Samsung’s greener TV remote charges from your WiFi (but NFTs could spoil things)

davidwarni January 3, 2022 2 min read

Samsung has overthrew the replacement of the battery from the ECO remote, adding last year’s solar panel, and now increases the 2022 model with the ability to harvest energy from radio waves at home. 2022 Samsung Eco Remote can still be charged by allowing it directly, but it will also use RF energy from a wifi router or other wireless sources.

RF energy harvesting sounds a bit like a low-key magic, but actually technology is quite established. It depends on converting electromagnetic energy – as produced by your WiFi router or other device – into DC energy, which can then be used smaller electronics.

The amount we are talking about here is relatively low, but again as well as the power demands of the remote control. Samsung has not said how long the remote 2022 Reco may take place when it is supplied with RF energy only, but the combination of solar and RF harvest must mean a much less opportunity where you grab the clicker and flat.

For updates 2022, meanwhile, there are also aesthetic changes. Samsung will now offer the white version of the remote with black, to better match some TV lifestyle. Apart from D-Pad, volume, sound control, and other shortcuts, there is a special launch button for on-demand services: Samsung TV Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney +.

This is part of a sustainable encouragement by Samsung – and the other – to cut waste, especially in accessories and packaging. The new remote uses super-capacitors or supercap, for example, than batteries, and all 2022 TVs have deducting power consumption.

For packaging, now there is a larger use of recycled materials. EPS pillows, plastic tape, clips, bag stands, and box holders are now made of recycled cardboard and plastic, and no staples to hold the box itself together. It’s not just good news for the environment: Samsung says that by removing metal fasteners, now it can now assemble TV boxes in just 1 second, compared to 5 seconds using an old system.