A recent report from SamMobile details a new feature we might see on next year’s Galaxy S8 from Samsung, something called Smart Glow. Basically, Smart Glow will replace your device’s LED notification light, but does much more than let you know when you have a notification that needs your attention.
As an example, on the Galaxy S7 Edge, you can assign select colors to your top contacts. Whenever that contact calls or texts you, that selected color will light up your Edge Display, so long as you have that feature enabled. With Smart Glow, an outer ring that surrounds your camera lens will light up, providing a more loudly colored notification that someone is attempting to reach you.
Beyond just the notification aspect, it is reported that Smart Glow will soon also be able to provide notifications regarding the device itself. For instance, if your device is nearing its maximum storage limit, it could shine a red color, or if you would like to know the weather outside, Smart Glow could shine Yellow to indicate a sunny day. Additionally, S Health may also get tied into Smart Glow at a later time, with the device’s camera and LED flash handling the measurements of heart rate, then Smart Glow utilizing that information in a currently unknown manner.
According to SamMobile, Smart Glow won’t first be available on the Galaxy S8 in 2017, but instead, will launch with limited features later this year on the Galaxy J2 in India. At that time, we should get a real sense for how it looks and works. As reported, if and when the Galaxy S8 does launch, Smart Glow should have many more features by that time, making it a more useful addition to the Galaxy lineup for the US.
The below image was created to give a sense of what Smart Glow could potentially look like when in use. However, in reality, this is just fancy Photoshop work and not what it will actually look like.
Does Smart Glow interest you for the Galaxy S8 next year?
Why do this kind of gimmick in 2017??
Dang, I was hoping “Smart Glow” was exactly that, where the whole device would glow for notifications and alerts. Their phones are already made almost entirely out of glass, all they’d need to do to make this happen would be an LED ring around the frame and some flecks of reflective material in the glass. That would have been something cool. This is just repurposing the LED flash ring around the camera. Big whoop.
Um I keep my phone face up 99.999% of the time so this is useless. I suspect many people do as well. Now putting this in the home button, that would be awesome.
I had a cheap prepaid t-mobile flip phone that did this back in the day, but was around the entire outside and you could program the 6 separate lights to do a pattern that you wanted.
I just love LEDs wether they are! Who remembers the Razr HD ultra beatiful LED? That was the perfect solution for me. If not, I woud love something like the Nokia N8, that had a LED around the home button. It was monocromatic, but had a sexy way of glancing.
So, its an LED like we already have, but on the back, because so many people put their phones face down on a table. Dumbest, Idea, Ever.
I would never see this. I dont stare t my camera all day.
“Smart Glow will replace your device’s LED notification light”
I sure hope not. What’s the point of picking up your phone and looking at the back if you have a notification?
I always thought it was weird that, ever since ambient displays, we haven’t moved notification LEDs to the rear. If my phone is face up, my ambient display can give me plenty of info already, the LED is sort of redundant. If my phone happens to be face down, there’s no way at all to know if I’ve missed anything.
Or, alternatively, they could make a notification similar to the Moto Active Display. Moto beats even the stock Android version of this. I guarantee that Samsung, with all of its resources, could at least match Moto in that.
Useless for those who never keep their phone face down.
Which is approximately everyone that has ever owned a phone.
could help save some screens, its just a new additional feature that they need to come up with more uses for, like reacting to a persons voice when they are on speakerphone, or when music is playing it could be a strobe light, umm i could go on and on haha
The only time my phone is face-down is if meeting friends for lunch or dinner – just to be polite, I put it face down (too big to leave in my pocket comfortably).
But – It’s face-up on my desk at work, and more importantly it’s face-up when it’s on my wireless charger.
Soooooooooooooooo. . . this is for anyone (Other than Kellen out of putting fear in the hearts of readers…on purpose) — that places their phone screens face down, risking scratches…then putting it directly on their face? What is wrong with you people?
I put my phone face down all the time and haven’t scratch my display (tempered glass) yet.
That doesn’t really count now does it?
What can I say, I like to protect my investment. ?
Reminds me of the light flow app with the galaxy nexus notification LED.
Might be more useful to have the ring around both the camera and home button so no matter which way the phone was oriented, a user could likely see the LED.
Reminds me of my old school Moto flip phone.
i mean, honestly i don’t know what’s wrong with the current notification led. if one needs something like that, it works just fine.
Ridiculous to have it around the camera lens—likely a $-saving move. LG had an awesome light around the home button on the Optimus G Pro back in, what, 2013? Now THAT was a useful feature!
Remember the OG Droid’s little white LED next to the microUSB port?
This is worthless for those who don’t want to risk scratches and put their phones screen side down. Would be way cooler if they could light up the frame of the phone somehow.
I think the point is that it lights up the surface underneath the phone, assuming it protrudes from the back of the phone.
put that camera hump to use
Can’t remember which Moto, but it was after the razr, maybe a gen or two… the white one when the led went off at night would glow the entire white front face. Not strong, but a nice subtle glow.
It was this one: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_razr_hd-4971.php
If only Samsung had a screen surface on the sides of the phone, possibly curving over from the front … oh, wait!
Granted, this looks to have more functions than the Edge display modules, and will likely use less battery. But I would much rather have the LEDs somewhere more useful – either along the top, or under the volume buttons, or around the home button – even under the Samsung logo on the front-top. Any of those would be better options.
Why in the world is this on the camera module? Wouldn’t this make more sense if it’s around the home button?
This!
BOOm
“Wouldn’t this make more sense if it’s around the Verizon Logo?”
<.
★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹:★✹::::::!w227h:….,….
Not really considering the Verizon logo is now much smaller on the phones than it used to be – but hey if the Verizon logo is on the home button like on the Note 2 – you have a winner!
Yes, how do you market this and wireless charging at the same time?
Like the old galaxy nexus. Sucked, but, loved the glowing notification at the home button area! YES! THIS!