Samsung widens gap with rivals on NAND flash memory

[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics saw its NAND flash memory sales hit an all-time high in the January-March period, according to a market report.The Korean company earned US$2.62 billion in revenue in the first quarter, up 3.1 percent from the fourth quarter last year, according to a recent report released by IHS, a market research firm. Samsung Electronics’ 3-D NAND flash memory chip.  Samsung ElectronicsIts market share in the global NAND flash memory sector came in at 42.6 percent

July 12, 2016

Samsung TVs to benefit from toughened EU rules

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics, the sole producer of cadmium-free quantum-dot TVs, is expected to benefit from European Union’s planned ban on TVs containing the carcinogen metal. According to Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency on July 10, EU is mulling to ban sales of quantum-dot TVs containing cadmium from early next year. The final decision will be made later this month after a public hearing. Samsung’s SUHD quantum-dot TVQuantum dots are tiny particles that emit a different color of

July 11, 2016

Panasonic dismisses Samsung, LG as viable suppliers for Tesla

[THE INVESTOR] Korean firms Samsung SDI and LG Chem are unlikely to supply batteries for US-based Telsa’s electric cars any time soon, as Panasonic will continue being the exclusive supplier, according to an executive at the Japanese firm.Kenji Tamura, the head of Panasonic’s energy business, said in a recent interview with Japanese reporters that he is “confident,” that Panasonic would keep the exclusive contract with the US partner.Tesla Model 3This is because as Panasonic, the sole battery su

July 11, 2016

Samsung reaches agreement with Shinsegae on mobile payment services

[THE INVESTOR] Although Samsung Electronics has touted its mobile payment solution Samsung Pay as a universal payment platform available both online and offline, it had a major setback as it was unavailable at the stores run by South Korea’s largest retail firm Shinsegae.Things will likely change soon as the two have reportedly reach an agreement.Samsung Electronics’ mobile payment solution Samsung Pay. Samsung Electronics“After lengthy negotiations, the two companies have been able to find midd

July 11, 2016

Samsung SDS sets up logistics JV with Thailand’s Acutech

[THE INVESETOR] Samsung SDS, the IT solutions and logistics unit of Samsung Group, said on July 11 it has agreed with Thailand’s Acutech to set up a joint venture to expand its presence in the soaring Southeast Asian logistics market. Acutech, established in 1987, is Thailand’s largest logistics company whose key clients include electronics, automotive parts and food makers. Samsung SDS headquarters in Jamsil, southern SeoulTaking advantage of Acutech’s client base in the region, Samsung SDS pla

July 11, 2016

Samsung makes up 9% of China Mobile phones

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics phones made up 9 percent of smartphones used by 800 million China Mobile customers, China’s largest telecom carrier said in a recent report. The most favorite smartphone brand among China Mobile customers was Apple’s iPhone that made up 15 percent or some 120 million phones of the total. Together with Samsung, China’s Xiaomi and Huawei were ranked second with 9 percent market share, respectively. Samsung Galaxy S7 launch event held in ShanghaiChinese runner-ups

July 8, 2016

Operating-margin gap between Samsung, Apple likely to decline

[THE INVESTOR] The operating-margin gap between South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics and California-based Apple is likely to reduce to a record low level in the April-June period. Samsung Electronics said in its earnings guidance for the three-month period that it posted 8.1 trillion won (US$7 billion) of operating income and 50 trillion won of revenue during the three months. Based on the estimated figures, the operating margin of the Korean firm will come in at 16.2 percent, the second

July 8, 2016

Samsung shares Olympic spirit with new Galaxy S7 Edge

[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics unveiled the Galaxy S7 Edge Olympic Games Limited Edition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, ahead of the Rio Olympic Games to be held from Aug. 5 to 21.The latest handset features Olympics-inspired designs -- the colors of the Olympic Rings are featured in the phone’s home and lock screens as well as the message, dial and contact screens and notification bar. Wallpapers themed with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are also featured.Working with the International Olymp

July 8, 2016

Huawei files new patent suit against Samsung in China

[THE INVESTOR] Chinese tech firm Huawei has filed a complaint at Chinese district courts against South Korean rival Samsung Electronics for breaching its patent for mobile icon and widget designs. The Chinese firm reportedly argued in its complaint filed at the courts in Shenzhen and Quanzhou on July 6 that Samsung used without permission Hauwei’s patent on how to display mobile application icons in a folder and widgets on the smartphone screen.Huawei demanded 80 million Chinese yuan (US$12 mill

July 7, 2016

OLED equipment market for Apple to reach W15tr by 2020

[THE INVESETOR] With Apple’s planned adoption of organic light-emitting diode display for its iPhone next year, the related equipment market is estimated to reach US$13 billion by 2020, a local research firm said July 7. According to UBI Research, orders from Apple alone could make up about 47 percent of the global equipment market for sixth-generation flexible OLED, worth US$28.4 billion for the next five years. Apple’s iPhone 6SThe sixth-generation flexible OLED is increasingly adopted for sma

July 7, 2016

Samsung unveils superfast 256GB UFS

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest chipmaker, on July 7 unveiled the industry’s first 256GB Universal Flash Storage, or UFS Card, with a reading speed five times that of a conventional MicroSD Card. The card has the highest capacity in the market for an external memory card and boasts a reading speed of 530 MBps, equivalent to that of a 2.5-inch solid-state drive, or SSD, the company said. The latest card can read a full HD video (5GB) in 10 seconds. It will also be useful f

July 7, 2016

Components to drive up Samsung’s Q3 profits

[THE INVESTOR] Expectations are high on Samsung Electronics’ third-quarter profits after the company released its second-quarter earnings guidance that beat analyst estimates on July 7. According to its tentative earnings report, the Korean tech giant posted more than 8 trillion won (US$7.6 billion) in operating profits and 50 trillion won in sales in the April-June period. Analysts say the company will continue the current momentum in coming months. Samsung Electronics’ headquarters in Suwon, G

July 7, 2016

Samsung, SK hynix to benefit from rise of DRAM prices in Q3

[THE INVESTOR] With DRAM prices hitting rock bottom, the global DRAM market has been in the doldrums over the past couple years. According to a market report on July 7, however, the DRAM market will likely pick up steam in the July-September period thanks to increasing demand in the mobile and server markets.“The downward trend in DRAM prices over the past two years has reversed in June,” said DRAMeXchange in its recent report, forecasting the price increase rate would be in the range of between

July 7, 2016

Samsung Electronics sells 26 million Galaxy S7 phones

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics, which forecast its best quarterly profit in more than two years, is estimated to have sold about 26 million units of its flagship smartphone Galaxy S7 that was launched in March. In its second-quarter earnings guidance announced on July 7, the Korean tech giant said it posted an operating profit of 8.1 trillion won (US$7 billion) while its sales would come in at 50 trillion won. Even though the company didn’t break down earnings of individual business division

July 7, 2016

[URGENT] Samsung Electronics posts US$7b operating profits in Q2

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics estimated in its earnings guidance for the April-June period on July 7 that it would post approximately 8.1 trillion won (US$7 billion) in operating profit in the second quarter while its revenue would come in at 50 trillion won.The estimated operating income and revenue for the second quarter increased from 6.9 trillion won and 48.5 trillion won, respectively, in the same period last year. Samsung Electronics president and mobile chief Koh Dong-jin poses at th

July 7, 2016