NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, AUG 22
Samsung India introduced a new privacy feature for its Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 smartphones. Named AltZLife, the privacy-centric feature is now rolling out as a part of the software update for both the smartphones. The feature creates a secondary private space on the phone, accessible through an authentication process that is different from the one required to unlock the phone, says a Samsung release.
The feature has been developed following deep consumer insights that smartphone users are seeking greater privacy, as they transition into an enhanced digital life using their mobile devices.
“An industry-first innovation, this intelligent feature has been designed keeping in mind the inherent need of consumers, especially Gen Z, for enhanced privacy when it comes to storage and access of content on their smartphones. This helps eliminate the anxiety that consumers usually face while also sharing their smartphones with someone,” Manu Sharma, Senior Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India, said.
Samsung smartphone users can quickly and easily switch between normal mode and private mode (Secure Folder) by simply double-clicking on the power key. The on-device AI function also intelligently suggests moving private content to the Secure Folder.
The AltZLife feature is available to exist as well as new users of Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 through a software update from August 10, 2020.
According to research conducted by Samsung, 79% of Gen Z consumers admit to having content such as images, applications, and private chats on their smartphones that they do not want family or others to see. In addition to this, they also want to hide the fact that they have things they do not want to share.
The two ‘Make for India’ solutions that are part of AltZLife – Quick Switch and Content Suggestions– have been developed by a team of young engineers at Samsung R&D Institutes in Bangalore and Noida using insights from consumer research.
As part of Samsung’s ‘Make for India’ initiative, Samsung R&D centres in the country work on India-centric innovations based on deep consumer insights.
Samsung had launched other AI-based ‘Make for India’ features on Galaxy A series devices earlier this year. This includes Alive Intelligence, which offers Multilingual Keyboard, Smart Crop, Useful Cards and Finder.AltZLifetakes the endeavor forward to make the consumer’s interaction with their Galaxy A series more intelligent, intuitive and secure.
How does AltZLife work?
AltZLife comes with two features—Quick Switch and Content Suggestions—which help provide a private and secured experience to consumers. The on-device AI solution allows all processing to take place within the device, and does not require interaction with any server or cloud.
Quick Switch
Our research shows consumers tend to have some aspects of their digital life—private and public—which they like to keep discrete and separate from each other. Quick Switch helps users in switching between two instances of the same app instantly –one instance in normal mode and the other in private mode. For example, a consumer can easily move between the normal Gallery and a private Gallery; or from a normal WhatsApp to private WhatsApp with a simple double click of the power button. The private versions of these apps are secured by Samsung Knox in the Secure Folder of Galaxy smartphones.
When a user double-click on the power button in normal mode, authentication is required before entering the private mode of the same app. This authentication is different from the normal unlocking of the smartphone. When switching from private to normal mode, no authentication is required. Quick Switch is also useful even if the application does not have dual instances in private and normal mode.
Content Suggestions
Content Suggestions is an AI-based app inside the Secure Folder, and its on-device AI-powered engine automatically suggests users move private images of pre-selected categories to the Secure Folder. For this to happen users have to simply select specific faces or a type of image they want to tag as private and keep them secured in the private gallery of the Secure Folder.
Once the initial setup is complete, the AI engine kicks in and identifies relevant images from the entire gallery. As this is an on-device AI solution, no information or image ever leaves the smartphone.
