A Seoul court acquitted Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong of all charges related to a 2015 merger fraud case on Monday, clearing the path for the country's biggest tech giant to push forward with investment for future technologies. In the final verdict handed down at 2:55 p.m., judges at the Seoul Central District Court found Lee and 13 other defendants -- former executives of Samsung -- all not guilty. The court dismissed the allegations proposed by prosecutors, who claimed that Lee and

Industry Feb. 5, 2024

More and more artificial intelligence services are becoming available for use in daily life, and one of the breakthrough applications is set to come in real-time translation built into phone calls. In its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung Electronics presented its Live Translate feature for the first time. This feature competes directly with SK Telecom's A., a mobile app developed by the mobile carrier to allow iPhone users in Korea to explore real-time translation

Industry Feb. 5, 2024

A Seoul district court is set to deliver a decisive ruling on Monday for Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong over the 2015 merger fraud case, under which he could face a prison term. The Seoul Central District Court will issue its decision on Lee, along with 14 current and former employees of Samsung, on charges of rigging company valuations and accounting fraud connected to the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates -- Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T Corp. The final ruli

Industry Feb. 4, 2024

Samsung Electronics, a pioneer in foldable smartphones, is ramping up efforts to expand the still-nascent and high-priced segment, fueling speculation that the tech giant could come out with cheaper versions with mass-market appeal as soon as this year. A recent news report said Samsung is expected to launch two models for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold6 later this year, including a cheaper one without the pricey S-Pen stylus. Foldable displays are priced higher to support the scribble function on t

Industry Feb. 1, 2024

SK Networks said Wednesday that it has forged a partnership with US tech tycoon and investor Vivek Ranadive to cooperate on investments in futuristic technologies with a strategic focus on artificial intelligence. The nonbinding agreement was signed in Seoul on Thursday upon the visit of Ranadive, founder and managing director of Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Bow Capital. He also owns the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. SK Networks President and Chief Operating Officer Choi Sung-hwan h

Industry Jan. 31, 2024

Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday it is starting sales of its latest flagship smartphone the Galaxy S24 globally, largely buoyed by record preorders made at home over the past week. The new phone, dubbed the world’s first smartphone powered by artificial intelligence, is expected to hit the shelves first in key markets, including the US, Britain, Singapore, France, and India, from Wednesday. Ultimately Samsung aims to launch the phone in some 120 countries. “The launch of the Galax

Industry Jan. 30, 2024

South Korea’s top conglomerates are announcing their plans for employee compensation for 2023 following mixed earnings reports last week. LG Electronics, which posted another year of record sales, pledged to give out hefty bonuses to employees, while the nation’s top two chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, hit hard by a chip slump last year, seem to be tightening their belts, reducing spending including on employee benefits. LG Electronics, the crown jewel of the nation&r

Industry Jan. 29, 2024

Sam Altman, the chief executive officer of OpenAI, visited Seoul last week to hold a series of meetings with top executives of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the world’s top two memory chipmakers, fueling speculation that the “father of ChatGPT” is in search of allies to take on Nvidia, the unrivaled market leader in chips for artificial intelligence. For Samsung and SK, being part of a possible alliance would provide a chance for them to step up their game in the heated com

Industry Jan. 28, 2024

Samsung Electronics’ latest Galaxy S24 series, touted as its first artificial intelligence smartphone, broke the company’s presales record in Korea, selling 1.21 million units in just a week. After the global Unpacked event in San Jose, California on Jan. 17, Samsung carried out a presales event for the latest Galaxy S24 series from Jan. 19 to 25 in Korea. During the weeklong event, the smartphone maker sold 173,000 units per day on average. The latest presale record not only surpass

Industry Jan. 26, 2024

SK hynix will upgrade its legacy chip fab in China to produce high-value-added products to enhance profitability and meet the demand for recovery, the company said on Thursday. In its regulatory filing on the same day, the world's second-largest chipmaker reported an earnings surprise for the October-December period in 2023, marking a turnaround after struggling from losses for four straight quarters earlier. "Unlike in the past, we will focus our investment decisions to deliver value

Industry Jan. 25, 2024

LOS ANGELES -- For fans of the Netflix series "Squid Game," the "Squid Game: The Trials" immersive experience at the CBS Television lot in Los Angeles is a must-visit spot for putting their competitive spirits to the test. Spanning about 3,000 square meters, the venue features "Squid Game"-inspired games, including the dalgona, marbles and glass tiles challenges. Visitors have to pass a total of six games to become the final winner. The 70-minute gameplay is made po

Industry Jan. 24, 2024

SAN JOSE, California -- The Galaxy S24 series is the "ultimate collection" of Samsung Electronics' artificial intelligence technology for cameras, allowing users to become "expert photographers" with just a few intuitive taps on the screen, according to the tech giant's visual solutions chief. Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Cho Sung-dae, who is in charge of the visual solutions team, explained how the latest Galaxy S24 series employs 112 visual AI mode

Industry Jan. 23, 2024

SAN JOSE, California -- Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S24 Ultra can withstand a drop on a concrete surface thanks to an exclusive high-strength glass known as Corning Gorilla Armor, which was developed with Corning for greater durability and visual clarity, according to the global glass maker. With live demonstrations of the new screen glass, John Bayne, the senior vice president and general manager in charge of mobile consumer electronics at Corning, presented the Corning Gorilla Armor, whic

Industry Jan. 22, 2024

SAN JOSE, California – Artificial intelligence is everywhere, but it has only been in the past couple of years that people have been able to visualize what AI might be able to do for them, with the advent of ChatGPT. In its latest Galaxy S24 series, its first AI-powered smartphone, Samsung Electronics took it further to introduce AI features for everyday use, and made the complex process operate on-device via highly advanced optimization technology, the tech giant's AI chief said on T

Industry Jan. 21, 2024

SAN JOSE, California – Samsung Electronics will carry out software updates for its Galaxy AI to be featured in 100 million Galaxy smartphones this year, the company’s mobile business chief said Wednesday. “Galaxy AI in the Galaxy S24 series is a hybrid AI using both on-device and cloud-based AI. This year, we will introduce Galaxy AI to about 100 million Galaxy smartphones for the global expansion of mobile AI,” Roh Tae-moon, president and head of the mobile business divi

Industry Jan. 18, 2024