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Tag: Samsung

  • Android Wear: Google Unveils Smartwatch Platform

    Android Wear: Google Unveils Smartwatch Platform

    Google-based smartwatches have been rumored for quite some time, and today, the company finally revealed it its platform for such wearables: Android Wear.

    Android Wear is described as a project that extends Android to “wearables,” and they’re just starting with watches. The company is already working with Samsung, Asus, HTC, LG, and Motorola as well as chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm. It’s also working with fashion brands like the Fossil Group.

    There’s a whole lot of “Ok Google” involved. Check it out:

    Google says Android Wear will show you info and suggestions you need “right when you need them”. You know, Google Now basically, but from a watch (or whatever else ends up utilizing it). But third-party apps will make or break this thing.

    “The wide variety of Android applications means you’ll receive the latest posts and updates from your favorite social apps, chats from your preferred messaging apps, notifications from shopping, news and photography apps, and more,” says Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps.

    “Because Android for wearables works with Android’s rich notification system, many apps will already work well,” he says.

    The developer preview is out.

    Google says more developers and APIs are on the way. I guess we can expect plenty on this at Google I/O this year.

    Consumers can expect to see products for sale later this year.

    Image via Google

  • Samsung Rolls Out Milk, A Streaming Radio Service

    Samsung Rolls Out Milk, A Streaming Radio Service

    Now that even Beats has its own streaming music service, Samsung is bringing its own streaming audio app to the world. The Korean company, which dominates the Android smartphone landscape, has announced Milk, a streaming radio app.

    Milk will provide “more than 200” streaming radio stations for free. Samsung has also stated that the service will be ad-free, though it’s not clear whether that means the app itself or the radio streams.

    Samsung’s new streaming radio app isn’t exactly a new concept and, in fact, Milk is actually built from an already existing streaming radio app. According to Samsung Milk is “powered by” Slacker Radio, a company that has been streaming radio stations to mobile devices for over five years. In addition to the Slacker content, Samsung also claims that in the future it will provide some Milk-exclusive content from “top selling and emerging artists.”

    “Milk introduces a fresh approach to music that reflects our innovation leadership and our focus on creating best-in-class consumer experiences,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America and Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “We’re offering consumers amazing, rich music experiences built around what matters most to them and their lifestyle.”

    So far Milk is only available on a limited selection of Samsung’s Galaxy devices. Currently supported smartphones include the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Mega, and Galaxy S5. This may be disappointing for Android users who don’t prefer a Galaxy smartphone, but those who want a taste of Milk can always download the Slacker Radio app.

  • Samsung Leads U.S. Smart TV Market, LG on the Rise

    Samsung Leads U.S. Smart TV Market, LG on the Rise

    The data from 2013 is in and it is now clear that smart TVs are the future of living room displays. Whether this is due to consumer demand or simply manufacturers including smart TV technology in new TV sets is unclear, but what is clear is that TVs will soon come with apps and ethernet ports as standard.

    Last month market research showed that Samsung is leading the global smart TV market by a wide margin. This week market research firm Strategy Analytics has released new data showing that Samsung is also leading the smart TV market in the U.S. – but not by a landslide.

    According to Strategy Analytics Samsung held 29.6% of the smart TV market during the fourth quarter of 2013, nearly the same market share it had one year before during the fourth quarter of 2012 (29.5%). Following close behind Samsung is not LG, the second-place brand in the global smart TV rankings, but Vizio. Vizio captured 24.4% of the U.S. smart TV market during the fourth quarter of 2013, up 1.7% year-over-year.

    Instead of second place LG sits at fourth place in the U.S. smart TV market with a 13% market share as of the last holiday quarter. This is, however, a large 5.1% increase in market share over the fourth quarter of 2012, demonstrating that LG

    The company that should most look out for LG’s rise is Sony, which held 17.6% of the U.S. smart TV market during the fourth quarter of 2013. This represents a significant 3.3% drop in market share from the 20.9% that Sony controlled during the fourth quarter of 2012. It’s a drop that the company’s new TV subsidiary will have to inherit and work hard to overcome while LG pushes for more smart TV relevance in the U.S.

    “We expect that smart TVs will comprise more than half of all FPTV [flat-panel TV] shipments in the U.S. in 2014, but the smart TV market will continue to be dominated by a handful of vendors at the top,” said Eric Smith, analyst for connected home devices at Strategy Analytics. “Vendors competing solely on price will be slow to embrace smart TV.”

  • Samsung Offers More Details On The Galaxy S5

    Samsung Offers More Details On The Galaxy S5

    In February, Samsung announced the inevitable Galaxy S5 at Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona. The new flagship device sports the usual upgraded specs and display, but it didn’t look all that different from its predecessor though. Outward appearances aren’t everything, however, and Samsung has the software to back it up.

    In a new overview video, Samsung takes us on a tour of all the new hardware and software additions coming to the Galaxy S5. The main selling point here is quality of life. In other words, Samsung wants to create hardware and services that doesn’t so much push the hardware envelope, but rather improve the quality of its customers’ lives.

    Part of that quality of life commitment comes in the form of a heart rate monitor on the back of the device. This ties into the new series of health apps available on the Galaxy S5 that help users keep track of their exercise routine and heart rate.

    The Galaxy S5 will be out in April on all major carriers.

    Image via Samsung Mobile

  • Samsung Has Two New Chromebooks On The Way

    Samsung Has Two New Chromebooks On The Way

    In early December, Acer announced a new Chromebook with touch display. Certainly interesting, but can it compete with faux-leather?

    Samsung announced today the Chromebook 2 – the successor to its original Chromebook from a few years back. It comes in two variants – one with a 11.6-inch 1377×768 display while the other has a 13.3-inch 1920×1080 display. Both have a faux-leather backing that’s reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

    “Since we introduced our first Chromebook in 2011, Samsung has been committed to continually developing our designs and features to meet our users’ ever-changing needs, while staying true to the core Chromebook attributes of simplicity, speed and security,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung has been the top selling consumer Chromebook brand for the past three years and we’ll continue to grow our leadership position in this space with the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series.”

    As for general specs, both models sport 4GB of RAM, a 16GB SSD, 100GB Google Drive Storage, USB 3.0, HDMI Out, 720p webcam and a microSD slot. The only difference between the two is its CPU with the 11.6-inch model sporting a 1.6GHz Exynos 5 octa-core CPU and the 13.3-inch model sporting a 2.1GHz Exynos 5 octa-core CPU.

    The new Chromebook is a pretty big step up from the original which featured a Exynos 5 dual-core CPU. The original also lacked that luxurious faux-leather backing. Even better than a faster CPU or faux-leather, however, is the estimated 8.5 hours of battery life in the new Chromebook compared to the 6.5 hours in the original.

    Alas, a better CPU, faux-leather and more battery life comes at a price. Whereas the original Samsung Chromebook retailed for a super affordable $249, the new Chromebook will retail for quite a bit more. The 11.6-inch model will retail at $320 while the 13.3-inch model will retail for $400. Both will be available in stores and online in April.

    Image via Samsung

  • Samsung Unveils The New Samsung Galaxy S5

    Samsung Unveils The New Samsung Galaxy S5

    Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S5 during the Mobile World Congress event on Monday. People had been waiting anxiously to see the new updated design, however they were shocked to see that it looked very similar to the previous models: the Galaxy S3 and S4.

    Samsung’s vice president for brand Stephen Taylor explained why the cell phone models were so similar. “I don’t think that people need radical re-designs every year,” Taylor said. “You have to create a design theme that people identify with. If you came out with a radical design right now, would that have fitted with the Galaxy story that we have created over the last 3 or 4 years? It’s about making evolutions that matter, so I think the improvements to the covers, finishes and colours are a step forward for people.”

    Taylor said that people were more interested in having a phone that is more durable, rather than the design. By making the Galaxy S5 both waterproof and dustproof, Samsung was giving the customers exactly what they wanted. “If you look at the feedback, it felt like making [the phone] more durable and keeping the sleek design was what people were after,” Taylor explained. “Waterproof and dustproof elements are more important.”

    Taylor said the company chose to reveal the new model during the Mobile World Congress event, after an unsuccessful unveiling of the S4 last year in New York. “Mobile World Congress is a good event to launch a product,” Taylor said. “It was focussed on the theme of going back to what consumers want and need. It wasn’t about the glitz, it was about: ‘this is the product, this is what we’ve improved’. I think that straightforward message has been quite well received by people. We’re going back to what the consumer needs.”

    Image via optus.com

  • PayPal Will Let You Approve Payments Using Your Fingerprint On The Galaxy S5

    PayPal Will Let You Approve Payments Using Your Fingerprint On The Galaxy S5

    Sooner or late, we’re all going to be using biometric data when shopping for anything. While it’s not exactly a fool proof method, it’s certainly better than the current magnetic strips found on credit and debit cards. While such a future is still years away, early adopters who use PayPal can start authenticating purchases with their fingerprints in March.

    PayPal announced today that it has partnered up with Samsung to offer the first fingerprint authentication system at retail shops. The catch is that those wanting to use the new authentication system will have to own the new Samsung Galaxy S5 as it sports a fingerprint scanner on the bottom of the device. By using this scanner, shoppers will be able to approve payments with their finger.

    It’s noted that this is just the first step in PayPal’s Fast IDentity Online Alliance which is moving to replace passwords with stronger security standards. Biometric data is apparently safer than passwords even though it’s been proven that fingerprints can be spoofed just as easily as anything else.

    While fingerprint thieves are certainly worrisome, a more pressing concern is how secure PayPal is going to be with your fingerprints. The company notes that all your financial information is stored in the cloud and never on your device. The fingerprint scanner instantly communicates with the cloud to authorize purchases and doesn’t store biometric data on the device or on PayPal’s servers. In short, the worst that can happen is hackers breaking into PayPal’s servers and stealing your financial information. While that’s certainly bad, they at least won’t have your biometric data which will one day be the most important identifier you have.

    PayPal says its fingerprint authentication system will be available at the Galaxy S5’s launch in April. The service will be available in 26 markets, including Australia, Brazil, Russia, the UK and the U.S.

    Image via PayPal/YouTube

  • Here’s A Detailed Look At The Galaxy S 5

    Here’s A Detailed Look At The Galaxy S 5

    Yesterday afternoon in Barcelona, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S 5. The new flagship device delivers the usual spec updates that we’ve come to expect from annual upgrades, but Samsung managed to deliver some brand new features as well.

    Getting the specs out of the way first, the Galaxy S 5 features a 5.1-inch full HD display powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, 16MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM, 16 to 32GB of internal memory, a 2800mAh battery and Android 4.4. In short, it’s the kind of flagship device you would expect in 2014.

    “With the Galaxy S5, Samsung is going back to basics to focus on delivering the capabilities that matter most to our consumers,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung. “Consumers are looking for mobile tools that inspire and support them as they improve their everyday lives. The Galaxy S5 represents an iconic design with essential and useful features to focus on delivering the ultimate smartphone on the market today through people inspired innovation.”

    Despite having some phenomenal specs, that’s not going to be enough for everybody. How is Samsung avoiding a year of being called Samesung? The Galaxy S 5 will follow the iPhone 5S’ lead and feature a finger print scanner on the front of the device. Completely new to mobile phones, it also has a heart rate scanner on the back of the device which ties into Samsung’s fitness apps that help you stay fit and reach your goals.

    Here’s a video breakdown of all the new features:

    If you want to watch the full Unpacked event, which includes the reveal of the Galaxy S 5, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, you can watch it below:

    Image via Samsung

  • Galaxy S5 Launch: Exciting Or Disappointing?

    Galaxy S5 Launch: Exciting Or Disappointing?

    The news that Samsung would soon be unveiling their new Galaxy S5 phone was thrilling to those of us in the market for a new smartphone.

    Samsung has been a major force in the smartphone industry and a major thorn in the side of Apple, whose iPhone is also at version number five. Comparisons are already being made between the products.

    Leaving the Apple comparisons alone, one has to ask how the Galaxy S5 holds up to individualized scrutiny.

    First thing’s first: How’s the battery life of these phones?

    If you practically live on your smartphone, the S5 sounds promising. According to Samsung the phone will allow you to surf the net for up to ten hours with an LTE cellular connection. You will also get nearly twelve hours of video playback.

    There’s even an “ultra power saving” mode for those people who, for whatever reason, just can’t get around to charging their phones. All but the most essential functions become unavailable (does “Candy Crush Saga” count?) and the colorful screen turns black and white.

    Post by Samsung Mobile.

    In this bare bones mode, Samsung said phone users will have 24 hours of battery life once they hit 10% capacity.

    But battery power isn’t everything when it comes to smartphones; looks matter, too.

    The Galaxy S5 comes with a 5.1 inch screen, just a fraction larger than the previous 5 inch version. The phone is available in just four colors: blue, black, white, and gold.

    One issue some smartphone users may have with the phone is that its body is polycarbonate (plastic) rather than aluminum. Before letting that get you down, appreciate that the S5 phone is water and dust-proof. It also has an “extra-dim” screen option meant to protect your privacy while indoors.

    There was no upgrade on screen resolution; it remains at 1080p.

    How do you feel about the phone launch: Do you think the Galaxy S5 will be Samsung’s best phone yet, or is it a weak attempt to compete with Apple? Comment below!

    Image via YouTube

  • Samsung Unveils Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo

    Samsung Unveils Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo

    One of the more interesting rumors from last year is that Samsung would unveil a new Galaxy Gear less than a year after it launched its first wearable device. While its rare to launch a successor that soon, Samsung hopes you don’t mind that it just made your $300+ smart watch obsolete.

    Samsung unveiled the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo at Mobile World Congress this week. Unlike the original, the Galaxy name is no longer attached to the Gear. There’s no explanation for this, but it could be due to the fact that the devices are powered by the Tizen OS.

    Samsung continues to lead innovation in the wearable market by creating devices that are completely integrated into the lives of consumers through extended connectivity features, stylish customization options and a robust application ecosystem,” Said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “With the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, we have enhanced everything consumers love about the Gear to offer unparalleled smart freedom in their everyday life.”

    As is the case with most hardware upgrades, the specs have received a small boost. Both the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo sport the same 1.63-inch display, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory that was found in the original Galaxy Gear. The CPU got an upgrade from the original as the two new devices now sport a 1.0GHz dual-core processor. The real improvement, however, comes in the form of battery life as the new 300mAh battery promises up to 3 days of battery life.

    So, what’s the difference between the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo? As far as anybody can tell, the Gear 2 has a camera and the Neo doesn’t. That’s about it. Thankfully, Samsung makes the camera-equipped option more appealing as it’s no longer on the wrist strap. The camera is now inside the main body of the Gear 2 and can snap photos at resolutions ranging from 1920×1080 to 1280×960.

    While all of this sounds like a definite improvement over the original Galaxy Gear, it looks like Samsung is still keeping it within the family. Despite the move to Tizen, Samsung implies that the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will only connect to Galaxy smartphones. That will hopefully not remain the case as Samsung needs to make its wearables compatible with all Android devices for mass market adoption.

    The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will be available starting in April. There’s no price yet, but you can probably expect them to cost just as much as the original Galaxy Gear.

    Image via Samsung

  • Samsung Teases The Galaxy S 5 Ahead Of Reveal

    Samsung Teases The Galaxy S 5 Ahead Of Reveal

    We all know that Samsung will be unveiling the Galaxy S 5 on Monday. Samsung knows that we know, and has been hyping up the device without actually sharing real information on it. The latest tease is a continuation of its hype train as it continues to associate its latest flagship device with the finer things in life.

    In the latest “trailer” for the upcoming Galaxy S 5, Samsung associates its device with a number of buzzwords, like explorer, curiosity, create, surprise, fun and dad. All of these are then taken to the fifth power which seems to indicate that the Galaxy S 5 might actually have a superscript 5 instead of the usual number.

    In other words, Samsung may be going the obnoxious route with its latest flagship device’s name – Galaxy S5. Trust me, it’s more obnoxious to format superscript than you might think.

    Anyway, check out Samsung’s latest teaser to get a taste of all the things they’re taking to the fifth power with their latest device:

    While teaser videos are nice, we still don’t know anything about the actual specs of the device. According to Digital Trends, Samsung’s latest flagship may come in two flavors – standard and prime. Both devices will share a 5.2-inch display, but that’s where the similarities end. The standard will sport a 1080p display powered by a Snapdragon 800 CPU and 2GB of RAM. The Prime will up the resolution to 2560×1440, sport a Exynos 5 Octa CPU and upgrade the RAM to 3GB.

    The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be unveiled on February 24 at Samsung’s event in Barcelona. We can only hope that they actually don’t go with the superscript in the name.

    Image via Samsung Mobile/YouTube

  • Samsung Teases Galaxy S 5 Features Ahead Of MWC

    Samsung Teases Galaxy S 5 Features Ahead Of MWC

    Samsung has traditionally showcased its latest Galaxy S smartphones at its own events instead of revealing them at industry events like Mobile World Congress. If a teaser from the company is any indication, that may be changing this year.

    This morning, Samsung shared a teaser image via its official Twitter account that shows what some of the icons on the Galaxy S 5 may look like. These icons also give us hints in regards to what kind of features we may see on Samsung’s latest flagship device. Some of the features, like Social and Privacy, are no brainers, but it’s interesting to see Fitness, Life, Outdoor and Curiosity make the list as well.

    At this point, we don’t know what a lot of these features correlate to, but it’s always fun to speculate. For Fitness, Samsung could be more deeply integrating the Galaxy Gear into the Galaxy S 5 to better track your exercise and fitness goals. As for Life, it could mean that Samsung could be getting a head start in Quality of Life devices that are expected to hit the market in the coming years.

    While Samsung would have you wait until later this month to learn more, the ever reliable @evleaks has a few more details on what me may be able to expect from the Galaxy S 5. Two tweets from late January indicate that the S 5 may have a fingerprint reader as well as software that renders maps in 3D.

    It’s also been revealed by @evleaks that the Galaxy S 5 will get a completely revamped UI that looks a lot like Windows Phone 8’s Metro UI.

    Here’s another look at the UI from early January:

    While this all certainly looks like a lot, we still know next to nothing about Samsung’s latest flagship device. Compared to the Galaxy S 4, it’s kind of surprising that Samsung has been able to keep so much a secret until now. We’ll likely hear more about the device, however, as we approach its unveiling. We always do.

    Image via Samsung Mobile/Twitter

  • U.S. Closes Samsung Patent Abuse Investigation

    U.S. Closes Samsung Patent Abuse Investigation

    The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) today officially closed its investigation into Samsung’s possible abuse of patents. The decision was made following the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) decision to overturn previously awarded bans on Apple products in the U.S.

    As part of the ongoing and years-long patent war between Samsung and Apple, Samsung was awarded sale bans on certain iPhone and iPad models in the U.S. The USTR reversed this ban today, citing the fact that the ban was not in the public’s interest.

    The patents that Samsung had used to obtain the ban were so-called standards-essential patents (SEPs). Such patents are deemed essential to certain markets and must be licensed non-discriminatorily at fair market prices. The Department of Justice was investigating whether Samsung’s ban on Apple products may have violated antitrust laws. According to the DOJ, using SEPs to obtain product bans could represent an abuse of market power.

    “While there are certain circumstances where an exclusion order as a remedy for infringement of such patents could be appropriate, in many cases there is a risk that the patent holder could use the threat of an exclusion order to obtain licensing terms that are more onerous than would be justified by the value of the technology itself, effectively exploiting the market power obtained through the standards-setting process,” said the DOJ in an official statement.

    “The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) reviewed the exclusion order issued by the ITC against Apple at Samsung’s request and overturned it, determining that it was not consistent with the public interest. As a result of the USTR’s action, the Antitrust Division has determined that no further action is required at this time. The Antitrust Division is therefore closing its investigation into Samsung’s conduct, but will continue to monitor further developments in this area.”

    Image via Samsung

  • Samsung’s Mega-Tablets Are Coming to the U.S. in February

    Samsung’s Mega-Tablets Are Coming to the U.S. in February

    One month ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Samsung officially announced its long-rumored 12-inch mega-tablets. Named the Galaxy Note Pro and the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2, the devices are 12.2-inch tablets with all of the features of Samsung’s smaller tablet lineup.

    Today Samsung announced that the Note Pro and Tab Pro will be hitting the U.S. market on February 13. The tablets will be available from a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Tiger direct, Newegg, and directly from the Samsung website.

    Both the Note Pro and Tab Pro have 2560 x 1600 resolution LCD touch displays and have 3GB of memory. Both also comewith an 8MP rear camera, a 9.500mAh battery, and run Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung’s suite of software running over it. The Note Pro weighs a bit more than the Tab Pro and comes with Samsung’s S-Pen stylus. The Tab Pro is also available in smaller sizes – 10.1-inches and 8.4-inches.

    Though both tablets are available in other countries with the option of LTE or 3G data, only the Wi-Fi versions will be sold in the U.S. The Note Pro with 32GB of storage will retail for $750 and a version with 64GB of storage will cost $850. The 12.2-inch Tab Pro with 32GB of storage will retail for $650.

    “The Note Pro and Tab Pro create a more meaningful user experience at the intersection of work and play,” said Nanda Ramachandran, VP of emerging business at Samsung America. “With four completely revamped models featuring unique software innovations and impressive displays, these tablets offer users a premium Galaxy experience.”

  • Samsung Unveils Galaxy Tab Designed For Students

    Samsung Unveils Galaxy Tab Designed For Students

    As the tablet market matures in the U.S., manufacturers will have to start looking for alternative revenue streams. Apple has already demonstrated that education is a sure fire way to increase sales of tablets with schools all over the nation adopting iPads for use in the classroom. Samsung is now heading down the same path.

    At FETC 2014, Samsung announced that it plans to release a version of its Galaxy Tab built specifically for education. The tablet will be taking advantage of Google’s new Google Play for Education initiative that sees a special Google Play store set up with access to grade-appropriate educational apps.

    “Samsung and Google for Education share a commitment to delivering innovative learning experiences to improve student outcomes,” said Tod Pike, senior vice president at Samsung’s Enterprise Business Division. “The new Galaxy Tab with Google Play for Education integration was created to specifically address the needs of today’s schools and support our vision for powering education by empowering educators.”

    As far as specs are concerned, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab for education is no slouch. It’s the standard 10.1-inch model with WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n support and Android 4.4. Samsung also notes that the tablets feature NFC so teachers can update each tablet simply by touching their tablet to it.

    Samsung’s Galaxy Tab for education will be available in April through Samsung’s own distribution channels. If tablets aren’t your thing, Samsung is also showing off its latest Chromebooks as a cheaper alternative for schools looking to drag themselves into the 21st century.

    Image via Samsung/Business Wire

  • Google and Samsung to Share Patents

    Google and Samsung to Share Patents

    The years-long legal fight between Apple and Samsung is continuing to rage in courts around the world. Other high-profile patent lawsuits have come and gone in recent years, creating an uneasy climate in which tech companies are now engaging in an expensive patent-gathering cold war.

    This situation has led to surprising developments in recent years, including massive patent cross-licensing agreements between industry competitors. Now, two of the biggest tech companies in the world have combined forces to establish a solid position in the patent wars.

    Today Samsung and Google announced that they have entered into a patent agreement. The arrangement is being described as a “long-term cooperative partnership” in which the two companies will share their patent portfolios. According to Google and Samsung, the deal will allow both companies to collaborate more closely in the future.

    “This agreement with Google is highly significant for the technology industry,” said Seungho Ahn, head of the Intellectual Property Center at Samsung. “Samsung and Google are showing the rest of the industry that there is more to gain from cooperating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes.”

    Under the terms of the agreement, Google and Samsung will cross-license each company’s patents for both technology and business applications. In addition to the cross-licensing of existing patents, the new deal also covers patents that Google and Samsung will file over the next 10 years.

    “We’re pleased to enter into a cross-license with our partner Samsung,” said Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google. “By working together on agreements like this, companies can reduce the potential for litigation and focus instead on innovation.”

    Image via Samsung

  • Samsung, Apple Bought 17% of Semiconductors in 2013

    Samsung, Apple Bought 17% of Semiconductors in 2013

    While Apple remains the top brand for the premium smartphone market, Samsung has managed to top global market share for the entire smartphone market with its large selection of differently-priced devices. These facts map almost directly to the semiconductor market, where Samsung and Apple are by far the largest buyers of semiconductors in the world.

    Market research firm Gartner this week released a report showing that Samsung and Apple purchased a combined $53.7 billion worth of semiconductors during 2013. This represents a 6% increase over these companies’ semiconductor orders from last year and means Samsung and Apple represented a full 17% of all the semiconductor purchases during the previous year. Samsung alone spent more than $30 million on semiconductors last year.

    Samsung’s and Apple’s orders in 2013 were followed by the largest traditional PC manufacturers, HP and Lenovo. HP spent a bit more than half of what Apple did on semiconductors last year, while Lenovo spent less than $10 million and and was just ahead of Dell’s semiconductor spending.

    For the overall semiconductor market, the shift in industry focus to smartphones and tablets has meant a decline in worldwide semiconductor purchases. According to Gartner, sales from the top 10 companies topped $114 in 2013. This is up from just over $105 billion worth of semiconductors sold in 2012, but revenue growth from the top 10 customers far exceeded that from the rest of the market, which accounted for around 64% of semiconductor sales last year.

    “In 2013, total semiconductor demand from the smartphone and media tablet markets surpassed demand in the PC market,” said Masatsune Yamaji, principal research analyst at Gartner. “However, this consumer shift has caused a substantial decrease in total semiconductor demand over the last two years because there is far less semiconductor content in a smartphone and a media tablet than there is in a PC. In addition, in the total smartphone and media tablet markets, the growth rate for utility/basic models is far higher than for premium models. To keep growing, semiconductor vendors need to gain opportunities by accelerating the device commoditisation with their intellectual properties and patent portfolio.”

  • Samsung May Revamp UI For Galaxy S 5 [Rumor]

    Samsung May Revamp UI For Galaxy S 5 [Rumor]

    At CES, Samsung introduced us to a number of new mobile devices, including the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO. As expected, the Galaxy S 5 was nowhere to be seen as the company will likely unveil its latest flagship smartphone in February or March.

    As is the case with any major hardware launch, the rumors and leaks are starting to roll in with the always reliable @evleaks sharing what may be the new home screen on the Galaxy S5.

    If the above leak is legitimate, Samsung will be ditching its long-standing TouchWiz UI in favor of one that’s more akin to Windows Phone 8’s metro UI. It certainly won’t be the first Android device manufacturer to do so as HTC uses a similar UI in its HTC One smartphones.

    So, we have an idea of what the UI will look like, but what about the Galaxy S5’s hardware specs? SamMobile reported last week that Samsung’s latest device will have a 2560×1440 display, Snapdragon 805 CPU, 16MP rear-facing camera and Android 4.4. The site also reported that Samsung’s latest would be offered in plastic or metal – the latter of which would be a premium offering for those who want a luxury device.

    While we have no word yet on when Samsung will unveil its latest flagship device, current rumors say the phone will be unveiled in March. If it’s anything like the Galaxy S4, a launch should follow shortly in April.

    Image via @evleaks/Twitter

  • Samsung Makes Its Smartphones Easy To Use For First Timers

    Samsung Makes Its Smartphones Easy To Use For First Timers

    While a majority of Americans now owning smartphones, it’s hard to think that there are still people out there who have never used one in their life. There still are, however, and many of them don’t want to upgrade out of fear. They’re scared of change and think it’s going to be more complex than what they currently have. Well, Samsung is here to put an end to that.

    Starting with the Galaxy S3, Samsung has created a new mode for their smartphones called Easy mode. As the name suggests, it changes the phone’s UI to be more welcoming and familiar to first time smartphone users while preparing them for the standard interactions we have with our smartphones everyday.

    To learn more, check out Samsung’s latest video:

    Interestingly enough, easy mode can also double as a smartphone UI for the vision impaired. It’s a common complaint among smartphone users with vision problems that the text and icons are too small. Easy mode makes everything bigger so users are better able to read them.

    Easy mode is available on all current Galaxy S and Note smartphones. You can find it the My Device section under Settings. If you need more instructions, check out Samsung’s help page.

    Image via SAMSUNGMOBILEUK/YouTube

  • Apple to Ship Over 80 Million Tablets This Year

    Apple to Ship Over 80 Million Tablets This Year

    Tablets were more popular than ever this holiday season, and Apple and Samsung continued to display their mobile dominance with iPad and Galaxy tablet sales on Black Friday.

    A DigiTimes report today is showing that this year’s tablet sales growth is not expected to slow. The report’s unnamed “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” are predicting that Apple will ship upwards of 80 to 90 million tablets during 2014. Those same sources predict that Samsung will ship 60 to 70 million.

    This takes into account the new tablets that both Apple and Samsung are expected to announce during the coming year.

    Apple is expected to reveal its refreshed iPad Mini and iPad Air lineup this year, which will presumably be lighter and thinner than last year’s lineup. In addition, the long-held rumors of a new 12.9-inch mega-tablet version of the iPad are still being passed on by DigiTimes’ sources. With Samsung having already unveiled its 12.2-inch mega-tablets at this year’s CES, Apple may see more pressure for a larger version of the iPad, though the report claims a mega iPad release is unlikely before the end of the third quarter 2014.

    As for Samsung, the Korean manufacturer will continue to flood global markets with tablets of all sizes and prices. With emerging markets forecasted to be so important for industry growth in the coming years, Samsung’s lower-price tablet lineup could become more important. DitiTimes predicts more tablets like the new Galaxy Tab 3 Lite with prices falling to as low as $129.

  • Apple Still Dominates U.S. Smartphone Ownership

    Apple Still Dominates U.S. Smartphone Ownership

    Smartphones now make up over half of mobile phone sales worldwide and no two companies have benefitted more than Apple and Samsung. While Apple has continued to dominate the premium smartphone market, Samsung is now out-shipping every other smartphone manufacturer with its wide variety of smartphones at all sizes and prices.

    In Apple’s home territory the story is a bit different. A new NPD Group report out today shows that Apple is still dominating U.S. smartphone marketshare. In the U.S., 42% of smartphone owners during the fourth quarter of 2013 were using an iPhone, up from 35% during the fourth quarter of 2012.

    Samsung also saw a large increase in marketshare thanks to its lineup of Galaxy smartphones. The Korean company’s U.S. smartphone marketshare increased to 26% during the fourth quarter 2013, up from 22% during the fourth quarter 2012.

    Overall smartphone penetration in the U.S. also increased last year. During the fourth quarter smartphone penetration was estimated to be at 60% in the U.S., up from 52% at the end of 2012.

    The new NPD report also shows that U.S. smartphone users are using more data than ever, measured at 6.6GB per month during the fourth quarter of 2013.

    The increased data usage is largely coming from streaming music services. NPD estimates that around 52% of smartphone owners now use at least one app to stream music to their device. The most popular three apps for music streaming in the U.S. are Pandora, iHeart Radio, and Spotify, in that order. That list could change slightly next year if Beats’ new Beats Music streaming music service is a success.