Sustainability, Partnerships Key Samsung Initiatives for 2022, Says CEO Han

Headlining Samsung product introductions was the Freestyle, a combination smart speaker and portable projector targeted at millennials and Generation Z consumers. The company is taking preorders for the $899 device with a Feb. 8 delivery date. The voice-controllable projector has Alexa built-in, along with Samsung’s Bixby voice engine, according to a product webpage that says voice assistants and apps “are subject to change.” Preorders through Jan. 23 are eligible for a free case.

Freestyle has a Micro HDMI port to show external content, and it's compatible with devices with AirPlay 2, SmartThings or Tap View, says the Samsung website. It has a built-in 5-watt amplifier, and demonstrations showed the device projecting images, video and streaming content onto walls and ceilings indoors and outside in a camping trip setting. The 1.8-pound HD projector, small and light enough to be held in one hand, can be powered by a USB-connected battery pack; a battery base is available as an accessory. The projector has keystone correction; screen sizes range from 30 inches at 2.6 feet to 100 inches at 8.8 feet, said the company.

The Freestyle has SmartThings Hub software, launched at CES, which is also integrated into select 2022 Samsung Smart TVs, smart monitors and Family Hub refrigerators. “By integrating SmartThings Hub technology into select Samsung products, we are eliminating a barrier to entry and streamlining the entire process” to let consumers create a connected home, said Mark Benson, head of product and engineering at Samsung SmartThings.

SmartThings supports the Matter interoperability standard, which will enable SmartThings customers to leverage various smart home communication protocols, Benson said. In addition to Matter, built-in software will support Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections, and additional connectivity to Zigbee devices will be possible via an optional USB accessory, he said.

Samsung’s commitment to Matter will help create a seamless experience among products in the home and beyond, Benson said. “We know that we can’t do this alone," he said, introducing the Home Connectivity Alliance, a consortium of manufacturers in the connected home space that are working together to “reduce vendor silos in the home and to bring new features and services to consumers globally.” In addition to Samsung, founding members include American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning, Arcelik, Electrolux, Haier, GE Appliances and Trane Residential. The companies’ shared vision is to ensure that consumers' large investments in the home -- HVAC, TVs and refrigerators -- offer “safety, reliability and security regardless of brand."

Katherine Shin, Trane vice president-customer experience, said HCA's goals are full interoperability among products developed by members, giving consumers more choice among “appliance brands they already know and trust”; ensuring that data is stored in a secure environment; and delivering “tangible and continuous innovation” in the smart home landscape. Shin described a scenario where the TV works with the HVAC system to detect temperature based on where occupants are in the home, automatically adjusting settings to make sure comfort settings are “hyperpersonalized” in every room. A robot vacuum could work with a smart air purifier to measure and detect air quality in the home, “and as needed, clean the air automatically to create healthy living spaces.” She invited other appliance makers to join HCA.

Addressing sustainability, Han said Samsung puts “everyday sustainability” in practice by adopting low-impact manufacturing processes, carbon footprint-reducing packaging and responsible end-of-life product disposal. The company's efforts to cut carbon emissions in the production cycle of memory chips resulted in reductions of 700,000 tons of carbon emissions last year, he said. In 2022, Samsung’s Visual Display business plans to use 30 times more recycled plastics than it did last year, and the company plans to extend the use of recycled materials to include all mobile products and home appliances over the next three years, Han said.

Samsung is building sustainability into how customers experience its products, including enhancements to its SolarCell Remote, which eliminates battery waste using a built-in solar panel that can be charged during the day and night, Han said. The latest SolarCell Remote harvests electricity from RF in devices like Wi-Fi routers and will be included in more Samsung products such as TVs and home appliances, Han said. The company’s goal is to keep over 200 million batteries from going to landfills.

By 2025, Samsung plans to make all its TVs and phone chargers operate on near-zero standby power, so the products will consume “almost no energy” when not being used, Han said. It will make its eco-conscious technologies like the SolarCell Remote open source for other companies to use.

Addressing “microplastics” released when consumers wash synthetic textiles such as nylon, Han announced an initiative with clothing maker Patagonia to start eliminating microplastics that break down over time into tiny pieces and can have a harmful effect on humans and wildlife. A World Wildlife Fund report estimates that humans ingest the equivalent of one credit card of plastic per week through air and water.

Samsung and Patagonia are working on ways to mitigate the microplastics disbursement from textiles and laundry. Samsung is designing a new washing machine that lets people safely and effectively wash their clothes while minimizing the impact of microplastics, the company said.