TechTheDay

Samsung has been attending the CES annually for quite some time now, offering people news about their recent innovations and technological improvements. This year, Samsung has done it again and presents a lot of new and exciting technologies for their customers.

IoT Through SmartThings

Samsung’s Technology has become more connected and intelligent over the years. This year they reported that 90% of their products are IoT-ready like what they promised in 2016. But that’s just apparently the tip of the iceberg because Samsung has re-introduced their SmartThings technology this year and has renewed their vow to integrate all their devices to be IoT-compatible by 2020.

SmartThings was a startup Samsung purchased back in 2014 and they’ve been developing it since. In 2017 they spent $14 billion in R&D for I0T development with the goal of being able to connect all devices and appliances and infuse them with intelligence. Hyunsuk Kim, the Head of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division and Samsung Research, said that they “believe IoT should be as easy as flipping a switch.” With the set-up of connecting everything that is SmartThings-enabled, like Smart View, Smart Home, and Samsung Connect, people will be able to control all the devices from their phone, TV, or any device that has the SmartThings app.

The Toys

Of course, it won’t be a Samsung conference in CES without the usual announcement of their electronic goodies. And there are lots of them:

1. TV and display.  One giant screen called “The Wall” is a 146-inch modular TV with MicroLED technology, that lets LEDs turn on and off individually. This gives the TV infinite contrast that can rival OLED. Other Samsung TVs are using the QLED technology, which, although not as good as LG’s OLED technology, is still good to look at. Then there’s the Q9S. Samsung’s first 8K TV with A.I. capabilities.
2. Computers. It includes new laptops like the Notebook 7 Spin, which is a 13.3-inch clamshell, tablet-laptop with a few enhancements, and the Notebook 9 Spin, which is a 15-inch tablet-laptop convertible as well.
3. Home Appliances. There’s the WW6850N washing machine with QuickDrive technology, a SmartThings-ready Family Hub refrigerator.
4. Others. Then there’s the NW700, which is a 3.1-channel soundbar, and the VL5, which is a wireless speaker that allows the users to change the loudness through a magnetic puck.

Others include the new Exynos 9810, a 2.9GHz processor with advance deep-learning skills and enhanced image processing. It is a “3rd generation custom CPU” created with the latest “10nm process technology” made for multi-tasking. It has 8 cores, 4 of them are the 3rd generation custom cores and the other 4 are optimized for efficiency. The architecture has a wider pipeline and better cache memory, making single-core and multi-core performances enhanced by 200% and 40% respectively.

Connecting Everything

Another thing Samsung talked about in their conference was their current partnership with the Open Connectivity Foundation so they can set industry standards. The OCF is the biggest IoT standardization body and Samsung has gotten the OCF’s certification for their Family Hub Fridge and ARTIK chip. As a bonus, Bixby is also expected to be integrated to all the smart devices. They will all operate under the SmartThings Cloud, where users can control and monitor everything.

But Where’s The Galaxy S9?

Sadly, there is much silence from Samsung about the Galaxy S9 and the only news going around is that the Exynos 9810 will be used in it. But for the absolute facts about Samsung’s next flagship, we’ll have to wait for the Mobile World Congress in February in Madrid, Spain.

If all goes well according to Samsung’s plans, all the devices would be interconnected in the future and would cement Samsung’s leadership in the industry. Not bad considering they invested $14 billion just for the R&D of IoT and AI technology, and created AI centers around the world as part of their Research unit. Would this be enough for people to forget their embarrassing past? Probably yes, but only IF it does go according to their plans.