Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling at Home Turns Older Galaxy Smartphones Into Smart Home Devices
Upcycling initiative turns smartphones into IoT sound and light sensors — but is only compatible with Samsung's 2018 handsets and newer.
Samsung has announced it is expanding its smartphone upcycling initiative with the launch of Galaxy Upcycling at Home, a program that takes older Galaxy smartphones and converts them into Internet of Things (IoT) devices for the smart home.
"Smart home devices are a fast-growing trend for consumer electronics, and we believe that Galaxy devices currently not in use can play an important role in turning every home into a smart home," claims Samsung's Jaeyeon Jung, head of the company's SmartThings team, of the initiative. "The program transforms Galaxy devices into SmartThings devices and demonstrates the power of our intelligent IoT platform to broaden the possibilities of what users can do with their old phones. Through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users will have access to the complete SmartThings ecosystem, enabling them to explore broader updates and features without having to purchase a new device."
"We created Galaxy Upcycling at Home to enable more people to repurpose their old devices into useful tools, allowing both Samsung and our users to be mindful of the impact we have on the environment," adds Sung-Koo Kim, vice president of the company's sustainability management office. "We are rethinking how we use existing resources, and we believe the key to upcycling is to enable solutions that transform old technology into something new by adding value. We are committed to integrating sustainable practices into our day-to-day lives, and through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users can join our journey toward a more sustainable future."
Through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users are encouraged to install the company's SmartThings app and use the SmartThings Labs functionality that, at the time of writing, offered two key features for the smart home: An artificially intelligent sound sensor, which can be triggered to alert and record on key sounds like a crying baby or a knock at the door; and a light sensor that can be programmed to automatically turn on lights or the TV when the room hits a configurable level of darkness.
The issue with using old smartphones as smart devices, of course, is that the batteries are aging — a potential risk to safety, especially if they're left plugged in and permanently charging. The solution: "Battery optimization solutions," which the company says minimizes battery usage. The software also integrates each used smartphone with the wider Samsung SmartThings ecosystem.
More information on Samsung SmartThings and SmartThings Labs is available on the company's website; the upcycling feature is now live in the US, UK, and Korea. Only selected devices are supported at launch, however: Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy Z smartphones from 2018 and above, with older devices currently shut out — and the likelihood being third-party handsets will never be supported officially.
