Samsung adapts to hybrid working

Few manufacturers of smartphones and tablets can both boast of designing their terminals from A to Z – down to the processor level – and of covering both general public and professional uses. However, this is what Samsung has been able to do for several years now, one of the world’s largest manufacturers in the field of mobility and which has also recently achieved a feat by managing to dethrone Intel in terms of volumes. of components passed.

During a press briefing this Thursday, February 17, 2022 at its Audonian headquarters, Samsung France presented the latest additions to its range of high-end smartphones and tablets, respectively Galaxy S22 and Tab S8. Each category of terminal has three representatives: S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra as well as Tab S8, S8+ and S8 Ultra. One of the common points of all these terminals proudly put forward by the Korean manufacturer, is to be almost on a par with Google itself in terms of updating security patches included (between 7 and 10 days after Google ) which is much better than most other manufacturers. All these terminals are based on the same Exynos processor (in Europe) but as always elsewhere a Qualcomm Snapdragon for frequency compatibility reasons.

The latest batch of Galaxy S from Samsung in full with from left to right the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra. (credit: DF)

During this visit, we quickly took charge of all these terminals and it is clear that we are dealing with some fine work. The finishes of all these terminals are impeccable, the design successful and the handling very pleasant with a contained weight whatever the mobile. In short, on this point Samsung succeeds in its bet and scores points, the impression of robustness and a very present premium feeling. Fortunately, moreover, given the prices charged (from and excluding VAT): €675 for the S22, €760 for the S22+ and €1,000 for the S22 Ultra. On the tablet side, prices are also rising: €610 (Tab S8), €795 (Tab S8+) and €1,050 (Tab S8 Ultra). A note for those who fear not having enough storage and regret the loss of a flash memory slot: the S22 Ultra offers up to 1TB of storable data volume. What to see coming then, especially since it seems in phase with the mantra of the current group to open these terminals towards the era of hybrid work.

To attract companies and encourage them to equip themselves, Samsung offers the Enterprise Edition offer on some of its terminals. With it, the assurance of having two-year product availability, useful in the event of deployment spread over time. And also the assurance of benefiting from 2 years of product availability, 5 years of security updates and Knox Suite included for 1 year. Be careful, however, since not all models are affected. EE is offered on the S22, S22 Ultra and Tab S8+.

Apart from smartphones, Samsung has also launched its latest range of tablets with from left to right the Tab S8 Ultra, S8+ and S8. (credit: DF)

Always with the aim of seducing companies, Samsung is doing a great job in terms of functions and services. With in particular Knox (securing pro and personal environments certified by Anssi), Connect4Sure (switching seamlessly between WiFi and the cellular network), Link to Windows (SMS/Mails, business applications, etc.), and above all Dex. The latter, which comes as a feature to instantly switch the display of a smartphone or tablet to a WiFi Direct compatible screen. “DeX mode is a feature that allows you to display the content of the device on an external screen while benefiting from a fluid and intuitive interface that we are used to finding on traditional PCs. The docking station is an accessory dedicated to facilitating connection with other devices,” a spokesperson for the Korean brand told us.

Note that native support for most Microsoft office and collaborative applications (Office, Teams, etc.) is on the program. Others are in the pipeline (ERP, Salesforce, etc.) but no availability date has yet been announced. The principle of Dex has been around for a long time but until now its adoption was still limited. We have to believe that the pandemic has gone through this with the key to an evolution of the organization of work in companies towards a more mobile and modular work office.

This is particularly the case for Thales, which has equipped three of these factories with smartphones and a Dex station for several hundred employees out of a total of 1,600. Eventually, the entire group should benefit from this collaborative work environment. . “The goal is to generalize it to all sites,” confirmed Laurent Moquet, BtoB marketing director for Samsung France. The benefits are significant, with up to 50% less connection time to connect, knowing that the smartphone/Dex couple reduces the bill for telecom equipment and reduces the TCO of traditional PCs. It is not only in France that the mayonnaise takes: it is also the case in Scotland to manage the planning of rail transport, in the United States with certain police units… The globalization of the hybrid work environment is well and truly underway.