Author: Shivaank Rana

Samsung Starts Production Of 20nm 4Gb LPDDR3 DRAM For Mobile Devices (PR)

Samsung has announced that they have started producing 4Gb LPDDR3 mobile DRAM for smartphones and tablets, and we can expect to see this in our next generation devices.

The new 4Gb LPDDR3 mobile DRAM enables performance levels comparable to the standard DRAM utilized in PCs, making it an attractive solution for demanding multimedia-intensive features on next-generation mobile devices such as high-performance smartphones and tablets, Samsung claimed.

The 4Gb LPDDR3 can transmit data at up to 2,133 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin, which is more than double the performance of the preceding memory standard mobile DRAM (LPDDR2) with a data transmission speed of 800Mbps, Samsung disclosed.

Young-Hyun Jun, EVP of memory sales and marketing at Samsung Electronics said, “By providing the most efficient next-generation mobile memory with a very large data capacity, we are now enabling OEMs to introduce even more innovative designs in the marketplace.

“Our 20nm-class four gigabit mobile DRAM provides another example of our ability to deliver well-differentiated, high-performance, high-density memory to customers in a timely manner.”

Meanwhile, in comparison to a 30nm-class LPDDR3 DRAM, the new device generates more than a 30% improvement in performance and 20% savings in power consumption, the firm added.

In addition, by adopting Samsung’s 4Gb LPDDR3 mobile DRAM, OEMs can have a 2GB package that includes four of Samsung’s new chips in a single package that meets the memory package height of 0.8mm, Samsung said.

Samsung also said it will increase production of its 20nm-class mobile DRAM chips later in 2013. It did not elaborate on the details.

We wonder if it will appear in the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which is rumored to launch some time this year.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Samsung Now Producing Four Gigabit LPDDR3 Mobile DRAM, Using 20nm-class* Process Technology

SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a universe personality in modernized memory technology, currently announced a industry’s initial prolongation of ultra-high-speed 4 gigabit (Gb) low energy double information rate 3 (LPDDR3) mobile DRAM, that is being constructed during a 20 nanometer (nm) class* routine node.

“Our 20nm-class 4 gigabit mobile DRAM provides another instance of a ability to broach well-differentiated, high-performance, high-density memory to business in a timely manner.”
The new 4Gb LPDDR3 mobile DRAM enables opening levels allied to a customary DRAM employed in personal computers, creation it an appealing resolution for perfectionist multimedia-intensive facilities on next-generation mobile inclination such as high-performance smartphones and tablets.

“By providing a many fit next-generation mobile memory with a really vast information capacity, we are now enabling OEMs to broach even some-more innovative designs in a marketplace,” pronounced Young-Hyun Jun, executive clamp president, memory sales marketing, Samsung Electronics. “Our 20nm-class 4 gigabit mobile DRAM provides another instance of a ability to broach well-differentiated, high-performance, high-density memory to business in a timely manner.”

The 4Gb LPDDR3 can broadcast information during adult to 2,133 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin, that is some-more than double a opening of a preceding memory customary mobile DRAM (LPDDR2) with a information delivery speed of 800Mbps. This creates it probable to broadcast 3 full HD videos, collectively 17 Gigabytes (GBs) in length, in one second over a new Samsung chip embedded in a mobile device.

Samsung’s 20nm-class LPDDR3 mobile DRAM enables seamless arrangement of full HD video on smartphones with 5 inch-or-larger screens. In comparison to a 30nm-class LPDDR3 DRAM, a new device generates some-more than a 30 percent alleviation in opening and 20 percent assets in energy consumption.

While mobile gadgets continue to scale down in height, battery packs have been augmenting in size. By adopting Samsung’s 4Gb LPDDR3 mobile DRAM, OEMs can have a 2GB package that includes 4 of Samsung’s new chips in a singular package that meets a memory package tallness of 0.8 millimeters (mm).

Representing a vital expansion cause in a DRAM market, Samsung skeleton to boost prolongation of a modernized 20nm-class mobile DRAM after this year, solidifying a competitiveness as a memory attention leader.

According to marketplace investigate firm, Gartner, a DRAM marketplace is foresee to grow by 13 percent year-over-year to strech $29.6 billion (US) in 2013, with mobile DRAM to surpass $10 billion in sales, for 35 percent of a sum DRAM market.[/toggle]

[Samsung, The Inquirer]

April 30, 2013
CERN Brings World’s First Website Back Online

The world’s first ever web page has been recreated by a team at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) as part of efforts to preserve the hardware and software which gave birth to the now ubiquitous network.

When you mention CERN these days, most people will think “large hadron collider but the clever folks over at CERN were also responsible for devising the fundamental web standards. As part of celebrating the World Wide Web’s 20th birthday they’re bringing back the first ever website to its original URL.

The website, naturally, looks pretty bare by today’s standards and contains only text explaining some of the basics of the World Wide Web.

It was originally available at this address — http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html— but for many years that URL has been redirecting to http://info.cern.ch.

But now it is again displaying the information that it did when it first went live.

“For many years, this URL has been dormant, inactive. It simply redirected to the web host root of http://info.cern.ch,” says Dan Noyes, web manager in the CERN communications group on the CERN webpages.

“We just put the files back online, using the archive that is hosted on the W3C site. This is a 1992 copy of the first website. This may be the earliest copy that we can find, but we’re going to keep looking for earlier ones.”

The hope is that the restoration of the first web page and web site will serve as a reminder and inspiration of the web’s fundamental values.

[CERN, The Verge]

April 30, 2013
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean May Debut At Google I/O Instead Of Key Lime Pie

Android 4.3, Jelly Bean will be the next major software build released from Google.

Android 5.0, Key Lime Pie was originally expected to debut at this year’s Google I/O, however, a newer build of JellyBean seems to be the stronger candidate to be introduced this year, according to a report from Android Community.

Much of the proof has been found in IP logs that are available to many web administrators. They point to a new version of Jelly Bean, Android 4.3, with a build number of JWR23B. Android Police posted examples of this from their server logs coming from both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7, all of which emerged from IP addresses in Google’s range.

There are also several examples of developers citing this build in various bug trackers around Google products, suggesting that its launch is imminent. Because the build starts with “J,” it’s easy to assume that it’s part of the same family of code as the previous two major Jelly Bean releases; Google assigns the first letter of the name to each corresponding build.

Google has also never launched a major version of Android at Google I/O. Android 4.1 was announced last summer, and Android 2.2 was launched at Google I/O in 2010. While Android 3.1 Honeycomb was exposed at Google I/O 2011, its significance would go on to be undermined as merely “aesthetic” in future releases.

That being said, even though Jelly Bean has been around for over a year now, there still seem to be a few major bugs to squash. Android 4.2 has not been a smooth upgrade for many users, especially those running the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7, as it introduced significant slowdown, animation glitches, camera instability and more. Overall, while Android 4.2 seemed to be a fairly minor upgrade to end user, it actually made a number of significant modifications to the Android case base, and Google may believe it has another minor upgrade to fix any remaining bugs.

Google I/O is coming on May 15th, and we’ll be there to cover all the announcements, major or otherwise. You can certainly expect a faster, Qualcomm-powered Nexus 7, as well as a rumoured 32GB LTE-powered Nexus 4. There will be a much higher prevalence of Glass users at this year’s jaunt, too, and you can bet on a few more surprises as well.

[Android Police, Android Community]

April 30, 2013
Original iPhone To Be “Obsolete” From 11 June

The original iPhone will soon reach “obsolete” status at Apple retail stores. Obsolete status means that a product is not eligible for repairs or parts replacement even if the customer pays for it. The date the original iPhone reaches obsolete status is June 11, 2013, according to 9to5Mac, which obtained a leaked memo revealing the date. More than 6.1 million units of the device were sold during its lifecycle.

Other Apple products that will be considered ‘vintage’ as of June 11, 2013 include the mid-2007 models of the iMac, the late 2006 model Xserve, and the original Mac Pro. 9to5Mac has the list of newly minted vintage and obsolete products, while Apple maintains a list of all products named vintage or obsolete going back to the Apple II.

Steve Jobs officially introduced the iPhone at Macworld on January 9th, 2007. This ‘revolutionary’ smartphone came with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display (320 x 480), 2MP camera, iOS, and weighed in at 135 grams. Since this date we’ve seen the device progress and become thinner, more powerful and come with a larger screen. At the upcoming WWDC 2013 Apple will finally show off the new version of iOS – which apparently has a ‘flat’ design.

The end of an era. The original Apple iPhone is headed to the museum.

April 30, 2013
Leaked : Specifications Of Sony Honami And Togari Flagships

Specifications of the upcoming Sony Togari and the Sony Honami were leaked today in a report by XperiaBlog.

These are both codenames so may well be changed before their respective releases. Both of these will be flagship devices and will also be both dust and water-resistant.

Sony is said to plan on releasing Togari with a 6.44-inch 1080p touchscreen display and with a design similar to the one of Xperia Z. The smartphone will also include a glass back, as well as a very thin body, similar to both Xperia Z and Xperia Tablet Z.

The Sony Honami is believed to sport a dedicated Walkman audio chip (S-Master MX Digital Amplifier?) and a 20MP Cyber-shot CMOS sensor with Carl Zeiss lens.

The report goes on to say that Honami will be one of the most attractive phones Sony has ever made, even more so than the Xperia Z and iPhone 5. Honami could also see a July release, in Asia at least.

Previously it was said that the Cyber-shot and Walkman lines will get separate One Sony handsets, but this was quickly debunked by people in the know, who reiterated that the Honami will only be one phone, with the best Sony can muster in the camera and sound departments.

As for the rest of the specs, a 5″ Full HD screen is bandied about, as well as a fast quad-core 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 800 chipset, 2 GB of RAM and a 2700-3000 mAH battery.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as anything becomes official!

[Xperia Blog, GSMArena]

April 29, 2013
Google Now Lands On iOS, Works Seamlessly!

Starting right now, iPhone and iPad owners can get Google Now on their devices.

Google Now is a personal assistant, Siri’s rival, if you may, which brings on a combination of Google Search and personalized everyday “cards” showing what a user wants to know about every day elements like weather, sports, and calendar items.

Google announced on Tuesday that the service, which has been available for about nine months on Android phones and tablets running Jelly Bean, will be available for free as part of an update to the Search App in the iTunes App Store.

Get just the right information at just the right time with Google Now.

– weather and traffic conditions before you start your day
– updates on your favorite sports teams and breaking news stories as they happen

The app appears to be exactly the same as the Android version with the exception of users being able to swipe up to launch the Now application. Google, though, reports that 22 of the 29 card types found on the Android version of Google Now are making their way to the iOS version, with airline boarding passes, Fandango, and local events being among those not making the transition.

Google Now pulls information from all of your Google services like Search, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Chrome browser history, and anything else that is connected to your Google account, then it provides pertinent information to the smartphone owner before they know they need it.

Our initial impression of the service is that it works seamlessly! It picked up our commands with ease and returned accurate information.

Job well done Google!

April 29, 2013
OS X 10.9 Rumoured To Have “Tabbed Finder”, Faster Safari, And iOS Like Multitasking

According to sources speaking on condition of anonymity with 9to5mac, the new Mac OS includes major Finder enhancements, like “application such as tags and tabbed browsing modes.”

Code-named “Cabernet,” OS X 10.9 is expected to focus on various “power-user enhancements” and Safari will feature a completely redesigned back end that improves speed and efficiency. Users will also gain the ability to open different Spaces on connected monitors, 9to5Mac says. Some minor user interface changes are expected as well.

According to 9to5Mac:

The new operating system includes major enhancements to the Finder application such as tags and tabbed browsing modes. Those additions are notable as many pro-users have relied on third-party solutions and hacks to enable these features. Additionally, the new operating system will include a new Safari web browser with a redesigned backend for improved page loading, speed, and efficiency…

The most interesting notes in the report pertain to the possible inclusion of some “core features” from iOS in addition to the iOS features already present in OS X, such as iMessage and AirPlay.

According to one source, Apple has been testing a new multi-tasking system for OS X that is similar to the quick-app-switcher function on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. The multitasking feature will be functional for applications in the background, according to this person.

Additionally, Apple could use app-pausing technologies from iOS to pause background application processes in OS X. This is significant as full performance could be given to foreground apps, which could help optimize battery life on Apple’s notebook computers. It is unclear if this feature will make the cut for 10.9?s public release.

[9to5Mac]

April 29, 2013
Upcoming Xbox 720 To Utilize Microsoft IllumiRoom Projection Technology?

Microsoft’s Illumiroom could play a role in the future of the next-generation Xbox, according to a new preview video released ahead of this week’s CHI 2013 event which promises to reveal more technical details about this proof-of-concept system.

IllumiRoom is a wide-angle projector that’s situated on your coffee table, pointed at your big-screen TV. The current prototype has a Kinect strapped to the projector, but the final version will have a Kinect sensor built in. The built-in Kinect uses an automatic calibration process to captures the color and geometry (shape, depth) of the wall behind and furniture around your TV.

Then you hook the IllumiRoom up to your next-generation Xbox (wirelessly), and watch in awe as peripheral projection takes you to new levels of game immersion.

The video goes on to state that the new technology “can extend the gaming content out of your TV, creating a truly immersive experience. Or we can selectively show game elements, like explosions, or make it snow in our living room.”

Microsoft will have had to have got permission from Valve to include their game in the demo, so it suggests they’ve already been shopping the technology around to developers in order to get them interested in supporting it.

Entirely self-calibrating and theoretically working in any room containing the next-generation Xbox, Microsoft realises that, like with Kinect, there may be issues with the technology.

“While there are many unanswered questions regarding peripheral projected illusions, we hope we have demonstrated that they are worth answering.”

[youtube id=”0qyM5kRU-KM” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[The Verge]

April 29, 2013
Video : Samsung Reveals Galaxy S4 Design Philosophy

The Galaxy S4. features heavily improved specs, a larger screen, the latest version of Android and a ton of new software features.

However, one area where the S4 disappoints is in the design department. Rather than showing off some brand new design or better build materials Samsung opted to reuse the Galaxy S III design with tons of plastic used.

Just like with the Galaxy S3 about a year ago, Samsung decided to release a Galaxy S4 design video, but this time around it posted it a lot closer to the handset’s launch. In it, you’ll hear Samsung designers talking about Galaxy S4 design lines, but also about some of the new software features part of Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface.

The Galaxy S4 is described as having “natural elements” at its heart, including the new reflective battery cover, said to resemble “precious stone glittering in the dark, or countless stars sparkling in the night sky.”

The design is “Not a radical difference, but more of an evolution” says product designer Hyoungshin Park in the first five seconds of the video.

JongBo Jung (another product designer) says that the Galaxy S4 is “Like nothing you’ve ever seen before”.

It’s a good primer for anyone thinking about buying the Galaxy S4 after it became available in India this week. Check out the video below, and tell us in the comments how you like it.

[youtube id=”cUiRThvCp8E” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[Samsung]

April 29, 2013
Apple iPad Tops Tablet User Satisfaction Survey In The US
The Apple iPad tablet has once again taken the top spot for consumer satisfaction. The team at J.D. Power and Associates ranked the iPad at the top of its 2013 US Tablets Satisfaction Study.

J.D. Power spoke with 1,857 owners who owned their devices for less than one year. Apple devices finished on top of the survey for both tablets and smartphones.

Satisfaction is measured across five key factors (in order of importance): performance (26%); ease of operation (22%); styling and design(19%); features (17%); and cost (16%).

The iPad scored 836 out of a possible 1,000 points. The Kindle Fire wasn’t far behind with 829 points.

Samsung devices received a score of 822 points. This was six points off the survey’s average score of 828 points.

This is only the second time that J.D. Power and Associates has released a U.S. Tablets Satisfaction Study. After the iPad was awarded the top spot in 2012, Apple began advertising the win online.

The study also revealed that :
- Tablet owners who also have a smartphone spend 36 percent more time browsing the Internet on their tablet than on their smartphone.
- Twenty-seven percent of tablet owners say they are likely to buy a new tablet within the next 12 months, compared with 37 percent in 2012.
- Ninety-four percent of highly satisfied owners of tablets are likely to purchase additional consumer electronic devices from the same manufacturer.
[MacDaily News, J.D. Power and Associates]
April 29, 2013
Boeing 787s Set Take Off Again, But Is It Too Late For Air India Now?

Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner is poised to resume flights in Japan, ending a more than three- month hiatus that grounded numerous planes owned by airlines around the world, including our country’s national carrier, Air India.

The 787, Boeing’s newest and most technologically advanced plane, is the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium batteries weigh less, store more energy and recharge faster than conventional batteries, making them attractive to aircraft makers and their airline customers.

The world’s total fleet of 50 Boeing 787s had been grounded since January 16 as Boeing and investigators tried to determine why one aircraft battery caught fire and another smoldered, forcing an emergency landing. Both cases concerned aircraft owned by Japanese airlines.

The battery system was designed with four layers of protection against overcharging, and overcharging wasn’t suspected in the two January incidents.

Boeing did some of the safety testing on the 787 battery system, but testing was also performed by a subcontractor, Thales of France, which made the 787’s electrical system, and by battery maker GS Yuasa of Japan.

To solve the problem, Boeing made changes to the battery design and added a steel enclosure to prevent any overheating from affecting the plane.

Too Little Too Late For Air India?

A technical team from Boeing is in India and will install new battery systems in the national carrier’s B-787 fleet by early May, which the airline officials say will give them ample of time to restart services on existing and new routes.

“A Boeing team is arriving in India, in addition to another team which is already present here. They will be making some key technical changes to the battery system of at least two aircraft at a time,” a senior Air India official said.

The grounding of the fleet was bad news for Air India.

The airline grounded the aircraft after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation asked Air India to stop using the Boeing 787 till the problem with a battery on board had been sorted out.

In February, it was revealed that Air India flew some of its Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner aircraft even after U.S. regulators grounded the global fleet the month before after the battery problems.

Dreamliners operated by India’s national carrier were flown to Mumbai for maintenance reasons, Arun Mishra, the head of India’s civil aviation regulator, had said.

“When the Dreamliners were grounded, they had come to Delhi from Frankfurt and Paris. Air India asked us for permission to take them to Mumbai because they have their maintenance facility there and also they were paying very high parking charges in Delhi,” Mishra, director general of civil aviation, told Reuters. “We gave them permission with strict orders that no passenger will be allowed.”

Air India had deployed the Dreamliners on long routes due to the efficient operation of the aircraft. After the grounding of the fleet, the national carrier incurred heavy losses as the Dreamliners had become their most lucrative source for cash flow. The airline was looking at the induction and use of the Boeing 787 aircraft to turn around its financial fortunes. The fleet was generating revenues of Rs 2 crore a day when it was in service.

Air India had booked 27 Boeing 787s in a mega deal in 2006 and is supposed to get seven more planes in 2013.

The airline was operating its six B-787s from Delhi to Bangalore, Chennai, Dubai, Paris and Frankfurt. The Dreamliner has been instrumental in replacing the fuel-guzzling Boeing 777 on some international routes, thus saving on costs and increasing efficiency.

Air India had booked 27 Boeing 787s in a mega deal in 2006 and is supposed to get seven more planes in 2013, five in 2014, six in 2015 and three in 2016.

But for the carrier, the problems don’t end here. Most of the Air India’s fleet has been rendered inoperable due to negligence and poor maintenance.

As Business Week reports, the carrier, which has lost at least 281 billion rupees ($5.2 billion) since April 2007, is saddled with $8 billion in debt. It owes 42.5 billion rupees to jet fuel suppliers, Panabaka Lakshmi, India’s junior minister for petroleum and natural gas, said in parliament on March 8. Among its 16 grounded planes are leased jets it hasn’t returned to their owners because it can’t afford to refurbish them.

The return of the Dreamliner might turn our national carrier’s fortune around, or is it too little too late for Air India?

April 28, 2013
Toshiba Launches World’s Fastest Compact Flash Card

Compact Flash cards have been the fastest type of memory cards ever since they first came out, and they aren’t even the oldest sort. Toshiba turned things all the way up to 11 with the Exceria Pro though.

Having a product that can be called world’s best, fastest, or any other epithet is something that IT companies, and any other corporations for that matter, always like.

Toshiba, known more for its NAND flash memory than its consumer compact flash memory cards, claims to have the world’s highest bandwidth compact flash card with its Exceria Pro models.

The cards come in the now-standard 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, but the real gems are their read and write speeds. The cards reach a write speed of 150MB/s, and a read speed of 160MB/s. The speeds are so fast, that the cards allow the capture of 1080p video without a dropped frame and they are capable of handling 4K as well. The firm said that its Exceria Pro cards use its own NAND flash chips and its own firmware.

Toshiba is likely to see interest for its latest cards from those that use digital SLR cameras where compact flash memory is still the primary storage medium, and higher write bandwidths will allow longer continuous image capture before the camera’s buffer is filled.

Toshiba’s new memory cards are compatible with the CompactFlash Association (CFA) standard CompactFlash Specification Revision 6.1.

They also support the UDMA7 high speed interface, which is the primary reason for its speed.

[Gizmodo, Geek]

April 27, 2013
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 To Enter Mass Production In May

The next big thing in mobile chipsets, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 system-on-a-chip (SoC), is set to enter mass production in May, according to a senior product manager. The company was showing off its newest chipset on development devices, indicating the advantages, both in speed and thermal efficiency, over the current high-end Snapdragon 600.

While the Snapdragon 800 is built using the same 28nm manufacturing process as its predecessor, there are a number of improvements to its Krait core, in addition to boosting clock speeds to 2.3Ghz. The Snapdragon 800 will include four Krait 400 cores, each operating asynchronously to ensure optimal battery life; all but one can be disabled on an as-needed basis depending on processing workload. The new chip boasts improved memory bandwidth and a faster Adreno 330 graphics processor, which is up to 50% faster than the current-gen Adreno 320, though it’s unknown whether those gains come from architecture improvements or just higher clock speeds.

With an integrated baseband boasting LTE speeds up to 150Mbps, 802.11ac WiFi and USB 3.0, it boasts substantial IO improvements as well.

The Snapdragon 800 will likely debut in tablets first, but will come to Android smartphones by end of the year or early 2014. More information about the chip and its OEM partners will be released in June, says Qualcomm, though you only have to look at the current swath of Android devices, from Samsung to HTC to LG, to ascertain the inevitable success of the Snapdragon 800.

Qualcomm recently reported its Q2 earnings and found itself triumphantly in the black, boasting revenues above $6 billion and, incredibly, profits above $2 billion.

[Engadget]

April 27, 2013
Rumoured Rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 To Be Called Galaxy Active, Coming In July

Samsung is readying a new variant of its Galaxy S4 for June, according to the Wall Street Journal. As reported earlier this week, the OEM is developing a rugged version of its flagship Android smartphone dubbed Galaxy S4 “Active,” which will look similar to the original but boast waterproofing and a sturdier chassis.

This is the first time that Samsung has ruggedized its most high-end smartphone, and is doing so to appeal to a relatively untapped market; as smartphones replace larger, more cumbersome pieces of technology, they become more essential to have with us at all times, regardless of where we are. People who work in hazardous or unpredictable environments often require extra cases and utilities to keep their phones safe, but external covers fail, and having a phone designed with such use cases in mind can extend its life tremendously.

Earlier this year, Sony unveiled the Xperia Z, a high-end device that is water- and dustproof. It’s proven quite popular everywhere in the world, and is rumoured to be Sony’s most successful Android device to date. Devices like the Sony Xperia Go are examples of rugged smartphones, but their specs don’t equal their might in many ways.

Samsung is also expected to debut yet another 8-inch tablet, though this one will lack the Note branding and S Pen, and likely come in well below the $399USD MSRP of the Note 8.0. That, along with a smaller Galaxy S4 Mini, will debut alongside the Galaxy S4 Active, says the WSJ.

[Wall Street Journal]

April 27, 2013
Samsung Q1 Result : $6.43 Billion Net Profit, 70 Million Smartphones Shipped

Samsung had a big Q1, with revenues upwards of $47.5 billion USD, while operating and net profit was $7.9 billion and $6.43 billion respectively. While this is down over the previous quarter, in which Samsung posted both record revenues and profits, the results were in line with the company’s guidance and met analysts’ expectations.

The only worrying figure in the scenario is that growth is slowing compared to last year, where revenue and profits grew at a feverish pace. Samsung is concerned that growth will continue to abate, as “stiffer competition in the mobile business,” especially in the low- and mid-range smartphone market, will hit the company’s margins.

But there are 70 million reasons for the company to celebrate, too. That’s how many smartphones Samsung shipped during the first quarter of 2013, representing a massive 32.7% market share. Apple trailed behind at 17.3%, while LG, Huawei and ZTE brought up the rear with 4.8%, 4.6% and 4.2% respectively.

Samsung’s numbers in Q1 2013 grew 11% over the previous quarter, in which the company shipped 63.7 million smart devices, and was up some 60% from the year before. Its success was buoyed by “sound sales” of the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, as stated in the press release, but demand for the company’s tablets dropped 30% quarter-over-quarter.

With the Galaxy S4 sales starting today, Samsung is due for a solid Q2, though we’d expect them to address the low- and mid-range market with a cheaper variant of the Galaxy S4 in the coming months.

[IDC, TechCrunch]

April 27, 2013