Samsung CEO says Galaxy Note 7 crisis has given the company an ‘opportunity to reflect’

Samsung looked set to dominate the global smartphone market in the second half of this year as well after making its mark with the Galaxy S7 series. Analysts expected that the company’s impressive sales momentum would continue in the second half after the Galaxy Note 7 was released. It certainly seemed so as the new flagship was well received but it later ended up becoming the company’s worst nightmare. Samsung will have to make some changes to the way it does things in order to ensure that something like this never happens again. Kwon Oh-hyun, CEO and vice chairman of Samsung Electronics has said that the Galaxy Note 7 has given the company an “opportunity to reflect.”

Kwon made these comments during a speech at an event organized to commemorate Samsung Electronics’ 47th anniversary. He has called for more stringent internal monitoring in order to improve the company’s crisis management operations. Without naming the Galaxy Note 7, Kwon said that the recent crisis has given the company an opportunity to reflect whether it was complacent in its work and to seek a fresh start.

He also rallied the troops by saying that “We have a long history of overcoming crises, let us use this crisis as a chance to make another leap by re-examining and thoroughly improving how we work, how we think about innovation and our perspective of our customers.” All eyes are now on Samsung as it prepares to bounce back with the Galaxy S8 early next year.

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Samsung’s tablet shipments see a 19.3 percent decline in Q3 2016

Samsung may have managed to hold on to its lead in the global smartphone market even after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco but the slide in its tablet market share continues and it’s not even related to the exploding flagship. The tablet market overall has been on a decline since the past eight quarters straight and the situation did not improve in the third quarter of this year. While the global market saw a year-over-year (YoY) decline of 14.7 percent, Samsung saw its market share post a YoY decline of 19.3 percent in Q3 2016.

Market intelligence company IDC estimates that Samsung shipped 6.5 million tablets in the third quarter of this year to account for 15.1 percent of the entire market. That’s a 19.3 percent decline when compared to shipments of 8.1 million units and a market share of 16 percent during the same period last year. Samsung has retained its number two position in the global tablet market while Apple remains in first place, however, even it saw a 6.2 percent YoY decline this past quarter.

IDC says that all of the negative press from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco hasn’t impacted the company’s tablet business but cautions that overreliance on the declining tablet market is what has caused Samsung to post a YoY decline of 19.3 percent. It points out that the attempt by Samsung to enter the detachable market with the TabPro S at the start of this year hasn’t paid off yet as the price and positioning of this tablet make it uncompetitive. Samsung will seek to improve its fortunes with a new high-end tablet, we exclusively reported recently that the company is going to launch the Galaxy Tab S3 in the first quarter of 2017.

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Six new C-Lab projects spun-off by Samsung

Samsung introduced its Creative Lab (C-Lab) innovation program last year through which it enables employees to develop their own business ideas with the company contributing time and resources to help them develop that idea into a product. Samsung announced earlier this year that 18 employees who were working on five C-Lab projects officially resigned from the company to launch proper companies based on the ideas that they worked on in the innovation program. The company last showcased some new projects at IFA 2016 and it has now announced that six C-Lab projects designed to inspire and enrich lives have been spun-off.

Hum On! is a new mobile app that has been designed to enable people to make their own music by just humming. It converts a user’s humming into musical notation to allow them to write music even if they don’t have a musical background.

Waffle is a new social networking service to come out of C-Lab, it allows users to draw and leave doodles on another user’s wall. They can also add stories or other visual content to create more complex social artwork.

ItsyWatch is a wearable device for kids that helps them build good habits. It gives kids the chance to care for their virtual pets and has also been designed to relieve parental stress while strengthening the emotional bond between members of the family.

Ahead is a communication device meant for helmet users such as bikers and skiers. It gives users a hands-free option that replaces mobile phones and walkie-talkies. Ahead also enables users to listen to music and receive voice notifications.

LiCON relies on a smartphone’s camera to recognize and control Internet of Things devices. Users just need to launch the app and take a photo of any smart device to instantly control them.

Last but not the least, FITT360 is a new wearable 360-degree camcorder that allows users to capture all surrounding scenes. It’s a hands-free 360-degree camera that can conveniently be used.

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Samsung reportedly developing full-screen OLED display for the Galaxy S8

Samsung has a point to prove with the Galaxy S8 following the misfortune it has had with the Galaxy Note 7. Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S8 is going to introduce some major hardware changes to the flagship lineup one of which is expected to be a nearly full-screen OLED display. A new report suggests that one of the most drastic changes for the Galaxy S8 will indeed be a nearly bezel-less or edge-to-edge OLED display that’s currently being developed by the company.

A Samsung Display researcher quoted in the report declined to confirm whether or not the Galaxy S8 is going to feature this display, only mentioning that the company is pouring considerable resources into the development of this panel. Park Won-sang, a principal engineer at Samsung Display, said that “Samsung Display would roll out a full-screen display whose display area ratio (a scale that measures space taken up by a display on the front part of a handset) reaches more than 90 percent next year.”

The average display area ratio is currently at 80 percent among most smartphones available in the market but some have been trying to push the envelope. Park said that Samsung Display will try and push this ratio to about 99 percent over the next few years which will basically mean that every corner of the device will be covered by the display panel.

Samsung might have to remove the home button for the Galaxy S8′s full-screen display and that’s why it’s rumored that the Galaxy S8 is going to be the world’s first smartphone to feature optical fingerprint recognition technology. The company hasn’t said much about the device itself aside from the hints that it’s going to have a “slick design” and improved camera. It has also ruled out an early launch for the Galaxy S8 so we should expect to see it at Mobile World Congress 2017 in February.

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Galaxy A5 (2017) receives Bluetooth certification

Samsung has the 2017 Galaxy A series in the pipeline right now, we’re hearing new rumors and reports about these devices every other day and the latest concerns the Galaxy A5 (2017). This handset has now received its Bluetooth certification a few weeks after also receiving its Wi-Fi certification. This means that it’s now closer to release and while it’s not confirmed exactly when Samsung is going to launch this series it’s expected to do so early next year.

Latest leaks have suggested that the Galaxy A5 (2017) is going to have a design similar to that of the Galaxy S7 complete with the same rounded edges on the back. Aside from a 5.2-inch display, the handset is also expected to feature an Exynos 7880 processor with 3GB RAM, 16GB of storage as well as a 3,000mAh battery. No further information is available about the specifications as yet. The Galaxy A5 (2017) is going to be accompanied by the Galaxy A3 (2017) and the Galaxy A7 (2017) when the refreshed series is launched early next year.

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Samsung officially announces the Galaxy S7 edge in Blue Coral

It was first rumored a couple of weeks back when an image of the Galaxy S7 edge’s shell was leaked in gorgeous Blue Coral color that the handset would soon be available in this color that was introduced with the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung Singapore later confirmed that the Galaxy S7 edge in Blue Coral will be released in the first week of November in Singapore but it didn’t release any images of the device. Samsung Taiwan released images as well last week when it confirmed that the handset would also be available in that country in the first week of November. Samsung proper has now made an official announcement for the Galaxy S7 edge in Blue Coral.

The company has confirmed that the sixth color edition of the Galaxy S7 edge is going to be available starting November 1 in selected markets across the globe. Precise availability details will be announced by wireless providers and regional Samsung offices in each market. Samsung says that the Blue Coral color follows this year’s color trends which are less vivid and more tranquil. “Inspired by nature, the color shimmers as if it is illuminated from the inside of the phone’s glass surface,” it adds.

Samsung has applied a contrasting gold tone hue to the Blue Coral Galaxy S7 edge’s frame which results in a two-tone combination that described as being “sophisticated.” Other than that, it’s still the same Galaxy S7 edge that we’ve all known and loved for months now. Aside from Blue Coral, the Galaxy S7 edge is already available in White Pearl, Silver Titanium, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum and Pink Gold.

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Samsung online-exclusive accessories come worldwide in November

Samsung is never one to sit back idly, and not only works hard on new mobile devices but brings the same love of experimentation to its accessories as well. There are six new accessories for sale online in Korea that Samsung will introduce worldwide in November.

A Wireless Speaker Bottle provides 360-degree surround sound while fitting in with the drink bottles you have around your home (think soda can here) with in-built wireless charging and a motion-sensitive UX that changes color when you shake it or adjust lighting when you turn it. The wireless speaker bottle can be controlled by way of Samsung’s own Lux Manager App.

The Wireless Charger Tray is no stranger to us: we’ve seen it back when Samsung released it in Russia just a few months ago, though it hasn’t gone much beyond Russia. This charging tray lets you charge the wireless speaker bottle and smartphone at the same time. The Battery Pack Kettle design comes in 5,100mAh and 10,200mAh variations, providing the juice you need in a comfortable and functional style. Yes, the Battery Pack Kettle design features a kickstand that can prop up your phone for movies and TV shows while charging simultaneously, so you can watch and charge without compromise. You can use the Battery Pack Kettle as a lantern or lighting solution for other devices when paired with another new Samsung device, the USB LED Light.

Rounding out Samsung’s new accessories are the Wireless Speaker Scoop and the new rectangular In-Ear Headphones. The Wireless Speaker Scoop was officially FCC-certified just two months ago, and it brings a more portable Bluetooth speaker design that you can carry when leaving the Bluetooth Speaker Bottle at home. The new rectangular In-Ear Headphones provide bring high-quality audio with a fabric-and-metal design for visual style and sophisticated sound.

These six accessories will come to both Samsung.com worldwide as well as retail stores in early November, allowing you to expand your “Galaxy.” You can find out more information at the source link below.

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Daily Deal: Get your hands on this great screen protector for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge for just $7.85

If you recently traded in your faulty Galaxy Note 7 for a shiny new Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, there’s a good chance you’re in the market for a reliable screen protector to keep its display in immaculate condition. If so, you’ve come to the right place. For a limited time only, you can bag yourself a Armorsuit MilitaryShield tempered glass screen protector for just $7.85. That’s a total saving of $12.10.

What’s neat about the Armorsuit MilitaryShield is that it’s crafted from a scratch-resistant, optically clear material that features self-healing technology, which helps eliminate all minor scratches on the film. Its thin design also perfectly fits the sleek profile of the handset and enables owners to install the protector without any air bubbles appearing.

If you like the sound of the Armorsuit MilitaryShield screen protector and want to take advantage of this great promotion, hit the relevant Buy Now button below. We strongly advise you to hurry, though, as Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Buy Now – Galaxy S7 Buy Now – Galaxy S7 edge

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Galaxy S6 edge+ in Europe now receiving October security patch

Following its rollout for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in Europe two weeks ago, Samsung is now in the midst of distributing this month’s security release for the Galaxy S6 edge+ in the region. The upgrade — firmware version XXU3BPJ3 — transports patches for a total of 68 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the Android OS and 7 dedicated fixes for the firm’s latest smartphones.

As we’ve come to expect from all Security Maintenance Releases (SMR), the update is being pushed out in stages — so don’t worry if you haven’t received a notification just yet prompting you to install the release. That being said, if you own a Galaxy S6 edge+, reside in Europe and would like to see if the OTA is ready for your unit, head into Settings » About Device » Download Updates Manually.

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Galaxy S6 and S7 owners complaining that Samsung Keyboard isn’t playing nice with the stock email client

Over the course of the past few days, reports have started to emerge on the Internet from Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners claiming that they’re experiencing issues while composing emails within the stock application using the Samsung Keyboard.

“Whenever I try to type contractions like I’m it replaces the ‘ with ” and deletes any letters after automatically. It also changes words like autocorrect into aautocorret and three to ttree… Autoreplace, autocaps, autospace and autopunctuate are all turned off,” writes a user on the Android Central forums.

“I talked to support twice and had someone access my device remotely. I reset my keyboard settings and the issue is still present.” Another user corroborated the problem, but revealed that they were able to overcome it by using Google Keyboard as the input method.

Unfortunately, it’s currently unclear what’s causing the bug to occur, but seeing as it’s only affecting a small amount of people, we’re guessing that it’s a result of an unannounced server-side upgrade the firm is in the process of rolling out to either its keyboard offering or email client. Although, our money’s on the latter.

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Leading Chinese smartphone makers overtake Samsung’s global market share

Samsung’s facing increasing competition from Chinese smartphone manufacturers. For the first time ever, the combined production volume of three of the region’s top producers — Huawei, Oppo and Vivo — surpassed the South Korean company’s global smartphone market share during the July-September period.

Market research analyst IDC has revealed that Samsung manufactured 72.5 million devices in the third quarter, giving it a 20 percent market share (down 2.1 percent). On the other hand, the Chinese firms produced a total of 80.1 million units, which accounts for 22.1 percent (up 1.3 percent) of the global market.

The dip in Samsung’s share likely has something to do with the Galaxy Note 7 debacle as the company had to put a lot of resources into repairing, reproducing and redistributing over 2.5 million handsets — including unsold stock — following its first official recall back on Thursday, September 15.

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Samsung to start mass producing 15nm DRAM next year

Samsung will start mass producing its next-generation 15- and 16-nanometer (nm) DRAM in the second half of next year, reveals Business Korea. In addition, semiconductor industry sources have been cited saying that the manufacturer aims to make its 18nm DRAM chips account for 30 to 40 percent of its overall DRAM production by the same period of 2017.

By constantly ramping up its current 18nm DRAM yield, Samsung has been able to hold an unchallenged position in the global DRAM market. According to market researcher IHS, the firm had a 46.6 share in the second quarter of this year, which is mainly due to its main competitors not yet manufacturing 18nm chips. They’re on track to start in Q2 of 2017.

It’s a mystery how Samsung has been able to refine its DRAM process in such a short period of time. Chung Eun-seung, executive vice president of Samsung’s DS division, suggested early last year that the company would mass produce 10-nm class chip technology by 2020. However, if it maintains its current pace, it can expect to start by early 2019.

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