Samsung Expands Self Repair Program
Hello Samsung Community! Samsung Electronics America recently announced the expansion of its Self-Repair Program to include five new Galaxy devices. The expanded program now features genuine repair parts for the Galaxy Book Pro 15” and Galaxy Book Pro 360 15” PCs, as well as the Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra family of products. In collaboration with iFixit, the leading online repair community, Galaxy Book owners will have access to seven authentic components to take repair into their own hands. This includes the case front, case rear, display, battery, touchpad, power key with fingerprint reader, and rubber foot. Those interested can access online guides provided on iFixit.com. Click here for more information on our Self Repair program!Partners in Sustainability: uBreakiFix – the Global Recycling Day Edition
Many of the sustainability challenges that we prioritize at Samsung – whether it be realizing a circular economy or optimizing energy efficiency – are enhanced through partnerships and collaborative initiatives with credible, knowledgeable, and innovative brands, environmental organizations, and industry groups. Together with these like-minded eco-conscious allies, we are putting our scale, global presence, and pioneering spirit to work on building a more sustainable and equitable future. As part of our “Partners in Sustainability” series – this one timed to Global Recycling Day, which aims to promote the vitality of recycling across the globe – Samsung’s esteemed partner, uBreakiFix® by Asurion, shares their views on how tackling environmental challenges requires unparalleled cooperation. Working alongside partners like uBreakiFix®, Samsung is empowering consumers to have a meaningful impact on the environment. Since 2012, we have collected and recycled over 1.2 billion pounds of e-waste in the U.S., which is like collecting 50 laptops or 500 smartphones every minute![1] With over 1,700 e-waste recycling locations, including uBreakiFix® and Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™ stores, customers can conveniently drop off or trade in eligible devices, including cell phones, tablets, computers, printers, game consoles, DVD players, cords, and chargers. Then, with the help of our partners, the devices are refurbished. Products that cannot be repaired, or electronics scrap generated in the repair process are recycled by Samsung-authorized recycling partners following E-Stewards certification standards, designed to promote the best practices for responsible e-waste recycling. And since December 2020, Samsung and uBreakiFix® have worked together to offer in-store e-waste collection for a wide variety of electronics at all U.S. uBreakiFix® stores, at no cost to customers. For those not ready to turn in their tech just yet, Samsung offers the #1 Service Center Network Coverage in the U.S. for mobile devices,[2] including same-day Samsung Authorized Care service support at over 750 uBreakiFix® and Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™ locations nationwide. Visit Samsung.com for more about our commitment to responsible recycling and to take advantage of our convenient care options. Want to hear how we work with our partners at uBreakiFix to have a meaningful impact on the environment? Click here to hear their VP of Partner Branding & Merchandising speak on the subject!Samsung Members, possibility starts here
Tap into powerful tools. Explore all the ways you can maximize the performance of your device. Get insider know-how and run diagnostic tests to see how to optimize battery performance, storage usage and other features to help you do more. Make your experience personal. This is your app, designed to personalize your Samsung experience and fit your unique needs. Bookmark your favorite content, manage your devices and see your app activity—all in one place. Connect and share with others Share tips, reviews and your own brilliant solutions with other Galaxy users in the Community. It's a peer-led space for people like you. Do more with the technology you own Device diagnostics—your phone teaches you how to make it better. Manage your products with Samsung Members Register your device to receive helpful tips and faster technical support. Manage your products with Samsung Members Register your device to receive helpful tips and faster technical support.A Message from the Samsung Community Team
Hello, Samsung Community Family! As we take an important moment to spend time with family and friends this holiday season, please know that Samsung responses within the community will be delayed on both December 24th & 25th. We encourage everyone to capture some festive holiday images with your Samsung device, and share them with our Creator boards! We look forward to seeing what magic you make this holiday season with Samsung at your side! 😊 Happy Holidays! -Samsung Community TeamUnpacked 2023 - MEGA THREAD
Hello Community Members A new era of Galaxy innovation is coming! Our innovations are designed to enable incredible possibilities for people today and beyond. The new Galaxy S series will be the epitome of how we define the ultimate premium experience. We’re raising the bar and setting new standards for what’s epic. Get ready to share the epic. On February 1, for the first time in three years, Samsung Electronics will hold an in-person Unpacked event in San Francisco, beginning at 10 a.m. PST. Join us as one of the first to see the new premium Galaxy innovations. Click here to follow along LIVE on Youtube! Stay tuned on Samsung Newsroom for all the upcoming teasers, trailers and news about Galaxy Unpacked 2023. Drop a comment below to start the conversation on what new products and innovations YOU'RE most excited for! Are you pumped for the LIVE Event? Chat below!Accessing Samsung Health Data through Health Connect
Health Connect is a platform that enables you to integrate Samsung Health data with your applications, creating new opportunities for health applications that enhance the user's journey towards better health. Using the Health Connect APIs, you can, for example, retrieve a user's Samsung Health data, such as their exercise, sleep, and heart rate information, and send data to the Samsung Health application. This is the first blog post in a series that introduces you to Health Connect API features and how you can use them in your applications. Let's begin by looking at how Health Connect interacts with Samsung Health data, and the basic workflow. Understanding this is essential for creating applications that use data from Samsung Health and Health Connect. Samsung Health Samsung Health is an application that can be installed on Android smartphones and tablets, and on Galaxy Watches. It can use the sensors on the device, including the Galaxy Watch's BioActive sensor, to measure the user's overall health data, including steps, exercises, heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen saturation and body composition. Let's consider the most common scenario: the Samsung Health application is installed on both the Galaxy Watch and a smartphone. The application synchronizes the measurements between both devices and manages the user's health data securely on them. For example, if the user measures their blood pressure with the Samsung Health Monitor application on their smartphone, the data can be shared to Samsung Health. Health Connect Since the Samsung Health application supports various useful health data types and gathers data from all connected devices, developers are very interested in obtaining access to that data. Consequently, Samsung collaborated with Google to build the Health Connect platform, which was released in May 2022. Health Connect enables applications to share health and fitness data across Android devices with the user's consent. For more information about Health Connect, see Health Connect Guide and Health Connect APIs. Samsung Health has supported synchronizing data with Health Connect since application version 6.22.5, released in October 2022. The Health Connect APIs support devices using Android SDK 28 (Pie) or higher. Once the user has connected Samsung Health to Health Connect, new or updated data in Samsung Health is shared to Health Connect. This means that your applications can use the Health Connect APIs to access Samsung Health data. Samsung Health synchronizes health data with Health Connect in both directions: When Samsung Health has new or updated data, it writes the data to Health Connect. When Health Connect has updated data, Samsung Health retrieves it. For example, a blood glucose meter connected to Samsung Health measures the user's blood glucose level. This data is saved in Samsung Health and then sent to Health Connect. Similarly, whenever there is new blood glucose data in Health Connect, Samsung Health retrieves that data and saves it in Samsung Health. To demonstrate how data synchronization works, let's walk through an example of adding nutrition information to Samsung Health. To start data synchronization between Samsung Health and Health Connect, you must enable it in the Samsung Health application on your Android device. From the Settings menu, select Health Connect. If Health Connect is not installed, you are prompted to install it. The first time you access the Health Connect menu item in Samsung Health with the Health Connect application installed, you are asked for permission to share your Samsung Health data with Health Connect. Select the data you consent to sharing, and select Allow. Samsung Health and Health Connect are now linked and data is shared between them. To test the data synchronization, in Samsung Health, go to Food tracker and create some nutrition data. In Samsung Health, go to Settings > Health Connect, and select Data and access. If Health Connect has received nutrition data from Samsung Health, a Nutrition item appears in the Browse data list. To view the synchronized data, select Nutrition. Data synchronization timing Data synchronization between Samsung Health and Health Connect occurs on the smartphone side. To take advantage of health data collected by a Galaxy Watch, you must understand at which times the Galaxy Watch sends its data to the Samsung Health smartphone application. New or updated health data on each connected device is generally synchronized with Samsung Health in the following situations: The Galaxy Watch reconnects with the smartphone The user opens the Samsung Health application home screen on the smartphone The user pulls down on the Samsung Health application home screen on the smartphone However, some types of health data are synchronized differently: For battery conservation reasons, continuous heart rate data from the Galaxy Watch is not sent to the Samsung Health application on the smartphone immediately. However, manual heart rate measurements on the watch are synchronized immediately. Enabling Settings in Samsung Health To synchronize health data between Samsung Health and Health Connect please consider: Using the latest Samsung Health and Health Connect versions. You can check them in Google Play. If you're interested in Galaxy Watch's data, check its version too. Allowing data permissions through the following path: Samsung Health > Settings > Health Connect > App permissions > Samsung Health (Note that you must enter from the Samsung Health settings, not from Health Connect settings.) Synchronizing Samsung Health data in: Samsung Health > Settings > Sync with Samsung account > Select the 'Sync now' button in the bottom. Accessing Health Connect APIs If the user has synchronized their Samsung Health data with Health Connect, you can use the Health Connect APIs to interact with it in various ways. For example: Read and write data: You can retrieve data that has been shared from Samsung Health to Health Connect, and send data to Health Connect to be synchronized to Samsung Health. Delete specific data records: You can remove a specific data point or data of a specific type within a time interval. Aggregate and filter data: You can filter the retrieved data by type or tag and analyze it, such as determining the average, maximum, minimum, or sum of the values. Session data: You can group data into sessions by time interval, such as to generate a sleep or activity session report. Note : For security reasons, Health Connect data can only be retrieved by applications running in the foreground. The following table lists the various health data that can be synchronized between Samsung Health and Health Connect. Samsung Health data Corresponding data type of Health Connect All steps StepsRecord Blood glucose BloodGlucoseRecord Blood oxygen saturation OxygenSaturationRecord Blood pressure BloodPressureRecord Exercise session ExerciseSessionRecord TotalCaloriesBurnedRecord DistanceRecord Exercise (heart rate) HeartRateRecord Exercise (power) PowerRecord Exercise (speed) SpeedRecord Exercise (VO2max) Vo2MaxRecord Heart rate HeartRateRecord Sleep session SleepSessionRecord Sleep stage SleepStageRecord Weight / Body composition WeightRecord Body composition BodyFatRecord Body composition BasalMetabolicRateRecord To get started with implementing Health Connect API functionality in your application: Add the Health Connect API library dependencies to your application's "build.gradle" file. Declare the Health Connect application package name in your "AndroidManifest.xml" file. Check that the user has installed Health Connect, then create the "HealthConnectClient" instance. Declare the permissions for the health data types you want to use. Now your application is ready to use the Health Connect APIs. Other blog posts in this series will explore various Health Connect API use cases in more detail.Samsung Expands Self-Repair to PCs, Going the Extra Mile for Consumers
Today, Samsung Electronics America announced the expansion of its Self-Repair Program to include five new Galaxy devices. The expanded program now features genuine repair parts for the Galaxy Book Pro 15” and Galaxy Book Pro 360 15” PCs, as well as the Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra family of products. In collaboration with iFixit, the leading online repair community, Galaxy Book owners will have access to seven authentic components to take repair into their own hands. This includes the case front, case rear, display, battery, touchpad, power key with fingerprint reader, and rubber foot. Those interested can access online guides provided on iFixit.com. “The Self-Repair program has exceeded our expectations and we hear one resounding message: people want more models. Enterprise customers in particular told us they need solutions for PCs,” said Mark Williams, Vice President of Customer Care at Samsung Electronics America. “People want to get more out of their devices and need durable products that last. Samsung is committed to offering Care options that meet their needs.” Similar to the Galaxy S20 and S21 series and Tab S7+, Galaxy S22 series owners will be able to replace display assemblies, back glass, and charging ports. The addition of these new models gives Samsung consumers the added convenience and choice to get more out of their devices and live more sustainably by extending the life of their products. Both Galaxy Book Pro and S22 series self-repair kits are available for purchase starting today. Top Rated Network and Service Quality Nationwide The expansion of the Self-Repair program is part of Samsung’s overall effort to provide convenient, accessible and quality care so people can keep their Samsung mobile devices, PCs, consumer electronics and home appliances up and running. Samsung has achieved #1 ratings for “Overall Product Quality and Service” for TVs, Home Appliances[1] and Mobile Phones[2]#_ftn2in the 2022 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. The Index which surveys customers rating their own appliances, recognizes industry leaders for their excellence in product quality, service repair, mobile app reliability and warranty coverage. Samsung also offers #1 Service Center Network Coverage in the US for mobile devices[3]. That means Samsung has convenient Care options for you online, in-store, or via mail-in service. We’ll also meet you at a convenient location, like your office or a coffee shop, via our We Come to You services. That level of care also extends to major appliances. Even in rural areas, people can access quality Samsung care for their TVs and home appliances via Samsung Beyond Boundaries. With this program, customers located within a 4-hour radius of a Samsung care center in various U.S. regions can receive at-home repairs. For anyone outside of this radius, Samsung can also dispatch qualified technicians via the Samsung Traveling Techs program. All combined, Samsung is able to provide 99.9% of the U.S. with convenient Care coverage.[4]Unleash the power of newsletters
What is a Marketing Newsletter? In business school, I learned that a business's primary objective is to generate revenue to sustain its existence. I also learned that a business can only generate revenue if it provides a service or product that consumers are willing to pay for. Additionally, I gained the understanding that consumers are more willing to pay for a service or product from a company they have empathy for. A marketing newsletter is a direct engagement with consumers. Newsletters provide a means to send information to a targeted group of users and potential buyers that improve brand awareness, inform them of product changes and include items of interest. A marketing newsletter has four goals. 🏎️ To increase customer loyalty which can be measured by subscribers of the newsletter 🏎️ To increase interest in a product which can be measured by open rate of the newsletter 🏎️ To generate traffic which can be measured by click-through rate to your web site from the newsletter 🏎️ To increase income which can be measured by attributed revenue of direct purchases via the newsletter A previous winner of the “Best of Galaxy Store Award,” Persona, uses a marketing newsletter because they believe that “the more communication channels you have with users, the easier it is to achieve brand loyalty.” Start Communicating to Your Consumers I used to go to a lot of trade shows; it is a great way to learn about your competition as well as ways to improve your product. I’ve noticed that it isn’t always the big corporate booths that have waiting lines, but the smaller companies with free SWAG will also draw interest. Before you can publish a newsletter you need customers to send it to. Smaller companies who can’t afford a marketing team still need to get information out to current users and potential customers. Without big budgets to interest customers, a company can still create initial interest for a newsletter from a product web site, Galaxy Store product description, social media groups, as well as word of mouth from satisfied customers. A way to entice customers to sign up or continue receiving the newsletter is with coupons, giveaway contests and special discounts. Sharing those in the newsletter first is an excellent way to retain your users and build brand loyalty. Persona’s marketing team is using all the social media tools. Their goal is to be found on every social media platform: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Reddit, Telegram channels, and others. However, one of the most important digital marketing tools is their well-designed website, persona-wf.com. Use the Right Tools for the Job There is an old saying that when you only have a hammer, every screw looks like a nail. While this is true, having a screwdriver available makes for a much better end product. The same should be said for a marketing newsletter. While having a word processing program and a mail account allows you to initially create and publish a newsletter, it is not as effective as using a proper emailing tool, especially as your business grows. A good customer relationship management (CRM) tool will have both operational and analytical systems. This makes it easier to not only organize and send newsletters, but also analyze and create reports as well as provide information that is used to target your audience. They usually include a dedicated email service provider. A couple of methods to measure the effectiveness of your newsletter are open rate as well as clicks from the newsletter. For their mailing program, Persona uses MailChimp so they have access to various reports that helps them tailor their audience. However, there are many mailing companies, such as Mailer Lite, Sendinblue or others, who can fulfill your business needs. Of course you can create your own mailing lists using basic office tools. Even if the mailing list is small, keep in mind that domain accounts that include email services, both free and paid services, have limits to how many emails or recipients can be sent in a set time period. I believe an advantage of using a CRM mailing program is the ability for unsubscribing. It is much better to have an unhappy reader hit the unsubscribe button than flame you on social media. Trying to handle removal of readers manually can be a very time consuming operation. Select the Right Style of Newsletter Annually I get a two-page recap from my aunt about her family’s prior year. I am often amazed to learn how productive my cousins are and that the new dog is such a scamp. However, I read it and toss it away. Her letter is just words and there is no engagement with me. It is telling and telling, but isn’t selling. A good newsletter needs more than just words and it needs a format that engages readers. The format of the newsletter will make a difference, so tailor your newsletter to your target audience. Some newsletters are a recap or summary with a links to content with more details. That format is easy to scan through and find topics of interest. It is a great format if your target is a manager or representative who is busy. The reader can skim or skip parts of no interest and deep read what they find important. Other newsletters may have a story about one topic with links throughout the story to more detailed information. If your target is detail oriented, these how-to newsletters will engage the reader. If your app is a game, giving users tips and tricks while taking them on a journey through the game draws them in. Another style of newsletter is mostly visual. Telling a story in images is especially useful if you have an international audience as it removes translations and has visual interpretations. Also if your target audience is more creative, you may want to go with a newsletter with more visuals. Adobe inDesign is a useful tool for creating a heavily imaged newsletter. There are many low- priced or free alternatives, such as affinity-publisher, if you are on a budget. Dominus Mathias, a Case Study Watch face designers like Persona or game developers with in-app purchases depend on repeat customers. I interviewed Dominus Mathias watch face design studio and their success story shows what you can achieve. You may find it interesting how a small designer company, Dominus Mathias, uses email marketing newsletters to increase their sales. Dominus Mathias cooperates closely with the company Vienna Studios for marketing and started collecting email addresses in 2019 for the purpose of sending a newsletter to subscribers. The reason was a way to alert customers to ongoing discounts with the end goal to increase repeat sales. Initially they used the Google Groups service for their newsletter. With the increasing number of subscribers, they were forced to look for alternatives that could automate the whole process. Ultimately they chose to use Fluent Forms, as well as the FluentCRM plugin for WordPress, in connection with their website, viennastudios.com. Using Fluent Forms gives them the ability to send newsletters, on average, about one per week depending on planned activities. Vienna Studios newsletters may include coupons, giveaway contests or special discounts in their newsletter, to entice readers to purchase products or visit the web site. The use of newsletters by Dominus Mathias and Vienna Studio has increased the number of recipients who read the newsletters and fulfill the desired action of purchasing a watch face design. Almost every newsletter has some success; the rate depends on various parameters such as the intensity/frequency of sending, the time of sending, the topicality and attractiveness of the promoted watch faces, etc. Dominus Mathias and Vienna Studio have continued to innovate to increase sales and downloads. In February 2023, in order to make the business more attractive for their customers, they introduced a new app called Watch Face Arena. This app not only provides current information about products that are on sale or for free, but also enables customers to actively participate in a playful way. For example, consumers can vote for their favorite watch faces that are in competition with another one and follow the ranking of the most attractive ones. The app is available on the Google Play Store. The Time to Start is Now The time to start your marketing newsletter is now, because you can. You don’t need to spend a lot of money for tools to start, you can use your business email address and a word processor. Starting small can be a big advantage. Even if you have ten names on the mailing list, they can be your alpha group. Don’t wait for a new product or updated version release. Start gathering names and contact information. If you don’t do it now, when will you do it?New Smart Lifestyle Photos for Watch Face Designers
For those looking to include lifestyle photos on your Play Store watch app pages, check out the latest Galaxy Watch Lifestyle Photo Assets. Like the Galaxy Store Watch Asset Creator, simply paste your watch face into the “Smart” Photoshop file, and your watch face automatically appears on the watch—with correct perspective, shading, and more. It’s that simple! Photos Made Easy Choose from the many photos of Galaxy Watches in different environments. To take advantage of the photos' unique features, you must use Photoshop version 14.2 (CC 2014) or later and have a basic understanding of Photoshop. These "Smart" Photoshop files use Smart Objects for the watch face. Update the Smart Object with your design, and the watch face in the lifestyle photo also updates. Use these new photos on your Play Store watch app pages. Read my blog, Add Your Watch Face Design to Smart Lifestyle Photos, to learn how to use our smart lifestyle photos. Tizen OS Watch Faces Publishing a Tizen OS watch face to the Galaxy Store? The library of Lifestyle Photo Assets for Galaxy Store is a great resource for all Galaxy Watch models and the Gear S3. Your Photos, Your Style! Show off your watch faces and apps with style. Look for more lifestyle photos as we continue to grow our library. Have your own lifestyle pictures? View my tutorial showing how you can build your own lifestyle Photoshop templates.
