Samsung expands range of consumer IoT devices
Samsung hopes the internet of things (IoT) will become “the new normal” as it increases the range of home appliances it offers with enhanced connectivity. The South Korean tech company has launched a 43-inch TV that is shaped like a frame around a work of art and called The Frame For Europe, which can display classic works of art and other related content. The company has also launched an AI-powered washing machine, QuickDrive, that can recommend washing plans and automatically reorder detergent. Samsung also offers a range of sport-orientated wearables.

[THE INVESTOR] Aiming to continue leading in technological prowess, Samsung Electronics said on Aug. 30 that its presentation theme at Europe’s largest tradeshow for home appliances will be lifestyles with enhanced connectivity and convenience.



Two days before the IFA 2017 kicks off Friday, Samsung Electronics unveiled new flagship consumer electronic products and services for the second half of the year at a series of press conferences.







An outdoor advertisement shows Samsung’s proposal for lifestyles with enhanced connectivity and convenience at City Cube Berlin, a venue for the IFA 2017 that kicks off on Aug. 30. Samsung Electronics.





Calling it the “new normal,” David Lowes, chief marking officer of Samsung’s Europe business, said, “To become meaningful, technological innovation should naturally meld into the daily lives of consumers and be able to change their lives.”



“Samsung is making best efforts to introduce innovative products and services that are going to become a new normal for the lives of consumers around the world.”



The Korean tech titan debuted its 43-inch art frame-like TV The Frame for Europe, the first market where it is being launched. The model will be introduced later to Russian and US markets.



The release follows the successful launch of bigger Frame TVs -- 55 inch and 65 inch -- in the region in May.



The Samsung Frame TV has also become a new platform for the distribution of artworks, providing consumers with content related to the arts through partnerships with renowned art galleries including Prado in Spain.



Samsung plans to secure up to 1,000 pieces of artwork for its Art Store platform, through which users can purchase art pieces via their TVs by the end of the year.



As for technological partnerships, Samsung announced a new alliance for its High Dynamic Range 10 Plus, the company’s visual display technology, with Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox and Japan’s Panasonic to expand application of the technology for visual content on different devices.



Another first for the company is the new artificial intelligence-powered washing machine QuickDrive, which cuts washing time by half. Its exclusive Q-Drum consists of a large main drum and a plate in the back that rotates independently.



Unlike conventional washers that move clothes repeatedly up and down over the course of a cycle, the latest washer moves clothes from top to bottom in the drum, while the plate in the back of the drum introduces a back and forth movement, the company said.



QuickDrive’s smart AI feature, dubbed “Q-rator,” has a function called Laundry Planner through which the washer recommends an appropriate course when users set a finish time. Another function, Laundry Recipe, recommends the best course according to the amount of clothes. An automatic detergent refill function allows users to order more detergent through Amazon when it runs out.



“QuickDrive will make significant changes to lives by returning the time spent on household chores back to consumers as spare time,” said Daniel Harvie, head of marketing of household appliances in Europe.



Samsung also introduced its first cordless stand-type vacuum machine Power Stick with 150-watt vacuuming power, the industry’s most powerful. It has a handle that folds in at up to 50 degrees when reaching under beds or the top surfaces of closets.



In addition, the world’s biggest handset manufacturer showed the new wearable devices Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro with enhanced functions for sports, and the cord-free ear set Gear IconX 2018.



The smart watch Gear Sport and sports band Gear Fit2 Pro both won the 5ATM water resistance grade. They can be worn while swimming.



The Gear IconX 2018 not only enables music streaming, but also provides fitness coaching and health data. If a user owns a Bixby-based Samsung smartphone, the ear set can be linked to the device’s voice-activated AI program, allowing the user to operate the smartphone by issuing verbal commands via the ear set.



At the core of Samsung’s new normal for home appliances lies “clever connectivity,” which aims to connect all kinds of devices and appliances, “championing impossibility,” the company highlighted.



“Samsung and about 390 other companies around the world are working to set standards for Internet of Things technologies to connect a countless number of devices in order to maximize user experience,” said Matthew Perry, head of the Open Connectivity Foundation, a global organization for IoT.



By Song Su-hyun/The Korea Herald (song@heraldcorp.com)