General Questions

What is the Samsung Gear App Challenge?
Where can I find information on the Samsung Gear Dev Tool?
Where can I find information on certification of Samsung GALAXY Apps?
How do I follow the challenge and get updates?
Who can I contact if I have questions about the challenge rules and submission process?
Where can I get answers to technical questions, or questions regarding app certification and sale? 

Eligibility

Who is eligible to enter the Challenge?
Is there any restriction in the entry to the Challenge?
What is eligible for entry?
Can I enter more than one app into the Challenge?
I’m not a resident of Korea or the United States. Can I enter the Challenge?

Submission Requirements

How do I enter?
Are there any app categories with entry restrictions in the Challenge?
What language should I use for the app entered into the Challenge?
What APIs or datasets can I include in my solution?
Why do I have to upload a video?
What should I put in my video?

Certification and Testing

Should the app be available in Samsung GALAXY Apps to apply for the Challenge?
What is App Certification?

Awards and Judging

What are the awards for the challenge?
Are there any other benefits besides monetary prizes for the winners?
Is the prize money taxable? If so, who pays the taxes?
How do I receive my prize?
Are the winners informed individually? How will the winners be notified?
Who are the judges?
What are the judging criteria?

Samsung GALAXY Apps

What is Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office ID?
What is a Samsung account?
Where can I register my app to Samsung GALAXY Apps?

Other Questions

If I enter/win the Challenge, will there be any effect on distribution in other markets?
What are the dates for the Challenge phase?
Where can I find the Official Rules?
If I enter the Challenge, will I still have the proprietary rights to my app?
What will you do with my entry?

What is the Samsung Gear App Challenge?

The Samsung Gear App Challenge is a software competition designed to motivate and reward those interested in developing innovative, creative, functional and original apps for Samsung Gear 2.

Where can I find information on the Samsung Gear Dev Tool?

You can find information on the Samsung Gear Dev Tool at http://developer.samsung.com/samsung-gear

Where can I find information on certification of Samsung GALAXY Apps?

The guide of certification of Samsung GALAXY Apps is available at http://developer.samsung.com/distribute/app-certification/self-check-list-wearable

How do I follow the challenge and get updates?

When you register for the challenge, you’ll automatically be signed up to receive updates regarding the challenge. Follow us on Twitter at @ChallengePost and @Samsung_dev.

Who can I contact if I have questions about the challenge rules and submission process?

Email Support@ChallengePost.com or post a question to the discussion board. If you are a Korean participant, you can also email support@ssac2014.com. 

Where can I get answers to technical questions, or questions regarding app certification and sale?

For technical inquiries necessary for app development, use the Samsung Developers Forum (http://developer.samsung.com/forum) or the TIZEN Developers forum (https://developer.tizen.org/forums).

For questions regarding app certification and sale, submit your inquiry to the Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office (seller.samsungapps.com) for fast and accurate answers.

Who is eligible to enter the Challenge?

The Samsung Gear App Challenge is open to developers from around the world who have become registered members on the Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office website, including:

• Individuals, and teams of individuals, 13 years of age and older. If an individual, or team of individuals, have not yet reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry and they win a prize, a parent or guardian will need to sign an affidavit on their behalf.

• Organizations that, at the time of entry, have been duly organized or incorporated and validly exist.

Round 2 will be open only to finalists from Round 1 and will provide developers an opportunity to improve their apps and a chance to win additional prizes. Please see the Official Rules for full eligibility details.

Is there any restriction in the entry to the Challenge?

Yes, the following individuals, teams, and organizations are NOT eligible for the competition:

• Individuals or organizations based in a nation, state, province, or territory where U.S. or local law prohibits participating in the competition or receiving a prize. This includes individuals, who are residents of, and organizations domiciled in the Province of Quebec, Italy, Brazil, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, and Myanmar, and other countries designated by the United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
• Any application that is, or was, funded or compensated, partially or fully, by “Samsung” for its development is not eligible to participate.
• Individuals, or teams of individuals, employed by or associated with Samsung who have been involved in the design or promotion of the challenge are not eligible to enter.

What is eligible for entry?

Submitted applications must be new or existing Samsung Gear Apps created using the Samsung Gear Dev Tool. Apps may be any one of the three types of Gear app: Linked (Master-Follower) Type, Integrated Type, or Standalone Type. Apps must be available in Samsung GALAXY Apps and have passed Certification by the end of the Certification period.

If the Host-side Application links to a Samsung Galaxy, then the application must support at least one device among Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S4.

Existing apps may be entered, as long as the submitted application was not funded or compensated, partially or fully, by “Samsung” for its development AND as long as the application was not distributed on Samsung GALAXY Apps before May 1, 2014. 

For additional details, please see the Requirements section of the homepage and the Official Rules.

Can I enter more than one app into the Challenge?

Yes, you can submit more than one entry. However, if you submit two or more entries that are identical or substantially similar, Samsung and ChallengePost reserve the right to disqualify all the entries or require you to choose one entry to enter into the challenge.

To enter additional applications, click the “Start another submission” link on the challenge homepage.

I’m not a resident of Korea or the United States. Can I enter the Challenge?

This challenge is open to developers all over the world, for everyone interested in Samsung Gear 2.

However individuals or organizations may not be eligible if they are based in a nation, state, province, or territory where U.S. or local law prohibits participating in the competition or receiving a prize. This includes individuals, who are residents of, and organizations domiciled in the Province of Quebec, Italy, Brazil, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, and Myanmar, and other countries designated by the United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

How do I enter?

To enter an application in the challenge, you’ll need to follow the steps listed on the challenge homepage under “How to Enter.”

Are there any app categories with entry restrictions in the Challenge?

There are no app categories in this Challenge.

What language should I use for the app entered into the Challenge?

Apps submitted must have English language support, and multiple language support is allowed as well.

What APIs or datasets can I include in my solution?

You may use whatever APIs, SDKs, and datasets you choose, as long as you are authorized to use and distribute them.

Why do I have to upload a video?

The Popular Choice award in Round 2 will be determined by public voting. A video helps ensure that all users can view and experience your solution. The video will also be helpful to the panel of judges. You may create a screencast or use a handheld video camera to make your video, or choose any other method that captures the solution’s value and user interface.

What should I put in my video?

Aside from your actual app, your submission video is one of the most important parts of your entry. In fact, it’s often one of the first, and sometimes only, things that judges and voters view. Make a great first impression by following these tips on what to include in your video:

• Include a step-by-step demo. Demonstrate your app’s key features by showing them functioning on an appropriate device. While audio isn’t required, narration or text bubbles can help judges and voters understand your solution.
• Keep it simple. Your video shouldn’t be longer than five minutes. In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
• Don’t wait until the last minute to upload your video. Keep in mind that the time it takes to upload/process a video on YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku varies greatly depending on the format of your original video, the file size, upload traffic and Internet connection speed, and could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours or more.

Don’t know much about making videos? Check out these helpful screencasting tools.

Should the app be available in Samsung GALAXY Apps to apply for the Challenge?

All newly submitted apps must be submitted to Samsung GALAXY Apps by the submission deadline, 5pm EDT on July 17, 2014 (7am KST on July 18, 2014). Apps must go through Certification and be placed into the store by the end of the Certification Period (August 7, 2014) to be eligible for prizes.

Existing apps distributed in Samsung GALAXY Apps after May 1, 2014 may also be entered for the Challenge as long as the app was not funded or compensated, partially or fully, by “Samsung” for its development.

What is App Certification?

App Certification ensures that your app functions on the devices for which it is intended. Only those apps that have passed the Samsung App certification procedure on Samsung GALAXY Apps are eligible to be judged in the Challenge. Therefore, please note that if your app is not certified by the deadline (August 7, 2014), it may not be eligible to be judged, even if you have completed an application. Submissions for the Challenge close at 5pm EDT on July 17, 2014.

Submitters will be given a Certification period of three weeks (July 18 – August 7, 2014). The time taken for certification may vary among apps, so register your app and apply promptly.

What are the awards for the challenge?

The top 200 entries will receive a total of 1.25 million US dollars in prize money in the following categories.

Are there any other benefits besides monetary prizes for the winners?

In addition to the monetary prizes, the winners will be given various marketing benefits depending on the nature of the winning entries, including invitations to Samsung Developer events.

Is the prize money taxable? If so, who pays the taxes?

Winners must pay any taxes incurred upon receiving the prize money. Taxes and public utility charges/withholdings apply based on the tax laws of the Republic of Korea.

How do I receive my prize?

Winners will receive the prize money, net of taxes, after completing a few steps for prize distribution carried out by Samsung or ChallengePost.

Are the winners informed individually? How will the winners be notified?

The winners will be selected through the judging process, described in the Official Rules, and will be announced in August on the Challenge website.

Who are the judges?

The winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges.

What are the judging criteria?

Apps must be developed for Samsung Gear 2 and the following criteria apply.

Uniqueness / Commercial Potential / Functionality / Usability / Design. In Round 2 improvements from Round 1 and support of the latest Samsung Gear Device will also be considered.

What is Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office ID?

Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office ID is an email format ID used to log into the Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office website (seller.samsungapps.com).

What is a Samsung account?

Your Samsung account is used to access Samsung services such as Samsung Developers (developer.samsung.com) and Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office (seller.samsungapps.com). You must create and log into your account to register your app to Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office.

Where can I register my app to Samsung GALAXY Apps?

Simply visit the Samsung GALAXY Apps Seller Office site (seller.samsungapps.com) to register your app to Samsung GALAXY Apps. It’s easy. Just follow the Seller’s Office Guide in the Seller Office.

If I enter/win the Challenge, will there be any effect on distribution in other markets?

There are no restrictions on release in other stores when you enter/win the Challenge. For details, please refer to the Official Rules.

What are the dates for the Challenge phase?

All developers wanting to participate in Round 1 must register and submit on the Challenge website between 9pm EDT May 7, 2014 and 5pm EDT July 17, 2014. Entries will be judged at the conclusion of the submission period, and the final 200 winners with the highest scores will be announced in August.

*Any changes made to the Challenge schedule will be announced on the Challenge website.

Where can I find the Official Rules?

Participants must agree to the Official Rules to apply for the Challenge. Please read them carefully prior to entry.

If I enter the Challenge, will I still have the proprietary rights to my app?

Participants who develop and submit the app will retain ownership of all proprietary rights. For more details, please refer to the Official Rules.

What will you do with my entry?

Samsung and ChallengePost will have the right to publicly display your submission on the challenge website. They will also be allowed to publicize your username on the challenge website in connection with the submission and the challenge during and after the challenge. For more information on publicity rights, please see the Official Rules.