IFA 2017: Samsung Press Event Live Blog

12:02PM EDT - 'The New Normal

12:02PM EDT - 'The New Normal'

12:03PM EDT - Being able to get things done instantly as the new normal

12:03PM EDT - We're here at Samsung's press event. Made it last minute!

12:03PM EDT - Samsung is committed to innovation inspired by its users

12:04PM EDT - To drive change on a scale nothing short of incredible

12:04PM EDT - We have to understand how the things we make will fit into your life

12:04PM EDT - Wow moments with a sense of wonder

12:05PM EDT - 'Championing the impossible'

12:05PM EDT - >Lots of buzz words so far, just stating that Samsung is committed to user experience

12:06PM EDT - 'If you compress history of earth into one day, humans have been about for 1 second'. (I thought it was 5 seconds?)

12:06PM EDT - More talking about user experience

12:06PM EDT - 'We are now in an age where devices react to us, not the other way around'

12:07PM EDT - 'More people today consider themselves early adopters - we love early adopters'

12:07PM EDT - Today is about craftsmanship, creativity, and creating the impossible

12:07PM EDT - health, food, finance and dating

12:08PM EDT - Now discussing what 'the new normal' should be

12:08PM EDT - ''The power of great art'

12:09PM EDT - Giving galleries new and established a platform to share images

12:09PM EDT - Announcing a new 43-inch smart frame, along 55-inch and 65-inch

12:10PM EDT - Association with the Prado museum in Madrid, art will be available on the frame

12:10PM EDT - There's a gallery at the IFA booth on the show floor

12:10PM EDT - Over 100 curated art pieces, and purchase over 1000 art pieces

12:11PM EDT - and upload your own

12:11PM EDT - Now TVs

12:11PM EDT - Requests for more range of TVs

12:11PM EDT - New Premium QLED for Europe, the Q8F

12:11PM EDT - flat version of QFC, in 55inch and 65inch models

12:12PM EDT - now 14 models of QLED TVs in Europe

12:12PM EDT - 'Will samsung be re-entering the OLED market any time soon?' 'We're reaffirming our commitment to QLED which scales and doesn't have burn-in issues'

12:12PM EDT - So Samsung OLED is dead.

12:12PM EDT - on TVs at least

12:13PM EDT - There's a Samsung HDR10 and QLED summit tomorrow

12:13PM EDT - 'QLED should be an open platform for stand designers'

12:13PM EDT - Samsung run a competition for stand designers, final 5 designs will be judged at IFA

12:14PM EDT - Until today, HDR was focused on TVs

12:14PM EDT - Presenting, worlds first HDR QLED gaming monitor

12:14PM EDT - Samsung CHG90

12:14PM EDT - 32:9 , 49 inches wide

12:15PM EDT - world's largest gaming monitor

12:15PM EDT - Usually a curved is 4-6 ms response time, down to 1ms with 144 Hz refresh rate with this new monitor

12:15PM EDT - HDR compatible with NVIDIA GPUs

12:16PM EDT - By downloading Samsung TV SteamLink app, can run 4K60 on a Samsung TV

12:16PM EDT - first TV manufacturer to offer this

12:16PM EDT - Home Appliances now, new presenter Dan Harvie to the stage

12:17PM EDT - 'New Normal' is about meaningful innovation

12:17PM EDT - Samsung 'AddWash' allows users to add items mid-cycle

12:17PM EDT - 'We test so these features just work'

12:17PM EDT - 'You can rely on it every day'

12:18PM EDT - Always a tradeoff between speed and performance

12:18PM EDT - 'What if I said you can get 100% perf in half time?

12:18PM EDT - Announcing Samsung QDrive (QuickDrive)

12:19PM EDT - Uses a backplate spinning in opposite direction to move the water about more in the same time

12:19PM EDT - 66 min load for cotton at 40C vs 132 min

12:20PM EDT - 39 mins in superspeed mode

12:20PM EDT - So two motors

12:21PM EDT - 'We asked independent testing agencies to test if it is still efficient on energy' 'It cuts energy by 20%'

12:21PM EDT - New AI powered laundry assistant

12:21PM EDT - Tell it the color, how dirty it is, and it'll give you the right setting needed

12:22PM EDT - Keeps track of state of components so everything is still working

12:22PM EDT - Adds the exact amount of detergent needed

12:22PM EDT - Also features addwash

12:22PM EDT - (Yes, it's a washing machine)

12:22PM EDT - 'Saves up to 10 days a year in the average home'

12:23PM EDT - Now vacuum cleaners

12:23PM EDT - 'Consumers worry about suction and battery power with cordless vacuums'

12:23PM EDT - Announcing Samsung PowerStick Pro

12:24PM EDT - 150W suction power, cordless

12:24PM EDT - Removable battery packs

12:25PM EDT - Patented reverse digital motor, dual action brush with separate drums

12:25PM EDT - Flexi handle

12:25PM EDT - (No, I'm not becoming a home appliance reviewer, this is just what gets announced at IFA)

12:26PM EDT - 32.4V Li-Ion has enough juice for 40 minutes of battery life

12:26PM EDT - One button battery swap

12:26PM EDT - EZClean dustbin and brush, makes it easy to clean

12:27PM EDT - Now a demonstration onstage

12:27PM EDT - No word on pet hair

12:27PM EDT - Now fridges

12:27PM EDT - Samsung Family Hub - using the fridge to connect the whole family

12:27PM EDT - Extended the voice to several Euro countries later this year

12:28PM EDT - Expanded Samsung Hub to help control IoT devices in the home

12:28PM EDT - 100 partner companies

12:28PM EDT - Supermarket partners like Lidl

12:28PM EDT - 'The whole technology ecosystem should seemlessly connect to support the user'

12:28PM EDT - 'Only happens when connectivity is supported in open standards'

12:29PM EDT - Using the Open Connectivity Foundation OCF

12:29PM EDT - President of OCF to the stage, Matt Perry

12:29PM EDT - (No, not the one from Friends)

12:29PM EDT - 20 billion IoT devices in 2017

12:29PM EDT - 'they need to speak to each other'

12:30PM EDT - OCF is all about creating secure communication standards for IoT devices

12:30PM EDT - From startups to Samsung

12:30PM EDT - First items certified by OCF were Samsung Hub and Samsung Air Conditioner

12:30PM EDT - 'Creating a framework that seemlessly connects different ecosystems'

12:30PM EDT - So users do not worry about interoperability

12:31PM EDT - Samsung is a founding member of OCF

12:31PM EDT - Kate Beaumont to the stage, strategic planning for Samsung UK

12:31PM EDT - Talking about phones connecting with wearables

12:32PM EDT - Announcing three new fitness wearables

12:32PM EDT - 'But first, lets talk about what fitness wearables are all about'

12:32PM EDT - Introducing a wellness manager - designed to meet your goals around calories and sleep. Reminding you to take a breather. 'Beyond fitness'

12:32PM EDT - Announcing Gear Sport

12:33PM EDT - 50m water resistant

12:33PM EDT - Built in GPS

12:33PM EDT - Weight Management

12:33PM EDT - Standalone music player

12:33PM EDT - Message notification

12:34PM EDT - Automatic activity tracking, from swimming to biking to running automatically

12:35PM EDT - Have a samsung video health section, shows info on Samsung TV from the Sport

12:35PM EDT - Heart Rate monitoring

12:35PM EDT - Run pacing features

12:35PM EDT - Easy calorie input/output monitoring

12:35PM EDT - Makes recommendations based on context

12:35PM EDT - e.g. detects on airplane, suggests stretches

12:36PM EDT - e.g. when driving, automatically disables notifications

12:36PM EDT - Sporty straps

12:36PM EDT - Works with any 20mm wrist band

12:36PM EDT - Navigate the menu via rotating the bezel

12:36PM EDT - Can use it as a controller

12:36PM EDT - Use it as a TV remote

12:37PM EDT - Tap the Sport to move to the next slide in a presentation via the Sport

12:37PM EDT - New Gear Fit 2 Pro

12:37PM EDT - 50m water resistance

12:37PM EDT - 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display

12:38PM EDT - Comes in Black or Red

12:38PM EDT - Connects to brands and services: Spotify, Under Armour and Speedo

12:39PM EDT - Exclusive partnership with Speedo

12:39PM EDT - With Spotify, don't need a smartphone nearby

12:39PM EDT - Swimming tracking for Fit 2 Pro and Sport

12:39PM EDT - CEO of Speedo to the stage

12:40PM EDT - 'Speedo is always about swimming'

12:40PM EDT - Spent a year bringing Speedo onto the platform

12:40PM EDT - 'Helping swimmers of all abilities helping their time in the pool'

12:41PM EDT - 'Swimming is sometimes seen as a solitary sport, discouraging people from engaging. Speedo has a community to help drive this through Samsung devices'

12:41PM EDT - With Speedo on, you can get in-the-moment stats and data

12:41PM EDT - Workouts developed by top athletes and experts

12:42PM EDT - Samsung back to the stage

12:42PM EDT - Gear IconX 2018 - cordfree earbuds with 5hr music battery life

12:42PM EDT - Offline listening for 4 GB

12:43PM EDT - touch control and voice controls via Bixby

12:43PM EDT - That was a very quick announcement, didn't have time to get a photo

12:43PM EDT - Video time

12:44PM EDT - 'Go beyond fitness'

12:44PM EDT - Now talking about Note 8

12:45PM EDT - Talking Bixby

12:45PM EDT - Available in English in over 200 countries

12:46PM EDT - Setting up custom plans via keywords

12:46PM EDT - Note 8 available from September 15th in Europe, with free Samsung Deck Station

12:47PM EDT - Harman SVP of Technology to the stage

12:47PM EDT - 'Harman, a Samsung company'

12:47PM EDT - So half of Harman Kardon ?

12:48PM EDT - Or it's just called Harman now

12:48PM EDT - Worked with Samsung for the world's first cinema LED screen, 10m wide

12:49PM EDT - 'Redefining the standard in smartphone audio, with AKG smartphones'

12:49PM EDT - AKG headphones*

12:49PM EDT - 'Harman is the world leader in connected cars, 50m cars out there today'

12:49PM EDT - car voice control

12:50PM EDT - Harman bluetooth speakers using Samsung technology

12:51PM EDT - 'Determined to deliver what may seem impossible but will become the new normal'

12:51PM EDT - Samsung back to the stage

12:51PM EDT - 'Partnerships are key for creating content and experiences'

12:51PM EDT - HDR10+

12:52PM EDT - Adjusting to level of brightness required

12:52PM EDT - Has to be an open standard

12:52PM EDT - Teaming with Panasonic and 20th Century FOX to establish a licensing model for HDR10+. It will be royalty free

12:53PM EDT - 2017 lineup of LED and QLED TVs are already HDR10+

12:54PM EDT - 'VR Live Pass, experience UFG, X Games and some gigs through Gear VR'

12:54PM EDT - Now playing Coldplay on the big screen. I don't like Coldplay.

12:54PM EDT - If it were a Rammstein gig/concert, as we are in Germany...

12:55PM EDT - 'Feeling the energy of the venue with Gear VR'

12:55PM EDT - 'At the start of the 4th industrial revolution'

12:55PM EDT - 'Connected devices and experiences at a scale never seen before'

12:56PM EDT - Video wrap up time

12:57PM EDT - Press area now open, time for some hands on.