The Galaxy Upcycling at Home program is a new initiative from Samsung that lets people give old Galaxy smartphones a second life as useful home devices instead of leaving them in a drawer. Announced on Monday at the CES 2021 virtual event, the program turns aging or unwanted handsets into everyday home appliances and childcare tools. It also brings software updates to older Galaxy phones so they can keep working safely around the house.
What the Galaxy Upcycling at Home program does
The goal of the program is to redesign useless Galaxy devices already sitting at home and put them back to work. A phone that no longer serves as your daily driver can be repurposed instead of discarded. Even a bad or failing Galaxy device can be used again under this approach.
Customers are given the choice of what kind of home appliance they want their device to become. That decision sits with the owner rather than being fixed by Samsung.
From old phone to childcare and pet tools
Samsung said the build-in sensor inside an old device can be used to create a childcare tool that activates on your child's voice. If your child wakes up, the repurposed phone alerts you. The company has also developed a pet animal solution from old Galaxy phones that works like a long-distance remote.
- Convert an old Galaxy phone into essential home appliances.
- Build a voice-activated childcare monitor using the device's sensor.
- Use a repurposed phone as a long-distance pet remote.
No trade-in discount, plus software updates
Samsung made it clear that this is not a trade-in discount on a new device. The program is about reusing the hardware you already own rather than offering money off a purchase.
Many Galaxy smartphones ship with Samsung's military-grade Knox protection framework, which can be applied to home security uses. Samsung announced software updates for Galaxy phones this year, although the company has not given concrete details on exactly when those updates will arrive. Samsung also plans to develop QLED, UHD TV, monitor and audio products for reuse.
