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Samsung's Experience Store opens Thursday in Silicon Valley

The opening of its fourth US store marks the start of a retail rollout around the world.

James Martin
James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.
James Martin
Samsung Store Palo Alto
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On Thursday, Samsung will open its first Bay Area Samsung Experience Store in the heart of Silicon Valley. This fourth US store will be an "everything" hub to tie in customer service and tech support with Samsung's vast empire of gadgets as the world's biggest phone and TV maker.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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The new Samsung retail store location at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California, is only about 15 miles from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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The center of the store will focus on Samsung's extensive line of phones, currently showcasing the flagship Note 10 and S10 devices as well as the more budget-friendly A series.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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A corner of the Samsung Experience Store is dedicated to SmartThings smart home devices.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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A colorful display shows off phone cases in just about every available hue.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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Customers will be able to get tech support from onsite experts and get broken devices fixed.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is on display at the Samsung Experience Store in Palo Alto.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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The new store showcases smart home devices, laptops, tablets, watches and phones, as well as all kinds of gadget accessories.

Star Wars Galaxy Note 10 Plus
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Samsung is getting in on The Rise of Skywalker hype with a limited edition Star Wars Galaxy Note 10 Plus, which celebrates Supreme Leader Kylo Ren's red and black style. 

Star Wars Galaxy Note 10 Plus
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When the red S Pen that looks a lot like Kylo Ren's red-bladed lightsaber is inserted or removed from its slot, a lightsaber tone plays.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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"We created Samsung Experience Stores to give Galaxy fans more of what they love -- the chance to experience our latest technologies in-person, with engaging product interactions and personalized care services," Samsung said in a November blog post.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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There's one Samsung device that won't be on tables for shoppers to play with: the Galaxy Fold. Samsung's first foldable, which starts at $1,980, will be housed in a display at the front of the store.

Samsung Store Palo Alto
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The Galaxy Fold is safely housed in a glass case at the Palo Alto store. Sales associates also have models they can show to shoppers. 

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