Amidst its current innovation issues, Samsung opened the doors of its Samsung Innovation Museum to the public on Monday, April 21, apparently in an effort to educate the public on the history of the electronics industry and its role in that story.
A massive 32-screen moving display welcomes visitors into the five-story S/I/M museum located in an office tower in Samsung Digital City in Suwon, a province just a few kilometers south of Seoul, Korea.
The 10,950-square-foot museum has three exhibition halls, each one marking the past, present and future of electronics technology. The first two halls feature more than 150 historic items, which include the first television sets, washing machines and refrigerators. The third hall showcases what Samsung sees as the future of the industry, with the company playing a significant role.
"The Samsung Innovation Museum brings together some of the true historical masterpieces of electronics innovation. These inventions laid the technological foundation that allowed us to develop and refine products that enhance lives today. The museum gives visitors an opportunity to see where we've come from and also see where Samsung draws inspiration from to continue to create category-defining products," said Samsung vice chairman and CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon at the opening ceremony.
True enough, the first hall is dedicated to telling the history of the industry from the 18th to the 20th century, highlighting game-changing inventions such as Thomas Edison's filament lamp and Alexander Graham Bell's telephone.
The hall has five stations -- electricity, lighting, telecommunications, home appliances and radio -- each sectioned off by a cone-shaped roof. The stations have different triggers, such as a power switch, Morse code tapper or radio dial, to open a panoramic wall video that provides context for the exhibits. Samsung's interactive transparent displays also provide additional information.
The second hall, which represents the present, covers the rise of TV, smartphones and the Internet. It has three stations: semiconductor, display and mobile.
While Samsung makes no mention of its perpetual legal opponent Apple and its old rival LG, it displays several items by other competitors. The second hall features the world's first mobile phone, Motorola's DynaTAC8000X, and the world's first smartphone, IBM's Personal Communicator. Samsung also affords a place in its exhibits for products made by Intel, Nokia, Siemens, Sony, AT&T and other tech companies.
The third hall, which claims to project the future of technology, looks more like a showroom of Samsung's latest products. Items of interest include Samsung's latest Gear 2 and Gear Fit smart watches, a military-style Galaxy S4 and Samsung's curved television.
The hall also features a curved Ultra-High Definition theater that currently shows a promotional Samsung video. It also has a gift shop, where proceeds will be used to fund Samsung's corporate social responsibility projects.
The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors on weekdays are asked to make reservations on the museum's website. There is no need for reservations for weekend visits.
