What’s next from Samsung
DJ Koh talks about the company’s upcoming innovations, writes Izwan Ismail
AFTER the mega Galaxy Note9 event a month ago, it looked like Samsung may have unveiled what it needed to offer to the world. The South Korean tech giant, however, has more to offer in the months and years ahead.
Its president and chief executive officer, IT and Mobile Communications division, DJ Koh, the man behind Samsung’s many brilliant innovations, was in town recently to personally inform us on matters in the pipeline. His visit was also to launch Samsung’s new mid-range phone, the Galaxy A9.
PHONE DESIGNS
Koh said that its approach now on its hand phones is based on what the targeted market group wants. For example, the Galaxy A9 that was launched has more cameras than the flagship S9 and Note9. The Samsung Galaxy A9 has a 4-camera setup.
“For the last seven to eight years, we have been focusing on flagship models like the S and Note series for the best feature in a phone. However, we realised that the flagship models may not be able to satisfy all consumers, such as the millennials. They may want certain unique features that they can use to express themselves, like having more cameras, and features similar to those in premium phones but at more affordable prices,” said Koh.
“With quadruple cameras, the millennials will take it as their flagship devices.” He added that Samsung always pursues meaningful innovation, not just in flagship models but also in mid-range ones.
FOLDABLE PHONE
Koh also talked about the foldable phone that Samsung is planning to introduce.”We are quite close to delivering the product to consumers, and when we have the date fixed, we will make the announcement,” he said.
When coming out with a totally new product, Koh said every aspect must be looked into carefully. “Even when folding a paper we must deliver a unique experience,” he said. “What we are pursuing is for the best consumer experience.”
IOT AND 5G
Much has been said about these two technologies for the past five to 10 years, but not much has come out from them.
“People have been talking about it but it is still not happening, and even the home IoT (Internet of Things) today is still primitive,” said Koh. “For IoT to work smoothly, we need 5G connectivity, and Samsung is investing a lot in this,” he said, adding that this is vital as 4G time latency is high compared to 5G, which is less than one millisecond.
As IoT is about connecting people, homes, appliances, offices, cities, and factories, the current 4G connectivity speed is insufficient. “The 4G connectivity is targetted at people, but 5G will be for the IoT,” said Koh.
He said that Samsung currently has all the technologies from microchips to devices for its 5G move. “And we have also acquired several companies in our move to 5G.”
By 2020, all Samsung devices will be connected to the cloud and the company will also open its Samsung Development Kit (SDK) and Application Protocol Interface (API)toall.
ON BIXBY
Bixby, the AI (artificial intelligence) voice assistant, is something close to Koh’s heart, and he foresees that this technology will take centrestage in the next five years.
He said the idea for Bixby came about when he thought about how our devices are always with us, so then why can’t we make them our “secretary”. Koh also revealed why Samsung had chosen the name Bixby. “It’s gender neutral and with an X in it, it will be easy to pronounce.
“For Bixby to work well, a device needs Automatic Speech Recognition and Natural Language Understanding and Machine Learning. All these make up what Bixby is today,” said Koh.
He uses Bixby to keep up-to-date with his schedule. “On weekdays I have my secretary to do it for me, but on weekends I will just talk to Bixby and even make changes to my schedule via Bixby,” he said.
Koh feels that the big data technology has made it possible for AI platforms like Bixby to advance. Samsung has also opened its ecosystem to third parties so that more companies can take advantage of Bixby. “For example, Uber can now work with Bixby and it is embedded in our cloud,” he said, adding that today, 800 companies are working on the Bixby platform.
BANKING ON AI
Samsung has all consumer electronics devices in its plate.
“I always think about how we can deliver better and unique experiences to our customers. AI is the solution for the next five to 10 years,” said Koh. “When the machines understand human behaviour and intentions, productivity will increase, and AI will be the bridge to this, and a better life.
“When I’m at home, I want all devices to understand what I want, and my behaviour. It’s the same as when I am in the office. When I brush my teeth in the morning, the mirror will show me information such as the weather and traffic conditions, etc.”