BARCELONA -- LG Electronics, in its newest attempt to seize the global smartphone market, is choosing fundamentals over “unnecessary” innovation, its chief said Monday.　“(The) LG smartphone has so far targeted a niche market for a minority of enthusiasts. However, as the smartphone market has become more mature, it is becoming hard to make new innovation,” LG Electronics chief Jo Seong-jin told reporters Monday at Mobile World Congress, which kicked off in Barcelona on the same day. 　“Instead of

Technology Feb. 28, 2017

BARCELONA -- It looks like a tiny ride at an amusement park: a rider wearing three-dimensional goggles is shaken upside down, left and right, while bound to a chair.What may appear amusing and even a little funny to bystanders is actually an incredible journey for the user who is experiencing a simulated world of space, made real by virtual reality.The ride named Astro Ship by Samsung Electronics is one of the most sought-after rides at the Mobile World Congress held this week in Barcelona, Spai

Technology Feb. 28, 2017

BARCELONA -- Technical finesse, practicality and sincerity seem to be the main elements that LG Electronics are betting on for its new flagship smartphone, the G6, which the tech giant hopes will bring a long-sought-after turnaround in its handset business. Looking to continue the hype created by its unveiling of the phone Sunday, LG’s mobile chief held a press conference, expressing his confidence that the new device would record strong sales and stressing its focus on the basics.LG Electronics

Technology Feb. 27, 2017

BARCELONA -- The biggest tech event of the year, the Mobile World Congress 2017, kicked off Monday in Barcelona, Spain. With the theme of “The Next Element,” around 2,200 tech firms are showcasing their new devices and technologies to the estimated 100,000 visitors during the four-day event. With Apple not joining the MWC as in previous years and Samsung delaying the launch of the Galaxy S8, this year’s event started off with less hype, though it also offered more opportunities for rivals to ste

Technology Feb. 27, 2017

IT and communications industry officials walk around to register for the Mobile World Congress 2017 at the Fira Gran Via Exhibition Center in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday. (Yonhap)BARCELONA -- With the theme of “The next element,” Mobile World Congress 2017 kicks off Monday, with around 2,200 tech firms showcasing their new devices and technologies. The biggest trends of MWC, one of the more highly anticipated tech events that happens every year in Barcelona, Spain, is likely to be artificial int

Technology Feb. 26, 2017

BARCELONA -- A slew of high-profile gadgets and solutions by Korean tech giants -- Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Telecom and KT -- are ready to grab attention at the Mobile World Congress 2017, which kicks off Monday for a four-day run. Models experience virtual reality through Samsung Electronics’ Gear VR at the VR 4D Experiential Zone at the company’s booth for the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona on Sunday. (Samsung Electronics)Samsung ElectronicsThe Galaxy S8 is not making a

Technology Feb. 26, 2017

Torsten Valeur, CEO of David Lewis Designers (LG Electronics)LG Electronics’ upcoming flagship smartphone G6 was praised by the head of Danish design studio David Lewis Designers, the Korean tech firm said Wednesday. Torsten Valeur, the CEO of David Lewis Designers, described his first impression of the G6 as a smartphone with an expansive screen and small, beautiful rounded corners, LG said citing its interview with the top designer.Valeur said, “(The G6 is) the ideal fusion of the beautiful sh

Technology Feb. 22, 2017

Korean tech firms are set to unveil new solutions at the upcoming Mobile World Congress that opens on Feb. 27 in Barcelona, Spain.The nation’s largest tech firm Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it will showcase some Creative Lab projects related to virtual-reality technologies during the event. Creative Lab is a project Samsung created to foster startups within the company, with the aim of spreading a creative organizational culture and exploring new ideas. The project deals with areas ranging f

Technology Feb. 21, 2017

LG Electronics is sometimes incessantly posed questions from outsiders as to why it holds on -- so fervently -- to its money-losing smartphone business. For the tech giant, smartphones are more than just a number, they are key to the new mobility era.However, the books look far from rosy. LG Electronics’ handset unit has suffered operating losses for seven straight quarters, with a cumulative operating loss of 1.2 trillion won ($1.05 billion) last year alone.Experts say the situation may not tur

Industry Feb. 20, 2017

Special prosecutors on Sunday requested an arrest warrant against a former senior presidential secretary involved in an influence-peddling scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye and her confidante.Woo Byung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, is accused of aiding and abetting Choi Soon-sil, Park's friend of 40 years, in meddling in state affairs and disrupting a special presidential inspector's investigation into the scandal.Woo Byung-woo leaves the special prosecut

Politics Feb. 19, 2017

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong appeared for the second day of questioning by a special counsel team Sunday, two days after his arrest made headlines here and abroad, with the conglomerate vowing business as usual despite the leadership vacuum.The special prosecutors investigating the Choi Soon-sil scandal are expected to continue questioning Lee until Feb. 28, when the team’s term is due to end.The team reportedly focused on the allegations that Lee gave some 43 billion won ($36.

Industry Feb. 19, 2017

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was summoned again by the special prosecution team investigating the Choi Soon-sil scandal Saturday, his first summons since he was arrested on Friday morning. At 2:20 p.m., the Samsung heir-apparent, wearing a black suit, white shirt and a prison number on his left chest, arrived at the special prosecution team’s office by police van. With a stern facial expression, Lee, his hands tied together with rope, did not answer any questions asked by repor

Industry Feb. 18, 2017

Shareholders of US auto parts supplier Harman International approved the company’s merger with Samsung Electronics Friday. According to a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, 70.78 percent of Harman’s common shares were represented at the shareholders meeting-- 49,460,322 out of a total of 69,883,605 shares – either by shareholders or through proxies. The voting result was 46,921,832 shares in favor and 2,107,178 shares against, with 431,312 abstentions. Samsung Elec

Industry Feb. 18, 2017