Samsung Honored for Continued Sustainability Leadership by the U.S. EPA
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By Samsung Newsroom
In 2022, Samsung Electronics announced its environmental strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
As part of these sustainability efforts, Samsung has expanded the use of recycled materials in plastic parts for its products. By 2030, Samsung aims to incorporate 50% recycled materials into its plastic parts and by 2050, aims to use 100% recycled materials for all of its plastic parts.
Samsung’s SolarCell Remote exemplifies Samsung’s commitment to the environment, and as it celebrates its third anniversary, Samsung Newsroom is exploring how this eco-conscious product has progressed since its initial release in 2021, with perspectives from JongKeun Lee of H/W Platform Lab and HyunJoo Kim of Mecha Solution Lab.
▲ (From left) JongKeun Lee from H/W Platform Lab and HyunJoo Kim from Mecha Solution Lab
Eliminating the Need for Disposable Batteries
Samsung Electronics developed the SolarCell Remote to combat the environmental impact of discarding used batteries. It is the industry’s first rechargeable remote control, with a solar panel (solar cell) that can be charged by sunlight or indoor lighting. The remote can also be charged with a USB-C cable so consumers have many ways to charge their remote.
“The level of carbon emissions from the SolarCell Remote, from production to disposal, is roughly one-third of that of the manufacturing of disposable batteries1,” said JongKeun Lee from H/W Platform Lab. “By eliminating the need for disposable batteries, not only are fewer resources consumed but carbon emissions are lowered by manufacturing fewer batteries over time.”
Another remarkable feature is its low power consumption. The SolarCell Remote was designed to run on about 10% of the power that typical remote controls use. “Samsung made significant progress by drastically eliminating unnecessary outputs and operations, contributing to great energy savings,” Lee added.
The SolarCell Remote Recycles More Than Six Tonnes of Waste
Twenty-four percent of the plastics used in the SolarCell Remote come from recycled materials. This means more than six tonnes of waste are recycled for the annual production of 10 million SolarCell Remotes. This equates to about an 18% decrease in carbon emissions compared to production using conventional materials.
This was no simple undertaking. It takes time and effort to develop and apply alternative materials made from recycled waste in a meaningful way.
“With growing concerns about ocean waste, we looked carefully into many solutions. We chose to use recycled plastics from discarded fishing nets for 20% of brackets of the 2023 SolarCell Remote,” said HyunJoo Kim from Mecha Solution Lab. “Going forward, we aim to foster the use of these resources and utilize recycled plastics more aggressively.”
“This year, we started using recycled plastics from discarded fishing nets. While they are costly and difficult to process, the end result is a higher quality of materials which contribute to our mission of everyday sustainability,” Kim added. “The process is quite extensive, from sorting out the waste to cleaning, removing toxic substances and improving material properties.”
In recognition of this product’s environmentally friendly design, Time Magazine selected the SolarCell Remote as one of Time Magazine’s “The Best Inventions of 2022”.
All of Samsung’s 2023 Lifestyle TVs are equipped with the 2023 SolarCell Remote. Samsung’s goal is to integrate more eco-conscious products and processes into a wider range of models across regions and empower consumers to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
In addition, Samsung decreased the size of the SolarCell Remote by 25% in its latest iteration. This means that the remote control uses less plastic while enhancing the product’s usability.
“As the SolarCell Remote became smaller, manufacturing uses less plastic and it became an ideal size for consumers’ hands, making it a better product all around,” Lee explained.
Pursuing an Eco-Conscious Strategy With a Streamlined Approach
So, what are Samsung’s next steps to enhance sustainability of the SolarCell Remote?
“We are continuing to move in the direction of light, thin and small to keep the use of plastic low,” Kim said.
“We are dedicated to creating a user-friendly remote control that consumes fewer resources and less energy,” Lee said. “Samsung’s ultimate goal is to empower users to control products with minimal effort while reducing the use of materials and energy. This could mean one day we get rid of the remote control entirely. The SolarCell Remote is a bold step in the direction of everyday sustainability and we can’t wait to show everyone what’s next.”
The ambitious journey of the SolarCell Remote to contribute to a more eco-conscious lifestyle is just beginning.
1 Considering most TVs are used for seven years and an AA battery for their remote controls are replaced once in a year, the number of discarded batteries for a TV will be 14 every seven years. This means charging and using SolarCell Remote for seven years reduces carbon emissions by one third compared to using AA batteries.
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By BGR
The only thing Samsung can do to fight the iPhone 14 Pro right now is run ridiculous ads that mock Apple. And Samsung is lucky the recent lockdowns in China significantly impacted the production of Apple’s new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. Samsung’s best bet for competing against the iPhone 14 series isn’t the Galaxy S22 or the latest foldable phones. It’s the Galaxy S23 series coming early next year. But now, a leaker claims the Galaxy S23 release date hasn’t yet been decided because Samsung can’t figure out how to price the new flagships.
Recent reports claimed that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S23 at some point in early February. That’s a somewhat regular schedule for the Galaxy S series. The phone should then hit stores shortly after preorders begin.
But we have no official dates from Samsung, and there’s no reason for the Korean vendor to hurry. There’s plenty of time to announce the Galaxy S23 launch event and actually host one in person.
A leaker now says on Twitter that Samsung might delay the release. The reason for the change is said to be the Galaxy S23 price. Samsung reportedly hasn’t decided what to charge for the three Galaxy S23 models.
Getting the price right is a key factor for the Galaxy S23’s success, as previous models have shown. It’s easy to speculate that Samsung will keep the Galaxy S22 price structure in place. But the current economy might force Samsung to increase the phone’s price in some markets.
Apple kept the iPhone 13 price tiers in place for the iPhone 14, which was an incredible feat. But it did so only in the US. Apple raised iPhone prices in other markets as the dollar has been much stronger than other currencies.
Galaxy S23 price speculation aside, rumors say that Samsung wants to spare no expense with the 2023 flagships. The Galaxy S22 performance scandal forced Samsung to defend against claims that its cost-cutting policies hurt the phone’s ability to deliver sustained performance.
Galaxy S23 Plus revealed in leaked renders. Image source: @OnLeaks/Smartprix Assuming that Samsung is indeed sparing no expense to make the Galaxy S23 phones, we can expect higher manufacturing costs for the three flagships. Especially considering that all three devices will feature only Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship processor. There will not be an Exynos 2300 next year to slow down the Galaxy S23.
With about two months until the Galaxy S23 launch, there’s plenty of time for the price and release date to leak. It’s a dance we’re all familiar with. These key details leak ahead of each Samsung flagship launch.
The post Galaxy S23 price problems might lead to a delayed release appeared first on BGR.
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By Samsung Newsroom
Samsung Electronics’ all new 2022 QLED TV models have become the world’s first Pantone Validated HDR displays for Pantone Matching System (PMS) and Pantone SkinTone colors. Pantone is the foremost authority in the global color industry and more than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control color from inspiration to realization.
The recognition, a first for any global TV manufacturer, was awarded to Samsung QLED TVs for their true color expression of over 2,000 Pantone colors, as well as and newly added 110 skin tone shades.
Samsung Newsroom spoke to Ed Hattenberger, Senior Technical Product Manager at Pantone, who has accumulated over 20 years of experience in the color industry and manages the Pantone Validated program.
△ Ed Hattenberger, Senior Technical Product Manager at Pantone
Q. What is your current role and what does it entail?
A. As a senior technical product manager, I use my knowledge of color to help companies realize their creative vision from design and specification through to final production. I also lead the innovation of various digital color products at Pantone, including Pantone Validated, our patent-pending color testing process for displays and printers that ensures products can simulate the full range of Pantone Colors and skin tones and in doing so meet Pantone’s exacting criteria.
Q. Why is accurate color reproduction so important for consumer TVs and how did the Pantone Validated program set out to improve this?
A. Today’s consumers want brands that represent equality, inclusivity and authenticity, and true color fidelity from their viewing experience plays an essential role. Regardless of the medium — physical or digital — consumers seek out and invest in products that reflect this. Pantone Validated provides an added layer of confidence to the consumer that the colors and skin tones seen on a screen are authentically reproduced according to the definitions found in Pantone Color and SkinTone guides and related Pantone Validated processes.
“During our measurement testing, we found that Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology provides the full range of colors even at peak brightness.”
Q. To readers not familiar with Pantone Validated, what does the achievement of this approval signify? Can you tell us in simple terms the standards a display has to meet? Why should consumers look out for the Pantone Validated check mark when purchasing their Samsung product?
A. The Pantone Validated logo signifies that a product, such as a Samsung HDR TV or Display, meets Pantone’s rigorous testing and calibration requirements for reproducing real world Pantone Colors and skin tones with a high level of color fidelity. Our Pantone Validated process was created by color scientists and technicians at Pantone with decades of color experience. It uses a stringent, patent-pending testing process that leverages advanced X‑Rite and Pantone color management technology. Over the past decade, we have tested and qualified hundreds of consumer and professional color devices from leading manufacturers worldwide.
Q. Samsung has received two awards — Pantone Validated and Pantone SkinTone Validated. Can you briefly describe what Pantone SkinTone Validated means to consumers and how it is different from Pantone Validated?
A. Pantone Validated uses the universally recognized Pantone Matching System (PMS) digital library and objectively tests more than 2000+ Pantone colors. For Samsung, we tested the PMS colors in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode for maximum color rendering capabilities.
Pantone SkinTone Validated is an extension of the Pantone Validated program and tests color reproduction based on 110 unique skin tones, all of which can be found in the Pantone SkinTone Guide. This guide is the first scientifically based guide integrating the physical measurements of thousands of actual skin tones from the full spectrum of ethnicities, geographical zones and ages.
Pantone SkinTone Validated ensures that tested models from leading TV and display companies can accurately represent the world’s palette of skin tones. This helps brands demonstrate to consumers that their products and technology are more inclusive than ever.
Q. In your experience with Samsung TVs, what stands out to you about the Pantone Validated qualifications these models have received? Can you tell us any interesting facts or data points that demonstrate how Samsung TVs received Pantone Validated approval?
A. Samsung is the world’s first HDR TV and Display manufacturer to participate in and receive Pantone Validated and Pantone SkinTone Validated. This is a testament to Samsung’s commitment to being a market leader. Their confidence in adopting Pantone Validated is steadfast proof of their desire to deliver world-class TV and display products.
Q. Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology is all about color. Instead of producing standard blues and reds, it displays highly specific blues and reds, providing an intense level of accuracy in color reproduction. What role do you think this has played in achieving Pantone Validated?
A. During our measurement testing, we found that Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology provides the full range of colors even at peak brightness. Because the Pantone SkinTone Validated testing process is extremely meticulous, it will quickly call out any deviation from its target Pantone SkinTone Colors at a variety of brightness levels. Samsung’s HDR and Quantum Dot technology and related capabilities enable these televisions to achieve and maintain the color fidelity requirements to become Pantone SkinTone Validated.
“Samsung is the world’s first HDR TV and Display manufacturer to participate in and receive Pantone Validated and Pantone SkinTone Validated. This is a testament to Samsung’s commitment to being a market leader.”
Q. What do you believe is in store for the future of Pantone?
A. Pantone remains committed to color communication and inspiration. We are working on solutions that help brands and creators bridge the digital and physical worlds and ensure a consistent customer experience — in person, on a screen or in the meta. We will continue to develop innovative digital products that support today’s digital content workflows. Together with products and technology from X-Rite, Pantone solutions can help realize the creative intent in the final form of any brand’s product.
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By Samsung Newsroom
The pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us, with many people’s day-to-day routines changing greatly during this period. With many spending more time at home over the past year, a lot of people have taken up new hobbies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has led to a significant uptick in gaming across the globe. According to a recent report from IDC, sales volume of the gaming monitor market will increase by 40% from 14.1 million in 2020 to 19.8 million units in 2021.1
Against this backdrop, Samsung has delivered on gamers’ expectations with the launch of groundbreaking new gaming monitors. Through relentless innovation, Samsung has maintained its position as the number one worldwide leader in the gaming monitor market for three consecutive years.2
To learn more about how Samsung’s gaming monitors have developed over the years, check out the infographic below.
1 IDC Q2 2021 Gaming Monitor Forecast Report
2 IDC Worldwide Gaming Tracker, Q2 2021, 17.1% market share based on revenue (over 100Hz)
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