Samsung GALAXY S4 Becomes World's First TCO Certified Smartphone

Award recognizes the sustainable qualities of newly release flagship handset

SEOUL, Korea - May 16, 2013 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced today that the Samsung GALAXY S4 is TCO Certified, the first smartphone to be awarded such an honor. TCO Development, an independent body that focuses on sustainability in the IT industry, found the GALAXY S4 was sustainably designed and manufactured and met customer demand for sustainable mobile products.

“The demand for environmentally friendly products informed our decision making process when we were creating the GALAXY S4. We are delighted to be the first smartphone manufacturer to be TCO Certified as this validates our approach to sustainability,” said JK Shin, CEO & President, IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “This is the second significant certificate the GALAXY S4 has received since its release as we were also awarded Platinum ECOLOGO certification from UL. Our customers can trust that every device we release to the market is sustainable and environmentally friendly.”

To become TCO Certified a smartphone must meet requirements across a variety of criteria including social, environmental and economic viability. In the social category, Samsung demonstrated that it is committed to socially responsible manufacturing and is compliant with International Labour Organization and United Nation conventions. In the environmental category, it was found that the GALAXY S4 was free from many hazardous materials such as nickel, beryllium, and mercury which, if present, would have severely restricted its potential to be recycled at the end its lifecycle. In terms of economic viability, the power efficiency of the charger was praised, as was the smartphone’s industrial design which boosts reliability.

"TCO Certified Smartphones are designed to make it easier for smartphone buyers to choose products that have been designed with sustainability in mind. By certifying their smartphones, leading brands such as Samsung have a real opportunity to demonstrate that their products are helping advance more sustainable mobile solutions," said Soren Enholm, CEO TCO Development.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 236,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.