacy of Superior Picture Quality and Design
Both Hong and Lee agree that the latest Neo QLED lineup would be nothing without the past 15 years of display innovation. “At the end of the day, the QLED’s new features and product differentiation strategy wouldn’t lead to much without our solid foundation in picture quality and design,” highlighted Hong.
Lee, who has led QLED usage studies in global markets, agreed that this was a universal trend that continues to guide consumer choice. “The Neo QLED lineup is a product that reflects a meticulous study of user behaviors and priorities,” he noted. “We realize that there are many factors to consider when looking to purchase a new TV, but at the end of the day, it is the superb image quality and sleek design offered by Samsung TVs that provide the most satisfaction to our customers.”
The Neo QLED line represents the very latest iteration of this foundational excellence. “In particular, our Neo QLED TVs are equipped with Quantum Matrix Technology and Neo Quantum Processors, which enhance the picture quality through cutting-edge upscaling technology that harness Quantum Mini LEDs that are 1/40 the size of conventional LEDs,” explained Lee. “These technologies are a culmination of the industry’s peak technological advancements all working together to bring unrivaled picture quality to users in any viewing environment.”
The innovative Quantum Mini LEDs featured in the 2021 Neo QLED lineup in fact played a very important role in design upgrades. “It is only fitting that, with such stunning picture quality and immersive audio experiences, we would also look to enhance the TV’s design,” explained Hong. “Due to the size of the Quantum Mini LEDs, we were able to modify the TV’s form factor to possess a slim and minimalistic design. It is a modern accent piece suited for any interior, all thanks to Samsung’s engineering mastery.”
Looking to 2022 – and Beyond
“I think the fact that we have been able to win over consumers for the past 15 years is a testament to Samsung’s dedication and commitment to developing products that are in line with consumers’ needs,” noted Lee. “In particular, ever since the introduction of our QLED lineup in 2017, we have seen a rapid increase in market share in the premium TV segment, which we are very proud of.”
Based on the success of Neo QLED, Samsung’s TV product planning team is in the midst of developing yet another impressive and groundbreaking product lineup for 2022. “There is truly never a dull moment during the development cycle,” noted Lee. “We are already very excited for our 2022 lineup, and we hope that it will see us extend our No. 1 title in the global TV market through 2022 for a 16-year streak.”
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By STF News
In order to provide more users around the world with easy access to diverse, high-quality TV content, Samsung Electronics is expanding its Samsung TV Plus service to 10 additional countries globally – bringing the total of countries the free Smart TV video service is available in up to 23.
Following the recent rollout of Samsung TV Plus to Australia, Brazil and Mexico, the service will be available in India and 9 new European countries – the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Portugal – starting from March 30th with India. Users around the world will also be able to enjoy enhanced mobile app experiences, as well as exclusive arts contents.
Samsung TV Plus launched in India on March 30th
Samsung TV Plus: A Truly Global Streaming Service
Delivering instant access to news, sports, entertainment and more, Samsung TV Plus has become one of the fastest-growing streaming services in the world following its debut in 2015. By May, users in these 10 new countries will be able to gain access to Samsung TV Plus’s free Live TV content across the Smart TV platform, bringing the service’s offering up to 23 countries and comprising of over 1,000 channels worldwide.
For users in India, Samsung TV Plus will be available on any Samsung Smart TV model launched from 2017 to 2021. On March 30, the regional Samsung TV Plus service will launch with 27 channels, including 22 global channels and 5 Indian local channels including Republic, 9xm, and The Q.
Expanding the Samsung TV Plus Experience
In addition to the 10 new regions added to the Samsung TV Plus service, viewers can look forward to a more refined TV Plus app experience, new Smart TV features and never-seen-before art and lifestyle content.
The Samsung TV Plus mobile app1, launched in the U.S. in September 2020, will see an expansion of its service to Canada, the U.K., Germany and India this April. App users in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria will also be able to enjoy mobile Samsung TV Plus experiences within the first half of 2021.
Samsung TV Plus mobile app
Samsung TV Plus is also bringing new content to arts enthusiasts the world over. Launched last week in the U.S., Samsung TV Plus is adding a variety of new channels to its global linear TV lineup, including ‘Loupe 4K’, the art platform’s first-ever 4K streaming art channel.
Loupe 4K, 24/7 art and synchronized music linear channel launched in US
“The growth of Samsung TV Plus has everything to do with the quality of the content, the ease of access and the multi-screen experiences offered,” said Sang Kim, SVP of Product & Marketing for Samsung Electronics. “We are working hard to deliver more to our customers wherever they are – including our mobile offering.”
Samsung TV Plus is regularly being updated in order to provide the best possible user experiences. Users can now take advantage of improvements made to the app’s Player UI, including a simpler player bar for more intuitive control. As Samsung TV Plus’s video-on-demand (VOD) offering continues to expand, users can expect to enjoy even more VOD content seamlessly and free-of-charge with the Samsung TV Plus Smart TV and mobile apps.
New player bar updated this week
1 The Samsung TV Plus app is available free of charge on the Galaxy Store and Google Play in applicable regions for select Galaxy device users running Android O OS or higher.
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