Normal, when a phone wears out, you recycle it or replace it with a new one. But with its new upcycling program, Samsung is trying to help people convert old Galaxy phones into new IoT devices.
Today, with its expansion Galaxy Upcycling service at home (which is still in beta), users in the US, UK and South Korea will have access to an experimental feature in the SmartThings app designed to give an old Galaxy phone a new lease of life, as a useful smart home accessory.
By using the app to reconfigure the device’s battery usage and optimization, Samsung says older devices will be able to provide good longevity, while the phone’s regular range of wireless connectivity features make it easier to pair your phone with other devices at home.
In the SmartThings app, Samsung offers a number of features that an old smartphone can perform, including serving as a light sensor that can automatically turn on smart lights or even the TV when it gets dark. Alternatively, you can also convert an old Galaxy phone into a sound sensor, the phone using AI to detect common household noises, such as a barking dog, a crying baby, or a knock on the door.
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That way, you can too remake an old Samsung phone as a kind of baby monitor, which, depending on how old your phone is, can save you money compared to trading the phone directly and using any money you receive to buy a new baby monitor .
And, of course, even without much praise, recycled Samsung phones can also be used as universal remotes, providing an easy way to control the streaming video cassette, play music on smart speakers, control the lights and more.
Samsung says the goal behind its upcycling program is to give users another way to do it extends the life of the gadgets you already own and, by extension, helps reduce the environmental impact of Samsung gadgets. After all, a device that is reused or recycled is potentially a lesser-placed gadget in a landfill.
That being said, the biggest hurdle for most people is that restoring an old smartphone generally requires a bit of DIY and a certain tolerance for DIY solutions, which may require a greater commitment than what most people want. And that’s before you think about the need to buy supports or additional supports for your phone, so that you can position the new IoT device correctly.
So, finally, the easiest approach may still be to get rid of the old device (either by swapping or recycling) before buying something new. But at least now you have the option to reuse or reuse some outdated gadgets, and if you’re already invested in the Samsung SmartThing ecosystem, the Upcycling at Home program could serve as a small upgrade at your fingertips.