Samsung Electronics has at IFA 2013 – held in Berlin, Germany – unveiled its European vision for the consumer electronics market, showcasing the latest in Smart TV technology, home appliances and printers.
Samsung demonstrated how deep consumer insights help its designers and engineers develop products and services that anticipate and set market trends.
“One of the secrets of our success is that we go to great lengths to understand how people use technology. These insights inform everything we create. That’s how we come up with products and services that make life at home just so much more comfortable and happier,” says Boo-Keun Yoon, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics.
“Samsung is driven by three guiding principles,” he added, “people, innovation and society. During the past year, Samsung opened five Lifestyle Research Labs around the world that work to spot what customers need and want. These Labs are part of a research network that includes a further 33 R&D locations and six design centres. In all, over a quarter of Samsung’s workforce is dedicated to product innovation.”
Samsung has deep roots in Europe and plays a very active role in the region, working to train and inspire the next generation of technology leaders. In the Netherlands, Samsung trains teachers how to integrate technology in the digital classroom while in Poland, students are taught computer programming skills.
These initiatives extend to France and the UK where Samsung works to support disadvantaged children. These are just a few examples of Samsung’s drive to advance digital knowledge and help tackle youth unemployment.
Samsung has led the European TV market for the past nine years, achieved by pioneering LED and Plasma technology able to display the brightest colours, deepest blacks and sharpest pictures. Now, Samsung is driving a new era of TV innovation with bold approaches to Ultra High-Definition (UHD) and OLED technology designed to deliver the ultimate lean-back experience.
Last year, Samsung sold two TVs every second around the world, and in Europe the company has a 41% market share. To cement its leadership in Europe, Samsung surveyed over 18 000 Europeans in 18 countries to understand what they wanted from TV. The results show that extraordinary picture quality, bigger screens and a simpler, more intuitive user-experience are front-of-mind with consumers.
The Samsung UHD F9000 delivers on all three consumer desires with an unparalleled viewing experience born of pure innovation. With over eight million pixels and a resolution four times higher than Full HD, the UHD F9000 is a revolution in resolution as the most intricate of visual details are defined, clear and breathtakingly lifelike.
The unrivalled LED panel produces crisp detail, optimal colour and contrast all complemented by Quadmatic Picture Engine, the powerful picture processing technology. No matter the source of the content – SD, HD or Full HD – the Quadmatic Picture Engine adapts the source image, eliminates visual noise, improves the detail and sharpness of the image before finally up-scaling the picture to be displayed in stunning UHD.
In addition to shaper images, the F9000 and all of Samsung’s UHD TVs offer unrivalled brightness, superior contrast with the deepest blacks, and real UHD resolution using proprietary algorithms for superior images.
Designed to be a showpiece in the living room, the UHD F9000 incorporates a minimalist design with a narrow bezel, metal stand and metallic finish. The design deftly hides the built-in speakers and subwoofers for a powerful 70W sound experience and the One Connect Box removes cable clutters by aggregating all connectors from multimedia players.
The innovative craftsmanship continues on the inside as the TV has ability to upgrade its software features over time to offer more services including future UHD standards through its inbuilt Evolution Kit.
The Samsung Smart Hub, a simple and intuitive five-panel layout that turns the start screen of the TV into an entertainment and social hub, has evolved to meet another customer insight Samsung discovered; live TV is no longer at the centre of the television experience. S Recommendation suggests shows and films to watch dependent on the user’s tastes and watch history. Coupled with a Twin Tuner, built-in camera, video chat capability and one-button content sharing with mobile devices, the F9000 delivers a true state of the art viewing experience.
Samsung Digital Appliances’ vision is to deliver a home-life well-lived, built on the foundation of deep local market insight, listening to want consumers want and true design excellence. Samsung knows its customers have many passions from fantastic food and great cooking to dazzling interior design. Every digital appliance created speaks to these passions, helping to create a happier home.
In 2013, Samsung’s home appliance business grew by 14%, making it one of the fastest growing brands globally. In Europe, Samsung ranked number one in terms of market share for four consecutive years for refrigerators and microwave ovens and is on course to be number one in home appliances by 2015.
To reach this goal, Samsung is focusing on leveraging deep local insight, harnessing consumer passions and delivering design innovation. At IFA 2013, Samsung launched a range of initiatives and products tailored to enhance people’s lives at home.
Samsung has partnered with award-winning chefs to develop the future of home cooking. The newly created ‘Samsung Club des Chefs’ includes Eric Trochon of Semilla in Paris; Michel Troisgros of Maison Troisgros in Roanne, France; Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli of Frankie Sputino in New York; and Christopher Kostow of The Meadowhead in Napa Valley, California.
This elite group of professional chefs will suggest ways for people to discover new cooking techniques in their kitchens and provide invaluable expertise in the creation of future Samsung products.
Building on consumer insights, Samsung developed the Motion Sync Vacuum Cleaner SC20F70 prioritising design and easy-of-use. A revolutionary Motion Sync Design makes it one of the most agile canister vacuums on the market, reducing the amount of movement needed by the user while innovative CycloneForce Multi technology maintains powerful suction for maximum performance.
Coupled with controls on the handle, sensors that detect areas to be cleaned and a bagless design, the Motion Sync Vacuum Cleaner combines exceptional performance with superior manoeuvrability.
Samsung conducted research into how families organise the food in their refrigerators and found that often there is little structure to the placement of items. The Food Showcase side-by-side refrigerator separates the interior into ShowCase and InnerCase sections.
These sections give easy access to everyday items as well as those used less frequently, thereby delivering greater convenience for every member of the family on a daily basis.
The understated design conveys a sense of purity with a clean material finish. With a volume of 834 litres, the Food Showcase incorporates Space Max Technology that allows the walls to be thinner and insulate better in comparison to standard refrigerators. Food ShowCase will be available to European consumers from early 2014.
Samsung is developing its printing portfolio through a focus on mobility, the user-experience and design with an aim to become the number one A4 laser and multi-function printer (MFP) manufacturer by 2017. Advances in mobility, security and the dramatic growth of digital content are driving the need for modern devices that let users personally manage their work and home printing environments.
Samsung has been developing mobile focused printing applications since 2009 including a dedicated Mobile Print app, Wi-Fi Direct support, and a Native photo printing button and recently added Google Cloud Print and NFC functionality.
In Berlin, Samsung showcased the world’s first NFC multifunction printer, the Xpress C460. Evolved from the consumer desire for greater communication, collaboration and connectivity, users can now print photos and documents directly from smartphones with just a simple tap. Scanning and faxing documents is also made easy as users are able to sync the contacts on their smartphones with the printer.
Simplifying the user experience is central to how Samsung develops its products and the company recognised that the process of setting up wireless printers often involved multiple stages. With the Xpress C460 installation is three quick steps without even the need for a USB connection between the printer and computer.
