Samsung embraces upcycling instead of recycling, they suggest that throwing an old smartphone away is the less fashionable choice now when you could turn it into an IoT hub, CCTV System, game console (how?), or a desktop pc. Maybe Samsung just doesn’t want you to sell your old phone because they want to keep as many Samsung phones in the market as they can. Well, they recently updated their upcycling program and now we can even turn old smartphones into a smart home hub.
Sounds convenient enough, although I’d rather just sell the old phone to pay for the new one but to each their own. The initiative is good in the sense that it reduces the amount of smartphone trash. You can’t imagine how many people just throw their old smartphones away after they’re done with them. According to Sung-Koo Kim, VP of the Sustainability Management Office, “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”.
Having programs like these are essential to help the environment, Samsung has also been doubling down on its efforts to lower carbon emissions just like their competitor Apple. Mr. Sung further said that “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”.
Samsung introduced their upcycling initiative in cool video that you can view below.
You can convert your old Samsung phone into a smart home device as well just by downloading the SmartThings app. This converts your phone into a sensing device that relies on Artificial Intelligence to distinguish between everyday sound and detect the level of brightness in the room. With the light sensor, it is even possible to have your lights turn on when the converted device detects that it is dark enough.
The converted device will even scale down all other processes and just focus on its new smart home features so that it doesn’t need to be charged as often. The thing is, you’d still need a smart home-enabled house, doors, lights, and all that fancy tech. Which I guess Samsung will be supplying.
It’s a good initiative for people who’d rather throw their phone away than sell it. I won’t be using it though since I’ve been using the same phone for 3 years.