If you own an old Samsung device that collects dust on your shelf, you finally have a reason to turn it back on. Samsung announced a Galaxy Upcycling at Home program at the CES 2021 meeting on Monday that will turn old smartphones into IoT solutions.
The Galaxy Upcycling at Home app offers consumers the option to reuse their old phones in things like a baby listening monitor or security device with Samsung Knox. You could put an old Samsung phone in a nursery, and it could, for example, listen to a crying baby and send notifications. Samsung also teased that the system could possibly be used as a tool for caring for pets.
“The new app introduces the lifecycle of an older Galaxy phone and offers consumers options to potentially reuse their device to create a range of convenient IoT tools,” Samsung said.
Samsung has said it plans to release a software update to older devices, though it is unclear which devices will be on the list. It’s also unclear which versions of Android’s Galaxy Upcycling at Home app are supported. Unfortunately, Samsung did not share an ETA for when Galaxy Upcycling at Home launches.
As e-waste becomes a major problem due to the increase in the popularity of smartphones, Samsung’s application is a very smart way to extend the life of older devices.
Samsung originally announced its Galaxy Upcycling program in 2017 in an effort to promote sustainability by reusing older devices for new uses. In the video above, Samsung explains that some of the older phones were previously featured in portable eye devices. It is an innovative way to reduce the impact of waste and promote recycling and reuse.
Once the Galaxy Upcycling at Home app from Samsung has been released, let us know for sure.