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Tag: samsung

  • Large-Sized LCD Panel Business Becomes Profitable Again

    After a year of losing money or generating zero return, the global large-sized (10” or larger) LCD panel business returned to profitability in the third quarter, according to iSuppli’s latest research.

    In an example of market trends, the 32-inch HDTV LCD, which is the most popular dimension for large-sized panels, generated a 13 percent profit for the LCD industry in the third quarter. In contrast, the 32-inch panel incurred losses of 12 percent in the second quarter of 2009, 31 percent in the first quarter of 2009 and 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.

    The last time the LCD industry cut a profit on 32-inch HDTV panels was in the second quarter of 2008, when they generated a 19 percent return.

    Analysts say the main reason LCD panels have not been profitable for so long is the market’s extreme state of oversupply, which resulted in LCD panel pricing that was below manufacturing costs. However, reductions in production and utilization rates, combined with better-than-expected panel demand from China’s television market, helped spur the return to profitability in the third quarter.

    A shortage of glass used to make LCD panels also contributed to the tightness of the panel market during the third quarter, further boosting prices and profits.

    Worldwide shipments of large-sized LCD panels amounted to 148.3 million units in the third quarter, up 14.3 percent from the second quarter of 2009, and up 28.9 percent from the third quarter of 2008. iSuppli expects to revise this estimate as more companies report third-quarter results.

    LG Display was the world’s largest seller of large-sized LCD panels in the second quarter of 2009, accounting for 25.3 percent of shipments. This put LG just slightly ahead of chief rival, Samsung, which had a 24.6 percent share. Preliminary indications show LG and Samsung were engaged in a tight battle for the market’s No.-1 position during the period.

    iSuppli predicts that rising fab utilization rates and decreased panel demand following the Christmas purchasing season will drive the large-sized LCD panel market to oversupply in the fourth quarter of 2009, conforming with normal seasonal patterns. However, the reductions in prices and shipments are expected to be only moderate compared to those of a year earlier, in the fourth quarter of 2008.

    Many panel suppliers, having just returned to profitability, are maintaining tight control of their inventories and have little motivation to cut pricing drastically at this time, according to the research.

  • Samsung Develops First Commercial LTE Modem for Mobile Phones


    Samsung announced that it has developed, as it claims, the first Long Term Evolution (LTE) modem that complies with the latest standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which were released in March 2009.

    The modem, branded the Kalmia, supports download speed up to 100Mbps and upload speed of 50Mbps within the 20MHz frequency bandwidth.

    Samsung assures that the users of a mobile device equipped with the LTE chipset can download a high-definition movie file (800MB) in one minute at speeds of 100Mbps, while simultaneously streaming four high-definition movies with no buffering.

    Utilizing Release 8 of the 3GPP, this LTE modem is an upgrade from the previous standard that was released in December 2008.

    The company also announced it has successfully developed a 3G baseband modem based on the Release 7 standard with an HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) Evolution platform.

    This modem, branded the Broom, allows download speeds of up to 28Mbps and upload speeds of 11.5 Mbps. This makes the Release 7 more than twice as fast as the Release 6 HSPA Service, which had a maximum download speed of 14.4Mbps.

    Because the LTE and all other HSPA evolution models share the same platform, the new LTE modem is fully compatible with earlier standards.

    Through this technology, a mobile communications service provider can upgrade to HSPA service or evolve into a LTE network simultaneously in order to convert their existing networks to broadband.

    In the future, this flexibility will be crucial as wireless mobile service providers will require compatibility with pre-existing systems, in order to offer LTE in urban areas while still supporting 3G in suburban or rural areas, as Samsung claims.

    JongKyun Shin, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics said that the company is partnering with LTE developers preparing for a LTE service launch in 2010 and will unveil a variety of LTE devices of different types and with diverse features and options, including memory cards, handheld devices and MID.

    Separately, Samsung has developed the mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) modem chip, a product that is already resonating in the mobile market. The company has already adopted the modem into commercial WiBro handsets in Korea.

    They have also demonstrated a full lineup of modems from 2G/3G to modems for the next generation of mobile telecommunication systems with its HSDPA Evolution modems.

    Samsung is strengthening its position in mobile telecommunication system standards. The campany currently holds the most chairman seats within the IEEE 802.16 Working Group, a WiMAX standardization association, and also chairs the WiMAX Forum, an affiliate organization.

  • Samsung to Incorporate Rovi’s IPG Technology into Its HDTVs

    Rovi and Samsung announced a multi-year, multi-country technology and patent licensing agreement that allows Samsung to incorporate Rovi’s interactive program guide (IPG) technologies into its next-generation TVs and other consumer electronics devices.

    Rovi’s IPG technologies enable CE manufacturers to integrate interactive, on-screen listings into their products to help viewers navigate, sort, select, and schedule television programming.

    According to the company, Rovi’s guide technologies are designed to provide consumers with “simple and intuitive” access to digital media content of all types as well as a personalized home entertainment experience “that makes it easy for consumers to find what they want, when they want it”.

    Third party guide developers can license Rovi interactive program guide products and technologies. Rovi IPGs are incorporated into consumer electronics products, including plasma, DLP, and LCD televisions as well as DVD recorder-based products. Patent licensing is also available to online and mobile providers.

    “As the choices in content, channels and viewing platforms increase exponentially, consumers need advanced guidance technologies that will help them find out ‘what’s on’,” said Tom Carson, executive vice president, sales and services of Rovi Corporation.

    Kyung Shik Lee, vice president of Samsung Electronics added: “by working with Rovi, we are dedicated to bringing an advanced digital home entertainment experience that empowers consumers to find their favorite content on the television while also enabling them to discover new programming quickly and easily.”

    Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

    Rovi holds over 4,000 issued or pending patents and patent applications worldwide and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom.

  • CTIA 2009: Samsung Launches First WiMAX-Enabled Mobile Internet Device

    Samsung Mobile announced at CTIA WIRELESS 2009 in Las Vegas the upcoming availability of the Samsung Mondi, advanced mobile WiMAX enabled handheld device. The touch screen Mondi is designed for use with the Clear mobile WiMAX service from Clearwire.

    The Samsung Mondi includes the following features:

    • Windows Mobile 6.1
    • Microsoft Outlook and Windows Mobile Office
    • WiMAX Mobile Internet Access
    • WiFi Access (BTv2.1+EDR)
    • GPS: Route 66 Navigation with Preloaded Maps
    • 4GB of Internal Memory
    • Direct Push/Mobile Email (POP3, IMAP, SMTP)
    • Supports Instant Messaging and MMS
    • 3.0 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder
    • Bluetooth ® 2.0
    • Opera 9.5 Web Browser
    • HDMI TV Out

    WiMAX (Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access), the emerging next generation technology for wireless access is supposed to be, together with LTE (Long Term Evolution) a base of 4G networks.

    Samsung is the global leader in delivering mobile WiMAX Technologies. Beside cooperation with U.S. Clearwire, it is now preparing to deliver mobile WiMAX solutions to operators in Japan and Russia.
    Clearwire is building the first, nationwide 4G mobile Internet wireless network in U.S. Currently provides mobile WiMAX-based service, to be branded Clear, in two markets, and provides pre-WiMAX communications services in 50 markets across the U.S. and Europe.
    “The Samsung Mondi is an important step toward our goal of bringing 4G network speeds and connectivity to people across the U.S.,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile.

  • Samsung Announces Next Generation LED HDTVs

    Samsung revealed prices and market availability for its new species of flat-panel TVs, LED HDTV Series 8000, 7000 and 6000.

    The new portfolio of LED HDTVs use edge-mounted LEDs as their primary light source rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL).

    All three of Samsung’s LED HDTV Series have Full HD panels, 2ms to 4ms response time, 120 to 240Hz frame interpolation with separate blur and judder adjustments, SRS TruSurround HD, 4 HDMI (HDMI-CEC) version 1.3 inputs and feature USB 2.0 Movie with MPEG4, DivX, MP3, JPEG decoders.

    Product Availability and Pricing (for the U.S. market)

    6000 Series

    • 32-inch class: $1,599.99, June 2009
    • 40-inch class: $2,299.99, March 2009
    • 46-inch class: $2,799.99, March 2009
    • 55-inch class: $3,599.99, March 2009

    7000 Series

    • 40-inch class: $2,499.99, April 2009
    • 46-inch class: $2,999.99, March 2009
    • 55-inch class: $3,799.99, March 2009

    8000 Series

    • 46-inch class: $3,299.99, May 2009
    • 55-inch class: $3,999.99, May 2009

  • Yahoo Widget Engine Gets HDTV Makers' Backing


    Yahoo has agreed deals with a host of big-name HDTV makers, including Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio, that will result in their sets supporting Yahoo’s online service.

    The alliances put Yahoo firmly at the forefront of the drive towards the convergence of the Internet and TV.

    The new TVs will be available from as early as the spring and will support widgets – small Internet applications – that operate alongside broadcast TV content.

    After making the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Yahoo said the applications can be used for a variety of Web activities.

    These include YouTube, MySpace, tracking stocks and sports teams, buying and selling on eBay, messaging friends using Twitter, or using Flickr.

    The widgets give viewers more interaction with the programs they’re watching.

    There will also be applications based on Yahoo-branded services such as Yahoo Finance.

    Yahoo will use the technology as a means to to sell advertising.

    The technology also allows outsiders to write TV applications for the platform.

  • Price Deals Fuelling Surge in HDTV Sales

    Sales of high definition plasma TVs have risen by 37 per cent in the third quarter compared to last year’s figures.

    A survey by DisplaySearch has shown that consumers are being enticed to buy plasma sets by sweeping price cuts, especially on 32-inch sets.

    The leading brand is Panasonic, with around 40 per cent of revenue on plasma TVs, followed by Samsung (29%), LG (22%), Pioneer (5%), and Hitachi (4%).

    The clear favorite in terms of screen-size for plasma is 42-inch sets (49%), although 50-inch sizes are increasingly popular (29%).
    Shipments of 32-inch screens accounted for 12% of the market.

  • iPhone rivals beef up camera offerings


    The launch by Samsung in the UK this week of what it claims is Europe’s first 8 megapixel camera phone is being seen as an attempt to highlight shortcomings in the iPhone.

    A number of other handset vendors are preparing to launch similar high-end camera phones in time for the Christmas period.

    Sony Ericsson is expected to launch the 8.1 megapixel C905 in the fall, while Nokia and LG are reported to be planning similar moves.
    The fact Apple’s 3G iPhone only packs a 2 megapixel camera is regarded as one of its key weakness.

    Samsung’s i8510 will be available in the UK through Carphone Warehouse and free on a £35 a month contract with Orange UK.
    The smartphone is being positioned as a genuine alternative to digital cameras.

    Mark Mitchinson, vice president for Samsung, said the cell phone industry was playing catch-up, selling only 4 and 5 megapixel camera phones.

    “But the 8 megapixel is a new milestone, I think the vast majority of consumers will see it as a credible alternative,” he said.
    “For the first time ever you will not need to carry a camera as well as a phone on your holidays.”

    The i8510 is based on Symbian’s Series 60 platform and includes HSPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS and FM radio functionality.

  • Samsung accepts offer for Symbian buyout

    Nokia said it would buy out other shareholders of smartphone software maker Symbian for US$410 million

    Samsung has accepted Nokia’s offer to buy out its stake in software firm Symbian, and Nokia now has acceptances from all Symbian shareholders to sell their shares.

    Nokia said in June it would buy out other shareholders of UK-based smartphone software maker Symbian and make its software royalty-free to other phone makers in response to new rivals such as Google.

    Symbian’s assets will be contributed by Nokia to the not-for-profit organization, Symbian Foundation, in which it would unite with leading handset makers, network operators and communications chipmakers.

    It aims to create a group offering members a royalty-free license mobile software platform using open-source coding.
    Earlier, in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Symbian’s chief executive, Nigel Clifford, hinted that there could be future consolidation among mobile phone platform makers.

    However, he declined to comment specifically on partnerships or co-operation with rival products such as the Google-backed Android, Microsoft’s Window’s Mobile, or Research In Motion’s Blackberry platform.

    “We have seen consolidation in the past, and, I’m sure, as the market place matures, as every other market place has done, we will see a consolidation in the future,” he said.

    “Whether we participate in that, will be a decision for the Foundation when that is up and running next year.”

    Clifford said a demand for service-rich smartphones is expected to be a catalyst for success in telecommunications markets such as the US.

    Earlier this week, Symbian’s reported that 19.6 million handsets with its operating system were shipped in second quarter 2008, bringing the total cumulative number of Symbian handsets in the market to 225.9 million.

    However, the company said the average royalty per unit declined from US$4.40 in the first half of 2007 to US$3.70 in the first half of 2008.

    Symbian said the reason for the decline was because licensees were migrating to the v9 of Symbian OS, which has a different licensing pricing structure.

    There are currently 159 Symbian phone models available globally from eight handset vendors. Another 92 handsets are in development.

  • Samsung expands lead over global TV makers

    North America enjoys strong Q2 TV shipments growth in Q2, helping global TV shipments to improve by 11 per cent Y/Y to 47.5M units

    Samsung is the leading global TV brand in revenue terms for the tenth straight quarter, expanding its market share to a record 22.8 per cent.

    This puts it more than 10 share points higher than the second placed manufacturer, Sony.

    The Korean electronics giant, which enjoyed a robust 52 per cent Y/Y revenue growth, also had the top ranking on a unit basis and led both LCD and MD RPTV on a unit and revenue basis.

    The results are contained in DisplaySearch’s latest Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.

    It showed Sony in second placed on a revenue basis for the fourth straight quarter with very strong Y/Y growth, but declining in share slightly to 12.5 per cent.

    LGE remained in third place with their share nearly unchanged at 11.5 per cent, and they led in global CRT shipments.

    Overall global TV shipments improved by 11 per cent Y/Y to 47.5M units in Q2’08, which was up 3 per cent Q/Q, with better than expected shipment growth in North America.

    LCD TV was once again a hot technology, rising 47 per cent Y/Y to 23.7M units. Plasma TV exhibited even stronger growth, rising 52 per cent Y/Y to 3.4M units, thanks largely to the reintroduction of 32” into the North American market and wider availability of 1080p models.

    North America enjoyed particularly healthy growth in Q2 with total TV shipments surging 28 per cent Y/Y after just 5 per cent Y/Y growth in Q1’08 and negative growth during most of 2007.

    The strong shipments in North America reflect introduction of new, lower-cost, flat panel TV models to the US market by top-tier brands in the latter part of the quarter and a consumer that was very receptive to these lower price points.

    Samsung has now attained nearly one-fifth of the North American LCD TV market with 18.3 per cent of the market for April to June.
    That’s up nearly five percentage points, and puts them way out in front of Sony, which now sits at around 11.7 per cent.