三星推出全新微型投影机暨多功能娱乐设备－The Freestyle，可投影100吋清晰画面，于全球各地，包括北美、拉丁美洲、南韩等市场刮起一阵旋风。
The Freestyle尤为吸引年轻族群的目光，剖析其大受欢迎的原因，在于自产品规划与早期开发阶段，即广纳千禧世代与Z世代族群的意见。
为挖掘更多精彩内幕，三星新闻中心专访参与The Freestyle规划及开发阶段的4位产品专家：分别为专责产品规划的Seungyeong Ian Jeong、负责服务产品管理的Sooyon Chung、从事UX设计的Jenny Jung及专责产品发表行销的Dami Baik。
原因 ［1］
因应时下多变的生活型态，开发令人耳目一新的装置
从The Freestyle最初规划阶段，三星产品专家们便深入研究风行于千禧、Z世代族群的生活型态，并致力将此股风尚融入产品设计。千禧世代及Z世代追求独特的生活型态，且勇于表达自我。他们不仅着重于实用性，对于产品营造的氛围与风格亦具个人主张。 The Freestyle以年轻用户的喜好为重，将时代的思潮变迁，融入其设计概念。
疫情下生活型态改变，亦成为产品规划的背景因素。人们长时间处于个人空间，如何将娱乐导入如卧室等以往放松的场域，已愈发重要。同时，诸如露营等户外休闲活动，亦蔚为一股新风潮。 Jung解释：「The Freestyle的产品概念为一款打破框架、轻巧便携的微型投影机。」
原因 ［2］
兼具独特平台与年轻活力，打造独一无二电视体验
The Freestyle的独特之处难以一言以蔽之，因其为一款无先例可循的崭新产品：可成为萤幕、室内情境灯，亦可发挥数位海报的作用。正如其名，该产品以灵活百变的用途，融入不同用户的生活型态及独特风格。
我们与4位产品专家进行深度访谈，揭开The Freestyle广受喜爱的幕后秘辛，他们异口同声强调其强大的协同体验，于三星智慧电视平台助阵下，发挥一机多用的灵活性。 Chung受访时表示：「The Freestyle提供一应俱全的主流OTT应用程式，内建合作伙伴认证的串流服务，让用户绝不错过精彩内容，并享受最卓越的大萤幕体验。此外，它同时支援Android与iOS行动装置，可轻松镜射手机画面。」
原因 ［3］
紧贴年轻族群喜好与体验
The Freestyle为该品类产品开创者，因此在产品开发阶段，难免会遇到阻碍。 Jung解释：「由于它是一款开创新局的崭新产品，无先例可循。对我们而言，从零开始规划产品功能、设计等各项体验，并非一件易事。对产品方向产生迟疑时，专为20至30多岁三星员工设立的交流版，总能让团队如入宝山、满载而归，获得最实质的帮助。」
产品规划之初，团队将The Freestyle关键功能，定调为透过投影方式观看内容。然而，千禧世代及Z世代的同仁们，雀跃地讨论除内容观赏以外的另类用途；他们认为可以依心情选择 The Freestyle投射画面，营造独特空间氛围，这正是The Freestyle配备情境功能的源起。
甚至，该装置的优异音响功能，灵感亦来自于此交流版。 Jeong指出：「我们在思考该装置的音效规格时，从众多意见留言中，注意到年轻族群对音质表现不妥协的坚持。」
原因 ［4］
轻巧便携、一机多用，突破空间界限
The Freestyle体积精巧重量仅830公克，可放入随身包携带，无论身处何处，仅需一个适合的使用环境，即可随处投影。不同于其他投影机，The Freestyle支援自动梯形与水平校正、对焦功能，能自动快速调整萤幕焦距。用户可透过Scale & Move功能，调整投影萤幕大小与位置，而无需移动投影机。
此外，The Freestyle亦配备便利功能，用户观赏内容时，仅需常按快捷键，即可直接进入设定页面，无需透过层层选单。其亦配备有助于最小化环境噪音的技术，使用者可利用语音辨识功能操控装置，解决投影机长久以来的痛点。 The Freestyle支援远场语音助理，即使萤幕处于关闭状态，亦可用于播放音乐、启动虚拟助理等功能。
原因 ［5］
不受时空限制，用途随心百变
至于产品专家如何运用The Freestyle？ Jung表示：「我偏好以The Freestyle播放我最喜爱的音乐专辑，一边享受卓越音质，一边将专辑封面投影于墙面，作为视觉陪衬。此外，我也喜欢在就寝之前，将繁星闪耀的夜空影片，投影于卧室天花板上；欲入睡时，则可透过声控方式轻松关机。」
Baik补充：「我会将The Freestyle置于床头上方层架，将画面投影于天花板，全家一起躺着看影片，孩子们很喜欢这样。正因为可以随心所欲，以任何方式使用，The Freestyle不仅深受千禧世代及Z世代青睐，亦获得包括亲子用户在内广大用户的好评。」
The Freestyle最吸引人之处，在于迷你轻巧的设计及便利的使用性，适用于各种生活场景。 Jeong表示：「我们希望藉由突破空间界限，满足用户因人而异的喜好与需求，打造随心所欲、随处投影的用户体验。我们的目标是将The Freestyle打造为个人化、机动化、智慧化萤幕，使其功能发挥极致。」
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Getting To Know Those Responsible for The Freestyle,
a Device Captivating Younger Users Around the World
The Freestyle, Samsung Electronics’ all-new portable screen and entertainment device that displays crystal-clear images up to 100 inches in size, is proving a hit in markets around the world including North America, Latin America and South Korea.
The secret behind the popularity of The Freestyle, a device that is especially beloved by younger generations, is that feedback from Millennial and Zoomer-age individuals has been welcomed and incorporated right from The Freestyle’s product planning and early development stages.
In order to hear more about this process, Samsung Newsroom sat down with 4 of the product experts behind the planning and development of The Freestyle: Seungyeong Ian Jeong, who worked on product planning, Sooyeon Chung, who worked on service product management, Jenny Jung, who worked on UX design and Dami Baik, who worked on product launch marketing.
Developing an All-New Device Based on Changing Lifestyle Trends
Ever since the initial planning stages of The Freestyle, Samsung’s product experts have been researching Millennial and Zoomer lifestyle trends and have endeavored to apply them to the product. Millennials and Zoomers pursue their own unique lifestyles, and are not afraid to speak out and express themselves. They place importance on practicality as well as the vibe and style of the products they choose. By respecting the preferences of such young users, The Freestyle took such changes in preferences into consideration.
The changes in lifestyles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic became the background for product planning as well. People began to spend more time in their own personal spaces, and it became more important to bring entertainment into spaces previously used for relaxing, such as the bedroom. At the same time, outdoor leisure activities, such as camping, have been becoming more common. “The concept of The Freestyle is its frameless portable screen that is ‘with me anywhere,’” explained Jung.
Creating a Unique TV Experience Out of a Unique Platform and a Young Vibe
It is not easy to describe The Freestyle in one word, simply because it is a completely new product with no precedent. Some users will use it as a screen, while some will use it as an interior mood light; others might use it as a digital placard, too. As the very name of the device states, the purpose of the product changes in freestyle along with the lifestyle and the unique style of each user.
We asked the 4 product experts what they think the secret behind the popularity of The Freestyle is, and all of them highlighted the strong synergy between the product experience that can be harnessed in all kinds of ways with the unique Samsung Smart TV platform. “The Freestyle provides all kinds of major OTT apps with built-in streaming services certified by partners so that you’re never behind on the best in content and screen experiences,” elaborated Chung. “Moreover, smartphone mirroring can very easily be undertaken with both Android and iOS mobile devices.”
Actively Reflecting the Interests and Experiences of Younger Generations
Since The Freestyle is a product that is the first of its kind, naturally some hurdles arose during the development stage. “Since it is the first product of its type being developed by Samsung, there was no defined reference for us,” explained Jung. “It wasn’t easy for us to plan the product’s features and to design its experiences from zero.” Whenever doubts arose about the direction of the product, what helped the most was actually the feedback the team could get from the community board for Samsung employees in their 20s and 30s.
At the beginning of the product planning stage, the crux of The Freestyle’s offering was mainly content watching through projection. However, colleagues who are Millennials and Zoomers at Samsung provided their feedback as to how excited they would be to use The Freestyle to create their own type of mood by projecting an image of their choice when not watching content, and this is what led to The Freestyle’s ambient features.
Even the device’s high-quality audio offering came to be following the incorporation of feedback on the community board. “While we were thinking about the sound specification of the device, we paid attention to the opinions being shared about how the sound quality should not be compromised,” noted Jeong.
Going Beyond the Limitations of a Space With Convenient Portability and Usage Options
In order to use this product, small enough to fit into a purse and weighing only 830g, anywhere regardless of place, a convenient usage environment is a must. Unlike other projectors, The Freestyle quickly adjusts its screen’s focus automatically through auto keystone correction, leveling and focusing features. Through the Scale & Move feature, users can adjust the projected screen size and position it without having to physically move the projector around.
In addition, the Freestyle features a convenient functionality that allows users to directly access settings while watching content that doesn’t require them to go through any menu — this is accessed by simply pressing and holding the home button. Moreover, users can control the device through voice recognition, as the product comes with technology to minimize surrounding noise, previously a persistent issue for projectors. Through Far-Field voice assistant support, The Freestyle also lets users play music and engage in virtual assistant features even when the screen is off.
A Versatile Device To Be Used Anytime, Anywhere — On Your Terms
So how do the product experts themselves use The Freestyle? “I enjoy using The Freestyle to listen to music in high-quality sound while projecting my favorite album cover image in the background,” said Jung. “I also enjoy projecting a video of the stars shining brightly onto my bedroom ceiling before I go to bed. When I feel like falling asleep, I can just turn off the device using my voice.”
“My kids really like it when we install The Freestyle on the headboard shelf and watch content projected onto the ceiling while lying in bed together,” added Baik. “Since the device can be used freely in any way you want, it is receiving rave reviews just not from Millennial and Zoomer-age users, but also from users of all ages, including those who are using The Freestyle as a family.”
The most appealing thing about The Freestyle is that it can be used in all kinds of scenarios in daily life thanks to its compact design and convenient usability. “We want to present a user experience that meets users’ diverse preferences and needs anywhere, anytime, by going beyond the limitations of a space,” said Jeong. “Our goal is to establish The Freestyle as a personal, movable, smart screen that can be truly utilized to the fullest.”
If you want to know more or reserve your place in line for The Freestyle, register now for news alert on Samsung’s website at https://www.samsung.com/my/offer/tv/2022-freestyle-pre-registration/. Registration of Interest ends 6 March 2022.
