Friday 30 August 2019

Galaxy Note10 features simple, eco-friendly packaging that utilizes sustainable materials in place of plastics and vinyl

Striking a perfect balance of power and pocketability, the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+ pack an array of bar-raising performance technologies and productivity tools into a slim, nearly bezel-less design that’s as stunning as the devices are powerful.
Yun-je Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Design Team, summed up the philosophy behind the flagships’ design. “These days, our smartphones are always in our hands, and they’re becoming items that express our individuality and preferences,” said Kang. “From the beginning, we worked hard to achieve a design that reflected a deep understanding of how consumers use their smartphones today.”
Let’s examine how Samsung optimized the Galaxy Note10’s form factor to offer Millennial and Gen Z users a more immersive and productive smartphone experience.

Packaging That Puts the Planet First
When developing new Galaxy devices, Samsung prioritizes enhancements that make its powerful innovations simpler and more sustainable. Sustainability has never been more important to consumers – particularly Millennials. In fact, according to a recent Nielsen report, up to 73 percent of Millennials say they’d be willing to pay extra for sustainable goods.

Like the Galaxy S10 before it, the Galaxy Note10 features simple, eco-friendly packaging that utilizes sustainable materials in place of plastics and vinyl, and was designed with a focus on consuming fewer resources. Now, each smartphone and its components are fitted into a sturdy pulp mold rather than being packaged separately.

Other environmentally friendly adjustments include Samsung’s decisions to use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified paper when producing the Galaxy Note10’s packaging and manuals, replace plastic ties with paper alternatives, and utilize 20 percent recycled plastic when crafting the devices’ chargers.

In addition to utilizing more environmentally friendly materials in its products and packaging, Samsung continues to explore innovative ways to reduce electronics waste through initiatives like the Galaxy Upcycling program. By championing the benefits of upcycling, which involves finding new and useful applications for old technology, the company’s efforts are not only helping to save more devices from ending up in landfills; they’re also spurring the development of dynamic technologies with potential applications in the worlds of healthcare, education and more.
As Kang explained, sustainability remains a guiding focus when designing new Galaxy innovations. “Sustainability is an important value in Galaxy device design,” said Kang. “Going forward, Samsung will continue to pursue sustainable innovation – not only by simplifying products’ designs, but also by removing unnecessary elements, and by replacing materials with more eco-friendly alternatives.”


Sleek and Slim, with an All-New S Pen
The Galaxy Note10 features a streamlined form that’s comfortable to grasp and looks as if it were chiseled from a single piece of glass. Simple but solid, the smartphones’ monolith-like frame supports a nearly bezel-less display, which offers multitasking Note users more room to do what they do best.
The smartphones’ brilliant Cinematic Infinity Display gracefully flows over the edges, blurring the line between body and display. Centered at the top is the in-display cutout for the front-facing camera. In addition to lending the screen a balanced aesthetic, the lens’s placement opens the door for users to enjoy a wide range of fun and inventive wallpaper designs that utilize the camera in creative ways.

In addition, the Note series’ signature feature, the S Pen, has been updated with a redesign and a slew of convenient enhancements, including support for multiple hues in Samsung Notes. Now, when using Samsung’s powerful notetaking app, users can easily save a preferred pen color and style as their favorite pen, load it with the touch of the S Pen’s button, and start writing and drawing to their heart’s content. Moreover, the S Pen’s seamless integration into the Galaxy Note10’s body enhances the devices’ unibody aesthetic.
The S Pen itself is comfortable in the hand, and an absolute pleasure to use. Samsung eliminated as many unnecessary elements as possible when refining the S Pen’s design, resulting in a sleek and sophisticated form. The S Pen’s Samsung logo and metallic section – fixtures of previous S Pens’ designs – have also been removed to enhance the tool’s elegant aesthetic.

To make users’ experience even more satisfying, Samsung also equipped the new S Pen with the ability to recreate the actual sounds that pens and other utensils make when writing or drawing. So scribbling a note on the Galaxy Note10’s display sounds just like scribbling on paper. And each time the user places the S Pen back in their device, they’ll hear a slight click, like the sound that a cap makes when it’s placed on a pen.

More Choices and Colors
The introduction of the 6.3-inch Galaxy Note10 and the 6.8-inch Galaxy Note10+ marks the first time that a Galaxy Note will be available in two sizes. Offering the newest Note in a compact form factor – alongside a model similar in size to previous editions – enables smartphone users who prefer a smaller screen to experience the signature Note features that make these devices so special.
The Galaxy Note10’s gorgeous design is complemented by a selection of three likewise stunning color options: Aura Glow, Aura White, and Aura Black. The latter two hues are exquisite in their luster, as is the iridescent Aura Glow, which reflects a rainbow of colors depending on the angle of the light, in what amounts to an eye-catching visualization of the smartphones’ ability to streamline a wide range of user interests. Additional color options – available in select markets – include the equally beautiful Aura Red, Aura Pink and Aura Blue.*

To offer users more ways to make their smartphone their own, the Galaxy Note10 also features a wide-ranging accessory selection that includes stylish covers of various colors and materials. Choose the Clear View cover for a practical look, or the Leather Cover for a more classic aesthetic.

A sustainable approach to doing business, the Samsung way.

The Samsung Delight Store on Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi
Samsung optimizes costs and promotes synergy to ensure economic sustainability, mandates adherence to international regulations and transparency for social sustainability and insists on only working with certified Eco-Partners the world over. The company works relentlessly to help its suppliers achieve growth according to the belief that Samsung’s success is rooted in the competitiveness of its suppliers at every level.

Selection of Suppliers
Samsung evaluates prospective suppliers based on criteria that include EHS (environment, health and safety), labor and human rights, and Eco-Partner standing. After a company passes the initial screening, in-house experts in each category are deployed to conduct on-site assessments of the prospective supplier. Companies are required to comply with regulations regarding the handling of chemicals of concern, bans on discrimination and inhumane treatment and social and environmental impact, among others.

An open-sourcing program is used to allow companies to apply to become Samsung suppliers. The International Procurement Center (IPC) and Global Supplier Relationship Management System (G-SRM) accept submissions from organizations that want to propose use of their components or materials for Samsung products. Samsung’s IPCs are additionally present in strategically significant locations all over the world to monitor regional technology trends and identify potential suppliers. These methods allow Samsung to ensure that its supply chain remains competitive, as well as sustainable.

Once new suppliers are brought on-board, Samsung looks to heighten transparency by disclosing its list of suppliers with their consent. From there, procurement operations are managed by an integrated procurement system. The company requires suppliers to adhere to the Samsung Supplier Code of Conduct, which ensures that they operate in accordance with local laws and regulations, while helping them maintain responsible management of their working environments.

Supplier Evaluation
Samsung performs in-depth supplier evaluations annually. During these evaluations, suppliers’ competitiveness and ability to maintain sustainability are measured using eight evaluation criteria: technology, quality, responsiveness, delivery, cost, EHS, finance, and law. Several methods are employed in the evaluation of suppliers, including on-site inspection and the review of previously uploaded data. Evaluations are carried out on an ongoing basis throughout the year, allowing suppliers to monitor their performance along the way. In 2018 Samsung evaluated 91% of its total suppliers, with those who had been registered with the company for less than a year excluded from evaluation. The company also requires all primary suppliers to complete annual self-assessments according to 85 criteria set out by the RBA (Responsible Business Alliance), of which Samsung is a member.

Samsung also conducts both on-site and third-party audits of its suppliers. On-site audits are led by RBA auditors, and conducted by dedicated teams who interview suppliers’ employees and examine their workplaces. After the audit is carried out, Samsung devises final improvement tasks, which are expected to be completed within 30 days. Applying the same criteria as the RBA, Samsung achieved a compliance rate of 91% for on-site audits in 2018, and the company is making further efforts to continue lifting that number. Also in 2018, Samsung drastically increased the number of third-party supplier audits, especially in the Southeast Asian region, where some concerns around working environments had been raised. Despite the significant increase in the number of third party audits in 2018, compliance rates were relatively consistent with those from 2017, implying that efforts to improve suppliers’ working environments had been successful.

Samsung charges first-tier suppliers with the evaluation of their relevant sub-suppliers, making them responsible for evaluating working conditions and ensuring compliance. Samsung has developed and distributed a safe management guidance to first-tier suppliers that assists them in evaluating the environmental and health and safety performance of lower-tier suppliers. First-tier suppliers are held accountable for ensuring a safe working environment at lower-tier suppliers and honestly reflecting the outcome of evaluations.

Saturday 24 August 2019

Why QLED TV is the Technology to Watch Out for in 2019

Samsung has been a pioneer in TV design for 50 years. Over that time, Samsung has researched what people love most about TV – the way it brings friends and families together and the many details that amplifies the viewing experience. This knowledge has led to innovation that has transformed how people watch TV and is one of the reasons it has been global number 1 for the 13 years. The 2019 QLED line-up builds on this legacy in a big way.

“Pictures that are as breath-taking as they are ground-breaking” is how Forbes Magazine described the Samsung QLED TV it reviewed in February this year. This is a sentiment that has been echoed by reviewers around the world. TechRader addressed the QLED versus OLED debate by citing the Samsung 65Q90R as ‘’Capable of competing with and often surpassing even the best OLED’s.” Powered by Samsung’s patented Quantum Processor, the 2019 QLED TV line-up features more screen size options, stunning picture quality enhancements, dazzling colours from every angle, exciting new design elements and intuitive smart TV upgrades.

QLED is Leading the Way
QLED TVs use quantum dots to enhance performance, delivering better brightness and a wider colour spectrum. That’s because the dots act like a filter when applied on top of an LED backlight. This produces a light purer than an LED can provide. Beyond TV viewing, QLED is also the best for gaming as it has the fastest refresh times, which could be the difference between victory and losing a precious lifeline. QLED TVs are also far brighter than current OLED TVs. For example, the 65” Q90 can push out a peak measured light output (on a white HDR window filling 10% of the screen) of 2050 nits. That’s seriously impressive.

QLED Beats the Burn
And the innovation doesn’t stop at just the quality of the overall picture but on its impressive performance in another crucial area that requires everyone’s attention. Since QLED TVs don’t use organic elements, they are essentially immune to screen burn-in. This is a display issue in which certain facets of an image shown on a TV screen, such as a channel logo are either not shown properly, or fragments of that image remain on the screen. It then appears longer, as though it is embedded onto the display. This has been cited as one of the crucial flaws of OLED TV display technology. In fact, a quick search for “OLED Burn-in” on YouTube shows the high volume of criticism from those who have experienced the issue first-hand, as well as a number of burn-in tests, which compare Samsung’s QLED TV and OLED TV to demonstrate how the two displays differ on this very critical concern. A helpful video to view is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZHf8AgoLIU. Clearly, Samsung has mastered an area that can impact viewing in a big way. You
  
Consumers Now Have Access to More Content Than Ever
As announced at CES 2019, Samsung has taken the user experience to the next level by offering iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support on 2019 Samsung Smart TV models. In an industry first, a new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app is available on the QLED range. It works seamlessly with Samsung’s Smart TV Services, the new Voice Command and Search, to create a consistent experience across Samsung’s platform. With AirPlay 2 support, Samsung customers will be able to effortlessly play videos, photos, music, podcasts and more from Apple devices directly to Samsung Smart TVs, including QLED 4K and 8K TVs as well as other Samsung UHD and HD models. Additionally, it works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Samsung’s 2019 QLED line is designed for users who want the best combination of picture quality, smart TV capabilities and design. This year’s line-up represents its largest screen size offering ever. It brings together innovative feature enhancements and exciting content and service partnerships to deliver a truly ground-breaking viewing experience and unprecedented value.