Tag: Samsung

Smartphone Shipments Up 6.6% in Second Quarter, Samsung Tops List by Wide Margin

The most recent quarterly financial results have now rolled in from most major tech companies, and it seems as if everyone is waiting for the big fall product launches. Looking back over the past quarter, TrendForce has now released its estimates for smartphone shipments.

The tech analyst estimates that 221 million total smartphones were shipped in the second quarter of 2013, a 6.6% increase over the first quarter and an over 31% increase from smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2012. TrendForce predicts 928 million smartphone units to ship by the end of the year, a nearly one-third increase over 2012.

It’s no surprise that Samsung and Apple are leading the pack in smartphone shipments. What may be surprising is just how far ahead Samsung is pulling from the competition. The Korean manufacturer shipped an estimated 71 million total smartphone units during the second quarter, with an estimated 23 million of those being the company’s new flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S4. Much of the rest were mid-priced handsets, many of them sold in emerging markets such as China. Samsung’s total shipments reflect a steady increase from the first quarter

During this same time, Apple shipped only 27 million iPhones, including 22 million iPhone 5 units. Overall, the company shipped 30% fewer smartphones than in the first quarter 2013. Apple’s shipments are expected to increase in the third quarter of 2013, when the next version of the iPhone is expected to ship.

Aside from Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo, Sony, and Coolpad also managed to increase smartphone shipment numbers from the first quarter of 2013. TrendForce points out that these companies are now competing for the mid-priced smartphone market, which is soon expected to account for over half of the global smartphone market.

July 24, 2013
New Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite Coming July 28

In April, Samsung re-branded all of its notebooks and Windows 8 under the ATIV brand. Samsung “Series” notebooks are now ATIV Books, with numerical designations. Of these notebooks, the ATIV Book 9 is the current flagship hardware.

This week, Samsung announced that an new “Lite” version of the ATIV Book 9 will be coming on July 28. The ATIV Book 9 Lite’s price will start at $800 – a drop from the ATIV Book 9’s $1,100-plus price. The Lite’s form-factor and size is similar to the full ATIV Book 9, but has a few pared-down hardware components that lower its price.

The notebook will have a 13.3-inch screen that will not be full HD. Instead, it will be a touch screen with only a 1366 x 768 resolution. Samsung’s specifications list a quad core processor, 4GB of memory, a 128GB solid-state drive, and a built-in 720p camera. It comes in “Mineral Ash Black” or “Marble White” and weighs 3.48 pounds.

“With the ATIV Book 9 Lite, we created a device that fits the needs of a larger consumer base, while preserving the remarkable design and overall experience delivered by the Book 9 lineage,” said Mike Abary, SVP of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung.

July 17, 2013
Samsung’s Rumored Smartwatch Gets The NMA Treatment

At this year’s Mobilebeat conference, Samsung said that it was investing heavily in wearable computers. The company will start out with smartwatches, but it thinks we’ll soon have computers in our clothing.

Now, we could bore you with a bunch of conjecture over what a Samsung smartwatch might look like, but it’s more fun when NMA does it. Besides, I think they’re onto something with the computer that’s embedded into a bikini.

In all seriousness, it’s only natural for Samsung to invest in wearable computing. Google Glass is already changing how we perceive computing, and it’s pretty much a given that Apple will release its rumored iWatch this year or next. Samsung can’t afford to be late to the party if wearable computing really does take off.

If it does, maybe we can expect something like the Samsung Apex in the future.

July 10, 2013
Galaxy Note III to Have Full HD Screen [RUMOR]

With the success of its Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II products, Samsung proved that there are consumers hungering for ever-bigger screens. With the announcement of the Galaxy Note III expected soon, rumors about the device’s hardware have been flying for weeks now. Today’s Galaxy Note III rumor actually seems more plausible than most, and that’s because it comes from Samsung itself. Sort of.

Sam Mobile has uncovered references to models of the Galaxy Note III in Samsung WAP files on the company’s website. The code refers to the models SM-N900T and SM-N900, which have been linked to the Galaxy Note III. In the reference, it seems to be confirmed that the device will have an ARM11-based processor and a 1080 x 1920 screen. Neither of these specs were be unexpected, but the seeming confirmation means the Galaxy Note III will be a full-HD smartphone.

Previous rumors about the Galaxy Note III include it having a massive 5.7″ sAMOLED screen and a quad-core processor. In addition, the device could have a 13-megapixel camera. Since the next Galaxy Note III did not make an appearance at Samsung’s “Premiere 2013” event back in June, current speculation is centered on the IFA show in Berlin in September as the site of the smartphone’s announcement.

(via Sam Mobile)

July 9, 2013
Samsung’s New Icelandic Commercial is Quite Disturbing

Last fall, shortly after the release of the Galaxy S III smartphone, it seemed that Samsung was on top of its advertising game. The Korean company was skewering its main competition, Apple, in commercials designed to make fun of Apple devotees and art installations designed to mock Apple’s half-baked maps app. It was odd, then, that the company’s ads for its Galaxy S4 smartphone were a bit more conservative.

That may have changed, however, if a new Samsung ad for Iceland is any indication. Calling the ad avant-garde might be generous – what it really is is bizarre. It begins with a man contemplating an Apple (the fruit, that is). The symbolism is clear, but the man’s existential angst over a red fruit is left unexplained. Switching to a Galaxy S4 appears to give the man incredible dancing prowess, several lady-friends in balaclavas, and a goat. It all culminates in the man taking a bit out of an Apple, which is easily the most straightforward portion of the ad:

July 8, 2013
Samsung Acquires Boxee For $30 Million [Report]

Boxee is just one of many players that are trying to hasten along the cord cutting trend by bringing media streaming to the living room. After a few years of operating as an independent company, Boxee has reportedly been bought up.

Isreali site The Marker (as translated by The Verge) reports that Samsung has acquired Boxee for $30 million. The company is expected to keep everybody at Boxee on as employees and business will continue as usual.

But why Samsung? Well, the Korean electronics manufacturer has been aggressively pushing its Smart TV line for a few years now. With Boxee in tow, it could implement the company’s technology into its own Smart TV line.

All of this is merely speculation for now though. Both Boxee and Samsung have yet to confirm the news. It wouldn’t be too surprising, however, to see Samsung take this as a chance to better differentiate itself from competitors like Google TV. With Boxee, it also has an instantly recognizable brand to tap into.

Beyond Samsung’s own efforts, we’re also left to wonder about the fate of the Boxee hardware itself. Will Samsung allow Boxee to keep on selling its own hardware under the Boxee brand, or will it just ditch that part of the business? Will it sell Boxee machines with Samsung branding? There are a lot of places where this could go, and we won’t know for sure until Boxee or Samsung say something.

We’ll continue to keep our ear to the ground, and will update this story should either company confirm the sale.

UPDATE: Samsung confirmed to Mashable that it has acquired “key talent and assets” from Boxee.

July 3, 2013
The Samsung Apex Is Set to Blow the Competition Out of the Water

NSFW

In consumer tech nowadays it’s all about one-upping the last guy – making a product that can do more, and do it better and faster. The Onion has a pretty great take on the innovation race – a new device that will blow everything else out of the water.

That device is the Samsung Apex, a wearable computing device that “streams videos into one eye, the internet into the other, and sucks your dick all at the same time.”

“Hang it up Apple – we beat you to the punch on this one. Samsung’s got you by the balls!” screams fictional Samsung spokesman Neal Werner.

New Wearable Computer Also Sucks Your Dick

What’s funny is that given today’s climate, this doesn’t even seem like that much of a stretch.

[The Onion]

July 3, 2013
Apple, Samsung Continue to Gobble Up Market Share

The new ComScore mobile numbers are out today, and it’s the same story that consumers have been telling for over one year now.

Apple and Samsung, unsurprisingly, have both gained market share in the U.S. smartphone hardware market. Apple saw a relatively mild rise of 0.3% market share to 39.2% over the past three months, while Samsung continued its incredible consolidation of the Android smartphone market with at 1.7% increase to 23%. Together the two companies are shipping over 62% of smartphones in the U.S. HTC and Motorola, the two Android handset manufacturers with the highest market share behind Samsung, fell 0.6% each, to 8.7% and 7.8% respectively.

On the smartphone OS charts, Android still leads with a majority market share of 52.4%, a 0.7% increase from February. Apple comes next with its 39.2%. BlackBerry is still clinging onto third place in the mobile OS market with 4.8%, a 0.6% decrease in share from three months ago. Microsof’s Windows Phone platforms now have only 3% of the U.S. market share, down 0.2%.

These numbers are a particularly brutal blow to BlackBerry, which released its BlackBerry 10 OS smartphones earlier this year with the intention of reinvigorating its brand. In addition to its falling market share, the Canadian tech company posted a dismal earnings report this morning, showing that it had an $84 million operating loss during its first quarter. Moreover, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins revealed during today’s earnings call that the company has lost 4 million subscribers since the end of the previous quarter.

June 28, 2013
Samsung Subsidies Greater Than Apple’s, Shows Analyst Report

Samsung‘s runaway success in the Android market is normally attributed to the company’s marketing and significant manufacturing capabilities. However, a new report shows that the Korean manufacturer’s aggressive pricing strategies could have just as much to do with it becoming Apple‘s number one competitor.

Analyst firm ABI Research today revealed that the average U.S. subsidy for Samsung devices in 84% of the cost of the devices themselves. This compares to Apple’s average subsidy of 74%. HTC is also mentioned as having an average subsidy of 80%. Though by percentage cost it’s clear that Samsung devices are being more aggressively subsidized, the higher initial prices of Apple devices means that, in absolute terms, Apple devices are being discounted more. As an example, the average subsidy for an Apple device is, according to ABI, $110 more than Samsung’s average subsidy.

“The smartphone market in particular is entering a new phase focusing on execution and price, rather than innovation and value,” said Nick Spencer, senior practice director for devices at ABI. “Samsung’s scale and supply chain excellence is allowing it to put its competitors under increasing price pressure and win market share. This is a major concern for the rest of the market, especially for smaller, less efficient vendors, as margins will be squeezed and overall market value reduced.”

June 27, 2013
Samsung Announces Interchangeable-Lens Camera With Android

In November 2012, Samsung released its Galaxy Camera, a digital point-and-shoot camera running Android. Now, Samsung is taking the concept toward its logical conclusion.

Samsung this week announced the Galaxy NX, an interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) that runs on Android. The NX brand comes from a line of ILC devices that Samsung already manufactures.

“The Galaxy NX reflects the unique needs of a user who needs to take professional photos and share them immediately in any situation,” said Myoung Sup Han, head of Samsung’s Digital Imaging division. “For those who want to express themselves and the exciting moments that make up their lives quickly, easily and on the go, the Galaxy NX is an ideal choice”

The camera comes with 3G and 4G wireless capabilities. It runs a version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, with full access to the Google Play store. As for the hardware, the NX has a 20.3MP APS-C sensor and 1/6000 shutter speed. The lens on the camera can be changed, allowing for a variety of shooting styles.

To be sure, the Galaxy NX is a niche product. The number of people who need to take professional-looking photos and upload them to social media sites immediately is relatively small. However, if Samsung’s current business strategy proves successful, playing Angry Birds on a camera might soon seem as common as playing Candy Crush Saga on a wallet.

June 21, 2013
Samsung Announces New Windows8/Android ATIV Tablets

Back in April, Samsung re-branded all of its laptops under the ATIV brand. The manufacturer’s ultrabooks, all-in-ones, and smart PCs now go by ATIV Books, ATIV Ones, and ATIV Tabs with different numerical monikers. In case that’s not confusing enough for everyone, Samsung this week announced two new Windows 8 tablets, branded ATIV Q and ATIV Tab 3.

The ATIV Q is the more fancy of the two, sporting a 13.3-inch, 275ppi, 3200×1800 resolution display. It also has an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. It comes with a 128GB SSD hard drive.

The ATIV Tab 3 will be the lower-priced of the new tablets. It has a 10.1-inch, 1366×768 resolution display, an ATOM processor, 2GB of RAM, and comes with 64GB of embedded storage. It also comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office Home & Student.

The interesting thing about these tablets is that the ATIV Q is what Samsung calls “convertable.” The tablet can be switched from Windows 8 to Android Jellybean 4.2.2, allowing Android apps to be used. In addition, files and folders can be transferred and shared between the two operating systems, meaning multimedia can be viewed on both operating systems.

June 21, 2013
Magna Carta Holy Grail: Jay-Z’s New Album Coming to Galaxy Phones

Since making a name for himself in rap, Jay-Z has gone on to become one of the most successful entertainers in history, making millions as a producer, investor, and, most recently, a sports agent. That doesn’t mean he’s given up on his musical aspirations, however.

Jay-Z this week announced his latest album, titled Magna Carta Holy Grail. The rap star revealed the release date of the album in a post to his Twitter account:

VII IV XIII Roc A Fella Records/Roc Nation #magnacarta

— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) June 17, 2013

That isn’t quite the whole story, though.

Jay-Z has partnered with Samsung to offer the album for free to owners of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones. A mobile app will be released in the Google Play store on June 24th. The first million Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note II users to download the app will receive Magna Carta Holy Grail for free on July 4th. The album’s worldwide release date is July 7th.

June 17, 2013
Samsung Ritualistically Drowns The Galaxy S4 During Stress Test

One of the most memorable scenes from the hardly memorable Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is when a guy is strapped to a cage and lowered into a pit of lava. Samsung must have been inspired by that scene as it does something similar in its stress tests for the Galaxy S4.

Samsung has released a new video that shows all the stress tests its latest flagship device had to go through before being released on the market. There’s the requisite drop tests, but there’s also a drowning test and a heat test. The drowning test looks like the aforementioned scene from Indiana Jones as the phone is strapped into a cage and lowered into a body of water. It’s not as emotionally scarring for an 8-year-old child, but the hardcore Samsung fan may feel a little feint after witnessing the abuse.

Unfortunately, we don’t see a return of the robo-butt. It was a humorous and practical test, but I guess Samsung was tired of buying special robo-butt jeans. That’s a shame.

June 13, 2013
Apple To Finally Introduce iPhone Trade-In Option

While some are pointing fingers at Samsung’s success, perhaps Apple is just tired of companies like Gazelle from making all that money from the secondary iPhone sales market. Whatever the case, the electronics behemoth is preparing to introduce its own iPhone trade-in program; although, Apple has not officially announced the program’s existence. Reports speculate the program is being introduced to spur consumer adoption of the iPhone 5.

To facilitate the trade-in program, Apple is apparently partnering with Brightstar, a company that already manages the same program for providers AT&T and T-Mobile. It should also be noted that AT&T already offers an iPhones-for-cash program, and the other major service providers offer some kind of technology recycling/exchange program.

Apple’s will operate independently of these, and will, instead, be available at an Apple Store near you:

The new trade-in program with BrightStar will only be available at Apple’s retail outlets, letting consumers receive payments instantly and avoid the hassle of shipping their older gadgets, the [sources] said.

These used devices will be passed onto “developing markets” where Apple’s reach doesn’t match the influence it has on United States consumers. While awaiting the announcement of the program, something Apple representatives declined to comment on (which means it’s coming soon), the question becomes, will such a step boost interest in the iPhone 5, or is it too little, too late?

When you consider the strong showing from Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, this is, perhaps, a step in the right direction. The fact that these programs already exist, however, courtesy of the service providers that connect these otherwise bricks to the outside world, and yet, the iPhone 5 still hasn’t succeeded as expected, the “too little, too late” position looms large.

June 6, 2013
ITC Bans Older iPhone Models From Entering The U.S.

Were you thinking about picking up an iPhone 4 on the cheap at AT&T? You might want to do so now as new shipments might not be making it here anytime soon.

The Hill reports that the ITC ruled that Apple had infringed upon Samsung’s patents with the AT&T variants of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. The decision calls for an immediate ban on selling these devices in the U.S., as well as importing units into the country.

Obviously, Apple will appeal the decision. It’s also confident that it will have no effect on its business. It’s easy to see why. It’s doubtful anybody buys the iPhone 4 anymore, and older iPad models are not really in vogue anymore either.

Still, Samsung’s win is a pretty major blow to Apple. It may not hurt the company’s sales, but it does reverse a year of legal battles in the U.S. where Apple was always winning against Samsung. Last year, a jury found that Samsung had infringed upon numerous patents from Apple and were ordered to pay a little over $1 billion in damages. Since then, the damages award has been decreased, and the entire trial has even been called into question.

As for elsewhere in the world, Samsung has been largely successful in challenging and defeating Apple on patent issues. Last year, it won patent battles in the Netherlands, Japan and Germany.

After all of this, the Apple haters may be shouting for joy, but that only serves to distract from the very real problem of overly zealous patent litigation. It’s gotten to be an absolute mess with hardware designers being ever more careful with their products so as not to infringe the thousands of patents one company may hold on common sense actions.

In the end, it’s only the consumer that hurts. Apple can shrug off a ban on iPhone 4 sales from a single carrier. The consumer can’t shrug off the fact that they’re being shafted by corporate warfare.

June 5, 2013
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini A Reality, Launches Later This Year

Before the Galaxy S 4 tore up the sales charts, it was rumored that Samsung would be releasing a mini-version of the device for the more cost conscious consumer market. Those rumors were right on the money as Samsung announced such a device today.

The Galaxy S4 Mini is indeed real, and it’s said to bring “the sleek design of the Galaxy S4 in a portable chic and compact design.” Of course, it’s not only the reduced size, but the reduced cost as well that will make the S4 Mini an attractive option for consumers not interested in 5-inch smartphones that cost hundreds of dollars.

The S4 Mini is equipped with a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, a 1.7GHz processor, 8MP back camera, 1.9MP front camera, 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory. As expected, it will ship with Android 4.2 and supports LTE bands. It also supports many of the same software features that shipped with the Galaxy S4, like S Translator and S Health.

“Demand for the Galaxy S4 has been phenomenal since it launched in April and we hope to build on this success with the Galaxy S4 Mini,” said Simon Stanford, Vice President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland. “This new handset is the ideal smartphone companion for anyone who wants a compact device packed with innovation.”

So, when will you be able to get your hands on the S4 Mini? Samsung isn’t saying at the moment. A separate press release out of UK-based Phones 4U says the device will be out in the UK this July. There’s been nothing said regarding a U.S. release, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it launched around the same time as it does in the UK.

May 30, 2013
Redditor Claims Samsung Galaxy S3 Exploded Overnight, Posts Pictures

One redditor had a pretty interesting night over the weekend, as they awoke to their Samsung Galaxy S3 on fire – and they have the pictures to prove it. According to the account, the device was stock everything – battery, charger, etc.

Here’s the story, as recounted by redditor vizionx1208:

Last night at about 3:15am EST (about 1 hour after i plugged it in and went to sleep) I was awoken by a loud noise and a weird squeaking sound. (I charge my phone while I’m sleeping on my bed right next to me)

So, I woke up, and saw a ton of smoke coming out of my phone — it also smelled REALLY bad. Half asleep, I jumped out of bed and turned the light on, only to see that my phone was just beginning to go on fire. I dumped a glass of water I had in the room on it to stop it from burning…then woke up my brother to come help. The smoke smelled so bad and wafted through the entire second floor of my house. I had a foam mattress pillow top that had a hole burned through it too–which we later threw out because it was still burning throughout. Also, some of the plastic on my phone was melting and kind of shooting out of it, and some landed on my pinky finger and burned some skin off (very small burn though).

From the rest of their comments on the post, it appears that the redditor has tried to contact Samsung and is at least debating the idea of legal action.

Here are some more images:

The battery:

Of course, Samsung phones aren’t the only ones that may have a history fo spontaneous explosions. We’ve seen plenty of iPhones catch fire in the past few years.

May 28, 2013
Google To Sell Galaxy S4 With Stock Android [Google I/O 2013]

At the end of the Android portion of the Google I/O 2013 keynote, Google’s Hugo Barra announced that it will start selling a new Android device on its Play store. Those expecting a Nexus device were in for a surprise though.

Barra announced that it will be selling the Galaxy S4 with stock Android instead of Samsung’s TouchWiz software. This version of the Galaxy S4 will come with all the features one expects from stock Android, and it will receive updates directly from Google.

More importantly, Google’s own version of the Galaxy S4 is sold unlocked, and can be activated on AT&T and T-Mobile. It’s the first official LTE phone to be sold on Google Play. As expected, the bootloader is also unlocked.

Those expecting a subsidized Google Play price are going to be disappointed though. Barra announced that the stock Android Galaxy S4 will be available on Google Play for $649 on June 26.

May 15, 2013
Just So You Know, The Galaxy S4 Can’t Survive Being Shot

Samsung’s latest flagship device – the Galaxy S4 – must have went through the same rigorous testing process that Samsung’s other devices go through. That being said, I’m pretty sure Samsung never tested to see if its lastest device was bulletproof.

YouTube personality raredrr saw this glaring hole in Samsung’s testing regimen and took matters into his own hands with his latest test to see if the S4 can survive being shot with a 50 cal sniper rifle. Short answer – no. Long answer – don’t expect the Galaxy S4 to stop incoming bullets.

As a bonus, here’s ratedrr shooting the Galaxy S4’s main competition – the iPhone 5 – with a 50 cal rifle. It holds up a little better:

[h/t: Kotaku]

April 29, 2013
Samsung Won’t Let Gangnam Style Rest in Peace

Gangnam Style, as impressive as it was (in terms of sheer global reach), it pretty much over as a thing, a fad, and craze – whatever. As a culture, we’ve run it into the ground. Plus, Psy already has another song out. We’re not hating on Gangnam Style, we’re just mercifully pronouncing it dead, having lived a good life.

But Samsung has decided to kill it again. At a Galaxy S4 launch event in India, the smartphone makers tapped Bollywood star Ranveer Singh to lead a Gangnam Style reimagining that replaces most of the lyrics with Galaxy S4 spec praise. Why, oh why?

[FIlms of India]

April 29, 2013
Samsung Rebrands All of its Laptops, Launches Two New Ones

While the U.S. braces for the imminent launch of the Galaxy S4, Samsung has also quietly been selling its laptops. The Korean electronics manufacturer this week announced that it has rebranded its entire Windows PC lineup to fit under the ATIV brand.

The move is meant to make it easier for customers to tell Samsung‘s laptops apart, but it could ultimately end up being just as confusing. While the renaming of the ATIV Smart PC and the ATIV Smart PC Pro to the ATIV Tab 5 and the ATIV Tab 7, respectively, isn’t too much to think about, The Series 5 510 and the Series 3 370 will both now share the name ATIV Book 4. And while Samsung’s all-in-one laptops will be rebranded as ATIV One laptops, devices that weren’t previously branded Smart PC or all-in-one PC are now branded ATIV Book devices with a corresponding number.

The confusion continues ast the numbers will be shifting from previous brand names. For example, the Series 7 Chronos will now be the ATIV Book 8, the Series 3 300 will be the ATIV Book 2, and the Series 5 Chronos will – you know what? Just have a look below at the renaming chart Samsung has provided. And make sure to keep it handy in case you find yourself in the market for a Samsung laptop.

“Samsung has been the fastest growing PC brand for the past three years, in part because of our commitment to developing solutions that meet and exceed the ever-evolving needs of our customers,” said Mike Abary, SVP of product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Our expanded ATIV brand and the introduction of solutions like SideSync create the necessary synergy between our mobile and PC lines to create real ease of use for consumers. These synergies enable us to maintain our momentum and continue to offer our customers innovations that enhance the way they live and work.”

April 26, 2013