Category: Samsung

Rumour : Apple Rethinking Samsung Chip Partnership Amid Strained Relations

New reports online are claiming that Apple is looking to move away from Samsung when it comes to the chips for its products by moving to processors provided by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Every single iOS device has had Samsung-produced processors. Reports says that TSMC will provide Apple with quad-core processors fit for future iPads, the long-rumored iTV, and MacBooks that will use a 20 nanometer processor over Samsung’s 32 nanometer processors. The rationale is that Apple has already verified TSMC’s 20nm chips in August and might begin production in November to prepare for devices in 2013.

As for iPhone processors, it is rumoured Apple will stick to dual-core processors for future models because of their “low-power consumption merit.”

Apple’s reported efforts to marginalise Samsung comes following a long courtroom battle, which has left extremely bitter feelings on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

One industry source told CNET that the relationship between the two companies has effectively broken down and will result in the two companies parting ways at the end of existing agreements.

October 14, 2012
iPhone 5 Passes Samsung Galaxy S III in Web Traffic

The new iPhone 5 has topped the Samsung Galaxy S III’s Web traffic in just 18 days, according to stats from mobile ad firm Chitika.

Chitika based its findings on millions of mobile ad impressions from the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III across its U.S. and Canadian network between Oct. 3-9. By Oct. 9, about 56 percent of impressions were from Apple’s new smartphone, while 44 percent were from the Galaxy S III.

[quote]Following the release of Apple’s iPhone 5 on September 21st, Chitika Insights was interested in comparing the Web usage rates of the newest phones from both manufacturers. To quantify our latest study, we conducted a user agent analysis on millions of mobile ad impressions, spanning a 7-day time frame from October 3rd through October 9th, 2012. Looking solely at impressions coming from the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, we were able to observe the difference in Web traffic volume between the two devices, depicted in the figure above.[/quote]

Earlier this month, mobile-app analytics firm revealed that Galaxy S3 sales are growing. When the iPhone 5 was announced last month, Galaxy S3 sales grew by 15 percent. At the end of September, sales growth was at 9 percent.

October 13, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III Mini pictures and specs leaked

Looks like Samsung wont let you forget that the company exists. The Smartphone major is launching handset after handset and the next in line is the Galaxy S3 mini, leaked and pictured above the S III mini will feature a smaller 4 inch display with a rumored 480 x 800 pixel resolution. On the inside however, dual-core STE U8420 chip running at 1GHz, there’s 1GB of RAM and a 5-megapixel camera. Pricing expectations seem high where a price of 399 Euros or IN Rs. 27,000 approximately.

At that price you might as well get the S3 by adding a few.

October 11, 2012
Samsung ATIV S gets a very early Hands on (Video)
Samsung is ready to launch the new Windows Phone 8 Lineup, with the ATIV S taking center stage. GSMArena managed to get a hands on with the product, they uploaded the video then removed it. But luckily enough the video landed up on Youtube so check it out.

Important details include
- 4.8” Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 2
- dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU
- 2300 mAh battery on board
- MicroSD card Slot
October 10, 2012
Tablets : Micromax Sold More Than Apple And Samsung In Q2

In a CyberMedia Research it has been revealed that Micromax leads the Indian tablets market with 18.4 percent share in the second quarter of 2012. Samsung is in second position with 13.3 percent market share. Apple has a market share of 12.3 percent in terms of unit shipments during the 2Q 2012.

India tablet market sales touched 0.55 million units in 2Q 2012, up 673 percent y-o-y.

Entry of new tablet vendors and introduction of offerings from existing vendors at low to medium price points have contributed to the significant growth.

Though the tablet PC market in India is still at a nascent stage, but at the same time, has become competitive due to entry of new vendors with entry-level offerings, the report said.

Close to 90 vendors launched their tablets till Q2 2012. The average selling value (ASV) in the said period dropped to little above Rs 13,000 from Rs 26,000 in the January-March 2012 period as a majority of vendors launched their products in the Rs 5,000-10,000 price range.

[quote]”During 2Q 2012, 47.4 per cent of tablet sales were from new entrants in the market with a strong focus on addressing application areas in the Education and Entertainment segments,” CMR Lead Analyst (Telecoms Practice) Faisal Kawoosa said.[/quote]

This trend demonstrates clearly that vendors are positioning their devices at India’s youth, he added.

Some of the key trends in terms of specifications of media tablets inIndianoted in 2Q 2012 are listed in the table below.

Android operating system had the lion’s share of the market at 87.5 per cent.

“As Android devices become increasingly popular with users across the world, competition is increasing in the India tablets market with more and more vendors launching devices based on the Android OS,” he said.

October 9, 2012
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and S Pen Tips and Tricks
The Galaxy Note 2 is a wonderful device and even so is also the most prominent smartphone in the Android Market, but what really sets this phone apart is its ability to interact with the S Pen ( or should be call it the S Pen 2? ) Completely redesigned from the bottom up the new S Pen is more ergonomical and precise. Lets look as some of the new things you can do with the new S Pen on your Shiny new Galaxy Note 2.

Pop Up Note.

This feature allows you to enable a Pop Up Note to show up every time you pull the S Pen from the new Galaxy Note 2. This feature Can Be anablet from Settings > S Pen Settings > Enable Pop Up Note

Color Selector in S Note

A new Color Selector dropper tool in the S Note application allows you to choose a custom color that you may pick up from the image you are editing or anywhere on screen. This will allow artists more flexibility with their designing.

Air View

One of the most versatile features of the new S Pen on the new Galaxy Note 2, the Air View feature adds a context menu to the Galaxy Note 2 and performs better than Samsung claims.

Air view adds a lot of new features :
- Scrolling: Just by hovering the Pen over the Top or bottom of Email and Message lists, you can scroll up or down. This feature will work in any app including browsers and music players. Mostly anywhere where scrolling can be enabled.
- Tooltip : Don’t know what a button is for? The Air view tooltip feature gives you a quick introduction to any button or menu item you will hover your S Pen over.
- Quick Preview : The Most useful AirView feature is the new quick preview, hovering the S-Pen over any EMail or SMS received on the new Galaxy Note II will give users a quick preview of what the content of the message is. This feature will also give you a preview of the pictures in a Gallery.
Quick Command

The new interface that lets you perform tasks and open applications with a quick swipe of your S Pen. Holding the button on the S Pen and dragging it an an upward direction opens up a quick command dialogue box. You can now use one of the pre set gestures or create your own, allowing you to open applications, turn on/off services like WiFi, Data, Bluetooth, etc.

Handwriting to Text

The Galaxy Note 2 mixed with the new S Pen has the best Handwriting to Text algorithms available today. It instantly converts the poorest of handwriting styles into crisp text. Although not a lot of people will use this features, but in some cases it may turn out to be much faster than typing.

Pressure Sensitivity

The new S Pen is really pressure sensitive allowing you to create thin or thick lines without actually changing the settings form the the pen menu. while creating strokes, a light touch will create a thin line whereas a thick stroke will create a thick line.

Missing Pen Alert

Once this feature is enabled from the Galaxy Note IIs Pen Settings Menu, the phone will vibrate every time you move 10 ft away from your phones S Pen, reminding you that you have left your S Pen somewhere. This is a feature that will really help those people who lost a lot of S Pens with the original Note.

OLD FEATURES

The Note 2 also retains most features from the original Note, including the slide left to close app gesture and slide right for menu function, among others.

Screenshot and Edit

Hold down on the Pen Button and long tap the screen with the S Pen to click a screenshot. The screenshot will immediately open up in the image editor and allow for editing, annotations and cropping. You can then share the image to various apps and services.

Video Link
October 6, 2012
Samsung expects a operating profit of US $ 7.28 Billion this Quarter

Samsung has let the details out ahead of its earnings call for Q3 results. It’s expecting a fourth straight record quarter with overall operating profits of 8.1 trillion won ($7.28 billion), Almost double of what the company made at the same time last year.

Earnings at the mobile-phone business surged 93 percent in the quarter with the May debut of the Galaxy S III and the Note, according to a Bloomberg News survey of six analysts, helping mask a slump in profit from selling computer-memory chips. TV sales also helped Asia’s biggest consumer-electronicscompany, which lost a California patent trial in August to rival and key customer Apple.

[quote]“Smartphone sales were very solid,” Kim Young Chan, a Seoul-based analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., said by phone today. “Smartphone shipments have increased significantly, easing concerns about marketing spending eating into profit.”[/quote]

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Samsung Electronics Announces Earnings Guidance for Third Quarter 2012
Consolidated revenues estimated at 52 trillion Korean won
Operating profit at 8.1 trillion won

SEOUL, Korea – October 5, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced its earnings guidance for the third quarter, 2012.

Consolidated Sales : Approximately 52 trillion Korean won
(Range: 51 – 53 trillion Korean won)

Consolidated Operating Profit : Approximately 8.1 trillion Won
(Range: 7.9 – 8.3 trillion Korean won)

The above figures are consolidated earnings estimates based on K-IFRS

? ’12 2Q and ’11 3Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

(in trillion won)
’12 .2Q
‘11.3Q
Sales
47.60
41.27
Operating profit
6.72
4.25

Disclosure regulations in South Korea do not allow earnings guidance to be provided as a range, therefore the official disclosure was made based on the median value as stated above.

The guidance is provided ahead of the full announcement of quarterly earnings results for the convenience of investors and media, before our external audit on the financial results of our headquarters, subsidiaries and affiliates is completed. Therefore, the above estimate may differ from the actual results.

The full earnings for the third quarter will be disclosed following the Board of Directors’ approval of the financial statements and quarterly reports.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

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October 5, 2012
Windows 8 Tablets will reach the US in December

While India awaits, The US will get two Windows 8 tablets from ASUS and Samsung, namely the VivoTab RT and ATIV Smart PC, this holiday season.

The VivoTab RT from ASUS is equipped with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor,Windows RT, 4G LTE connectivity, 32GB of internal storage and features a 10.1-inch Super IPS display with ASUS TruVivid technology for a better viewing experience.

Samsung’s 11.6-inch HD ATIV Smart PC includes a dual-core Intel Clover Trail processor clocked at 1.5GHz, Windows 8, 64GB of internal storage and can be connected to a detachable keyboard dock. As an added bonus, the VivoTab RT comes preloaded with Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview Edition, while the ATIV Smart PC includes a trial of Office 2013.

The two tablets will be launched on the At&t network in the US during the holiday season. India is expected to play host to all Windows 8 Tablets early next year.

October 5, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III will get Jelly Bean post 20th Oct

Samsung has confirmed that the Jelly bean Update for Galaxy S IIIs in India will start seeding from their servers post 20th october 2012. While the company estimates the process to be smooth, we expect just like last time some units will get the Jelly Bean update before others.

On 6 September 2012, Samsung revealed that sales of the S III had reached 20 million in 100 days, making it three and six times faster-selling than the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy S, respectively. Europe accounted for more than 25 percent of this figure with 6 million units, followed by Asia (4.5 million) and the U.S. (4 million); sales in South Korea, the S III’s home market, numbered 2.5 million.

So if those numbers are to be agreed upon the Europe update which started last week will be followed by updates in Asia including India then US and so on.

October 5, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S3 “Mini” Coming Next Month?

Will Samsung announce a Galaxy S III Mini on October 11th?

The company has issued invites to a press event in Frankfurt for next Thursday, with a byline that reads: “Something big can be small and something small can be big.” Rumours of a smaller, less powerful Galaxy S III have persisted since the device’s announcement in May. Samsung usually takes its flagship design and tweaks it a little for the middle- and entry-level markets; for example, the Galaxy Y and Galaxy R were offshoots of the Galaxy S II.

With a a 4-inch WVGA (800×480) Super AMOLED screen it would only be 0.8-inches smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S3’s screen so, if true, the Mini-moniker is a bit of a misnomer. It might also feature a dual-core processor, a 5MP camera, and will come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Is this just a wild rumour? Let’s wait and see!

October 3, 2012
The Galaxy Note 2 Gets Benchmarked on iGyaan

We went hands on at launch in India and were able to run a series of benchmarks on the new Galaxy Note 2, keeping in Mind that the device was not yet the final build. Check out the video and stay tuned for more.

September 28, 2012
Live Coverage : Samsung will Launch the Galaxy Note 2 in India Today (Video)

Samsung will Launch the new Galaxy Note 2 in India at 2:00 PM IST at an even that will be held in Hyderabad. Make sure you bookmark this page to get the latest updates and watch the Live Video stream.

September 27, 2012
Samsung Galaxy phones vulnerable to remote wipe attack

Malicious hackers can hide a code in a web page that will trigger a full factory reset of Samsung’s best-selling Galaxy S3 smartphone, deleting contacts, photographs, music, apps and other valuable data, security researchers have discovered.

The code, now circulating freely online and comprising just 11 digits and symbols, was revealed at a computer security conference in Argentina.

Ravi Borgaonkar showed off the attack at the Ekoparty security conference, reports Slashgear. There he showed how a hacker could direct the user to a webpage where some malicious code could plunge them into a factory reset nightmare.

Borgaonkar’s talk, Dirty use of USSD Codes in Cellular Network, showed how the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) protocol, which is commonly used, can be exploited by attackers.

Frustratingly, users can see the reset process kicking in but neither hitting back nor any other command will stop it. Apparently the code can also be used to destroy the SIM card too.

Although there’s no evidence that anyone is using this powerful line of code to mess with people’s Samsung phones (yet), the level of attention in the tech media means that some nefarious types may start.

September 25, 2012
Samsung launches dual-SIM Champ Neo feature phone, priced at INR 3,670

Samsung Electronics has unveiled the Samsung Champ Neo in India targeting the youth population with the cost effective phone model. The touch phone with Dual SIM is priced at Rs 3,670.

The smartphone major has launched the touch phone in line with its vision to address diverse needs of consumers in the Indian mobile market.

The dual-SIM feature phone comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA TFT touch display with Samsung’s TouchWiz-Lite UI atop. The Champ Neo packs in a 1000mAh battery claiming up to 14 hours of talk time. There’s also a 3.5mm headphones jack for listening to audio on the device.

The device is fully capable of social network support with apps like Twitter, Facebook. Samsung’s own chat application, the ChatON comes pre-installed along with 20MB memory expandable to 32GB, and a VGA camera.

Samsung Champ Neo Duos is available in ceramic white colour.

[quote]
According to Samsung’s own website, the Champ Neo Duos is, ”Housed in a compact and neat design with a full touch screen and enhanced connectivity, this mobile is always on to receive calls, access social networking sites, download apps, play music and much more,” [/quote]

September 23, 2012
New Samsung Ad Makes Fun of iPhone 5

Samsung is poking fun at Apple fans and the upcoming Iphone 5 in an advert designed to make us realise that its Galaxy S3 is the best handset around.

The advert shows a bunch of young trendies queueing outside an Apple store and talking excitedly about the incoming phone.

“All I’m saying is they should have a priority line for people who’ve waited five times,” one guy says at the start of the 90-second ad.

While the iPhone is never referred to by name, many of its specs are mentioned. “You have to have an adapter to use the dock on the new one,” one guy in the line says rather forlornly. “Yeah, but they make the coolest adapters,” says another.

Then a group of Galaxy S3 owners enter the area and talk about the features of the phone, causing curiosity among those standing in line.

The advertisement comes at a time when Samsung is still recovering from the major legal blow it suffered in its patent war with Apple last month.

Check out the advertisement below!

September 20, 2012