Towards a smarter home

JUST a month after the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the US city of Las Vegas, Samsung Electronics held a mini CES of its own at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in Singapore.
The Samsung Southeast Asia and Oceania Forum showcased a range of the brand’s new products, including the impressive QLED TV line-up, the Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator, the FlexWash washer-dryer combo model, and the Powerbot VR7000 vacuum cleaner.
With these innovative products, Samsung hopes to offer consumers a more personalised and intuitive user experience.
As Yong Sung-jeon, president and CEO, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and Oceania, said at the opening of the Forum, “at Samsung, we remain committed to developing thoughtful innovations that not only address the ever-changing needs of our customers, but are also aimed at making a meaningful impact in their lives”.
He added that despite some challenges last year, Samsung has made big strides in 2016 and will continue “to engineer a smarter future together with our consumers”.
The first items to greet visitors at the forum were the brandnew QLED TVs – including the attention-grabbing 88in flagship beauty.
Built on Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology, the QLED TVs offer added vivid brightness and true-to-life colours with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. These TVs can also display the DCI-P3 colour space accurately, as well as reproduce 100% colour volume.
Their design has also been enhanced to address issues concerning brightness levels, lifespan, colour range and viewing angles.
The invisible optical cable with its sleek, single cord system set inside the TV stand helps to solve the clutter problem behind the TV.
Also, there are two new optional TV stands – Gravity and Studio – that offer an elegant look for those who prefer an un-mounted TV.
The smart TVs launched this year also come preloaded with the Smart View app, that allows users to get a personalised SmartHub experience right on their phone.
Also these new TVs can be controlled using the Samsung One Remote, another innovative device that allows users to control TV features using their voice, at the touch of a button.
The 65in and 75in Curved QLED TVs will be available in Malaysia during the second quarter of 2017, according to Jimmy Tan, head of consumer electronics at Samsung Malaysia Electronics.
Tan added that Samsung TV did fairly well last year, selling twice as many units compared to other brands in Malaysia.
Another innovative home appliance on display was the Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator, which has intuitive app integration and new app partners to help families stay connected, manage food storage, and also access their daily needs, all on the fridge’s 21.5in LED touch screen.
For added convenience, Samsung’s advanced voice technology has also been integrated across many of the Family Hub 2.0’s apps.
Elaine Soh, head of corporate & brand at Samsung Malaysia Electronics, also introduced Samsung’s new wall-mounted Wind-Free air conditioner, which was developed as a result of strong customer response to the floor-standing version launched in South Korea last year.
The AR9500M provides Wind-Free air conditioning so that your room in your home or office can maintain a comfortable level of coolness without the direct effect of cold wind.
The unit disperses cool air through 21,000 micro holes at a speed slower than 0.15m/s, creating an ideal environment for a deep and restful sleep. This new air conditioner will be available here in March.
Soh also showed off another innovative smart home appliance – the FlexWash washer-dryer, which integrates two washers and a dryer in one model. The unit boasts a range of core Samsung laundry technologies and features, including the AddWash Door.
FlexWash is designed to cut laundry time by half – the main front loader can either be an AddWash washing machine or dryer, while the smaller top loader takes care of delicate items that require extra care.
Both loaders can be operated simultaneously or separately.
Also revealed at the exhibition was the improved Powerbot vacuum cleaner, the VR7000. Sporting a slimmer design and enhanced features, the VR7000 ensures a more thorough clean, covering hard-to-reach corners and edges.
The unit’s Edge Clean Master enables it to clean within 15mm of the wall, while the Auto Shutter automatically drops down a barrier to help sweep up dust at the edges.
For more, visit the Samsung Malaysia website.