Samsung Electronics Products Named Among Time's 'Best Inventions of 2026'
IT DAILY ·
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Three Samsung Electronics products were named to Time's "Best Inventions of 2026."
The selected products are the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor.
Time placed each product in the consumer electronics, home appliances, and entertainment and gaming categories, respectively.
According to an announcement by Samsung Electronics on the 16th and information released by Time, three Samsung Electronics products were named to the U.S. newsweekly's "Best Inventions of 2026." The selected products are the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor. Samsung Electronics' smartphone, refrigerator, and gaming monitor all made the Time list at the same time.
Time placed each product in a different category. The Galaxy S26 Ultra was selected in the consumer electronics category, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator in the home appliances category, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor in the entertainment and gaming category.
Time highlighted the Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen privacy protection feature, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator's AI-based ingredient recognition feature, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor's optional gaming performance with high resolution and high refresh rates. The source for this information was Samsung Electronics and Time on the 16th, and Samsung Electronics also released photos of the Galaxy S26 Ultra that day.
Each year, Time selects its Best Inventions after reviewing recommendations and submissions from editors and correspondents around the world. The selection process applies originality, effectiveness, ambition, and impact as evaluation criteria. This year's list included 300 inventions.
Selections in the consumer electronics category included the Apple iPhone Duo and LG Electronics' OLED Evo AI W6. The iPhone Duo also graced the cover of Time's Best Inventions special issue this year.
Time also focused on the "Privacy Display" feature in connection with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Time described the Galaxy S26 Ultra as a "smartphone focused on privacy protection."
The "Privacy Display" feature lowers screen visibility when viewed from the side. As a result, people nearby have difficulty seeing what is on the screen. Compared with existing methods, it also has the advantage of not requiring a separate privacy film.
Users can turn the feature on and off. They can also set the scope to specific content such as pop-up notifications. Time identified "Privacy Display" as a key feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra was released in March and comes with Galaxy AI, including "Now Nudge." The "Now Nudge" feature analyzes a user's situation and intentions to suggest needed information. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also includes a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera.
With this, Galaxy smartphones were included in Time's Best Inventions for the fourth time. Previously, the Galaxy Z Flip3 was selected in 2021, the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022, and the Galaxy Z Flip5 in 2023.
In the Bespoke AI Family Hub, the refrigerator's built-in camera-based "AI Vision" feature was recognized. The "AI Vision" feature identifies ingredients.
Samsung Electronics first introduced AI Vision to Family Hub in 2024. At the time of introduction, recognition was limited to some fresh foods, and packaged foods had to be registered manually by users.
Google Gemini was added to this year's product. Time explained that this expanded recognition to more than 2,000 packaged foods, including pickles.
After ingredients are recognized, users can check them in the SmartThings app. "AI Food Manager" manages ingredient expiration dates and also recommends recipes based on the ingredients on hand.
A 32-inch display is installed on the front of the product. This 32-inch display offers calendar, weather, photo, and music functions.
The 32-inch Odyssey G8 supports 6K resolution and a maximum 165 Hz refresh rate. The product is equipped with "Dual Mode," which supports a maximum 330 Hz refresh rate at 3K resolution.
Time highlighted the trade-off between the gaming monitor's sharp image quality and fast screen transitions. The Odyssey G8 can switch between 6K at 165 Hz and 3K at 330 Hz depending on the game. HDR10+ Gaming adjusts the screen based on analysis of game scenes and frames.
Samsung Electronics products were also selected in Time's Best Inventions last year. At the time, the selected products were three video products: the Micro RGB TV, The Frame Pro, and The Premiere5.
Source: IT DAILY · Kim Byung-joo
Original: https://www.itdaily.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=242237
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Source: IT DAILY
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