Samsung helps users turn old smartphones into smart devices

Users can now try out beta testing to turn old smartphones into smart home devices.
Samsung has just launched the beta test, which is considered a truly innovative program in the smartphone market – an official upgrade program for consumers.

Galaxy Upcycling at Home’s initiative Samsung was announced at the World Consumer Electronics Show 2021 (CES 2021) earlier this year and is now being tested in beta in several markets such as the US, UK and South Korea. This feature can alert you to the sounds of crying babies or turn on the lights when the light levels drop In this beta, Samsung will allow users to turn old phones into smart home devices that work through Samsung’s SmartThings app, which has two new modes: sound sensor and light sensor. Owners of certain smartphones can download the update to turn the device into a smart home sensor with some functions such as being able to detect the sound of a crying baby or turn on the light when it’s dark. The program is limited to certain smartphones released in 2018 or later. While it’s only recently applied to a few smartphones, it’s a good, accessible service that can help users make use of their old devices. Samsung says the sound sensor mode will help to accurately distinguish sounds in everyday surroundings, and users can choose to save certain recordings. For example, if the device detects sounds such as a baby crying, dog barking, cat sounding, or knocking on the door, it will send an alert directly to the user’s smartphone and the user can hear the sound. Be recorded. Whereas the light sensing mode simply turns your phone into a light sensor, allowing it to detect the level of sunlight or room light to automatically turn on the lights. Samsung says this update includes battery optimization needed to keep the phone powered up and acting as a sensor for long periods of time, though the company didn’t indicate uptime. between charges. Samsung says the “Galaxy Upcycling at Home” feature is available on all S, Note and Z series released in 2018 (S9, Note9 and above) running Android 9 or higher and will be available in the future. More smartphones are supported. Samsung’s upgrade program marks a very humble starting point, and the company can do more if it wants to limit e-waste and make old devices useful. So far, the program has only used microphones and light sensors on older devices. Hopefully in the future, Samsung will take advantage of the cameras of old smartphones to turn old smartphones into IP cameras. Phan Van Hoa (According to Arstechnica, Theverge)