Samsung Networks Awarded for Design Excellence: Part 1 Product Design

Samsung Networks has been recognized for its excellence in design for its 5G products and user experience (UX), winning five iF DESIGN AWARDS in 2022.

The International Forum (iF) Design Award is one of the world’s top design awards and Samsung Electronics received a total of 71 awards at the iF Design Awards this year. Five of the 71 awards recognized the Samsung Networks division for the following solutions: 5G Massive MIMO Radio, 5G Outdoor Radio, Networks UX Design System, CognitiV Analytics and CognitiV SCO.

This achievement is based on Samsung’s commitment to establishing design principles for its 5G products. This recognition speaks to Samsung’s continued success this year, after winning the awards for the first time in 2021.

This two part blog series will explore Samsung Networks’ design excellence for each product and solution and how they led us to win multiple awards. In this first part of the blog series, we will introduce Samsung Networks’ 5G product design concept and two award-winning products applying the concept. 

Samsung’s  “5G Network Design Identity 3.0: Neo Sleek”  won one of the global awards back in 2021 including the iF Design Award and the Japan Good Design Award.

This principle is the overarching design philosophy shared across Samsung’s 5G network product line-up, from the conception to final details in deliverables. 

Considering the products’ technical features and installation environment, Samsung’s design philosophy pursues three values:

•  Consistent and systematic design that can be applied to products’ different specifications

•  Integrated design that considers the overall image after the product is installed

•  Site-friendly design that takes installation convenience and environment into account

In line with these objectives, Samsung’s 5G Network Design Identity 3.0: Neo Sleek offers the following design identities to every 5G network product. 

The Wrap-Around design helps the product blend in with the installation environment and provides visual stability with the integrity of the background surroundings.

A Round design makes the product looks smaller and is helpful for withstanding wind load.

The Character Edge design allows for a slim profile and demonstrates a unique look, which makes Samsung Networks’ products noticeable, even from a distance.

Samsung's 5G Massive MIMO Radio provides wide coverage, higher capacity and performance with its 3D beamforming technology and increased MIMO layers. The solution supports a variety of spectrums and offers dual-band connectivity to accommodate the different needs of operators. Samsung's Massive MIMO radios are commercially deployed in many global markets including countries across North America and Asia. In January, Samsung's 64T64R 5G Massive MIMO C-band (Mid-band) radios were commercialized with vRAN, marking a world’s first with Tier1 operator in the U.S.

Samsung’s 5G Massive MIMO Radio Solution won the iF Design Award in 2022 for its eco-friendly and flexible systematic solution.

In the past, great emphasis was put on the rapid deployment of equipment around cities. However, as 5G was commercialized and device connections became more important in our lives, network products are no longer confined within the walls of base stations. Now, products are densely deployed in our daily lives where people can actually see the products, such as on city streetlights and rooftops. Against this backdrop, we redefined our product and considered the design to improve the user experience at each stage.

Urban-friendly design for citizens and pedestrians

Samsung’s Massive MIMO radio is designed to be unassuming and minimal so it can become a part of our daily lives. We approached it as a piece of urban furniture instead of a simple mechanical product hanging on poles. The long, integrated form factor that forms a single unit is optimal for harmonizing with the surrounding environment. In addition, its aerodynamic design considers the safety of the product since it hangs high and the design removes the risk of the product falling due to wind, ensuring the safety of citizens.

More Round & Character Edged Antenna Area

The Massive MIMO Radio has a gently round front design that considers wind loads and offers a harmonious yet enduring fit with its surroundings. Curved at the front, the Massive MIMO radio offers the optimal contour for 5G’s RF radiation pattern and installation needs, while also achieving a slim profile for dense urban environments.

Flexible Linear Patterned Vent to optimize Power & Installation

Vents are a common feature of 5G network products, but their presence, size and location vary across products due to their differing heat emissions. The Flexible Linear Patterned Vent ensures consistency and resolves this difference by establishing requirements. The vertical vent and patterns achieve a slim look and allow natural convection cooling by harnessing wind blowing against the mounted structure. 

From the early stages of the Massive MIMO radio product planning, we worked hard to find areas where technology and design can create synergies.

In order to find the most efficient front curve value for the antenna, various simulations were performed with the antenna and design models.

Moreover, we have conducted numerous rounds of thermal analyses and Rapid Prototype tests to satisfy various heat generation specifications of each product and maintain a consistent look at the same time, which led us to make a Flexible Ventilation Design Pattern that is optimal and unique.

This award is an outcome of a collaboration between the design and related teams that worked together to create synergies between technology and design.

As a part of Samsung's complete 5G Solutions, Outdoor radios support various frequencies, output powers and antenna configurations, bringing greater flexibility and advantages in network deployment and operation.

Samsung's 5G Outdoor Radio Solution won the award at iF Design Award 2022. It was an important opportunity to boost 5G Outdoor radio products' excellent designs.  

5G network products gradually diversify in accordance with the environment where they are installed. In addition, the products are installed close to the living environment and in dense urban areas they can be very close to each other. This is why it’s important that the features of 5G products adjust to accommodate the network environment.

Similar to the 5G Massive MIMO radio, the 5G Outdoor Radio Solution covers the city center, and the products should be installed to meet the conditions of each environment. It can be installed on poles, walls, rooftops, indoors and on diverse areas where necessary. Samsung’s 5G Outdoor radio has a compact & clean design and a dimensional consistency (L x W x H) that enable flexible installation (front, side, 3Bay, horizontal, stackable) in a variety of settings.  

Moreover, with its smooth body, an effective and simple installation of the upper fan module enables either indoor or horizontal installation to promote functional convenience.

Using a cover, when the fan module is attached to the main body, the overall combination looks natural as if the two were a single product. With a small and compact shape and clean design, the radios suits multiple environments. .

All of Samsung’s 5G network products are based on the principle of 5G Networks Design Identity 3.0 and the lineup is gradually expanding.

To give these products a consistent shape, Samsung applied a systematic design and thus enabled consistency throughout the process including installation and repair. 

The unified design demonstrates how the products are distinctive and reliable. It also allows for an identical installation process across the products, promoting convenience and management consistency. Moreover, weight reduction and miniaturization promote an easy transfer of the products.