SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: October 16, 2017

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine. You can think of it as your go-to resource to find out which of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s going to receive a new firmware update in the near future.

To keep things interesting, we present the Firmware Magazine in new designs every week. It will always include the important details about firmware updates such as the firmware versions, device model numbers, Android OS versions and the country where said update is out already.

Keep in mind, however, that these firmware details are based on the firmware that are available in our database, and in some cases, the latest updates might not show in the same week as the full firmware files take additional time to make it to our database.

The purpose of this magazine is to bring all of that important information about firmware updates to you, the reader, in a manner that’s easy to comprehend—so even if you’re new to the world of firmware, you’ll have no trouble making sense of it all.

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Never lose your keys again with Samsung’s brand new Connect Tag

Samsung has today taken the wraps of Connect Tag, a simple way to keep track of loved ones and valuables. The Connect Tag, which is the world’s first consumer mobile product to use narrowband network technology, uses low-power networks to send GPS readings back to your smartphone—so if you happen to lose your keys, for example, you’ll be able to find them within a matter of seconds.

Best of all, the Connect Tag is integrated into the firm’s SmartThings ecosystem, working in unison with your smart home appliances. What this means is that it can adopt the role of an NFC chip; you can configure it to turn on/off the lights when you walk past them at predetermined times of the day or—and this one’s my personal favourite—set it to disable the air conditioning when you leave the room.

“Connect Tag features a compact size, measuring just 4.21 centimeters wide and 1.19 centimeters thick, as well as IP68 water and dustproof rating for durability,” says Samsung. “The battery can last for up to seven days on a single charge, minimizing the need to constantly swap out or plug in the device. Connect Tag comes with an exclusive ring that easily attaches to bags, collars or key rings.”

The technology will be showcased at the Samsung Developer Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California on October 18 through October 19. It will be available to purchase starting in the firm’s home country, South Korea, before expanding to select countries, which likely include the United Kingdom and the United States, in the coming months.

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Samsung might rebuild its control tower to fill leadership vacuum

Samsung has dealt with the various operations of its business through a central organization for over 60 years. The central organization has had many titles. It was most recently known as the Future Strategy Office, it served as the conglomerate’s control tower and had significant authority over business decisions.

Samsung decided to dismantle the Future Strategy Office earlier this year as the company found itself embroiled in an influence-peddling scandal. However, with a growing leadership vacuum at the company, new reports indicate that Samsung might be thinking about bringing back the control tower.

Samsung’s Control Tower

Samsung executives were accused of bribing government officials to win support for a controversial merger. The investigation has led to the imprisonment of Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong. The company also decided to dismantle the Future Strategy Office as the authority head by it was also believed to be one of the reasons of collusion between the company and the government.

Lee Jae-yong has been sentenced to imprisonment for five years and even though he’s appealing the ruling, it may be a while before he comes out, and that’s assuming he wins the appeal. Prior to his imprisonment, Lee was playing a major role in the conglomerate’s management as he’s the successor to his father, Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun has been the de-facto head of the conglomerate since Lee Jae-yong was arrested and he has now confirmed that he will be stepping down in March 2018. This leaves a serious leadership vacuum at the world’s most profitable tech company.

According to a report out of South Korea, Samsung is likely to consider measures to stabilize its leadership structure and it might result in the revival of its time-tested control tower organization.

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Feast your eyes upon the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) in these renders

Reliable tipster OnLeaks has teamed up with MySmartPrice to release a set of renders and a 360-degree video of the upcoming Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018), based on official dimensions they’d obtained. During the rendering phase, however, OnLeaks forgot to insert the rear-camera flash, but there is, of course, one present on both handsets.

• Galaxy A5 (2018) — 148.8 x 70.5 x 8.4mm
• Galaxy A7 (2018) — 159.6 x 75.6 x 8.2mm

The Android 7.1.1 Nougat-powered Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) will sport a Full HD+ Infinity Display à la Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+;  the former a 5.5-inch panel, the latter a slightly larger 6-inch screen. Both will feature a metal-and-glass design, complete with dual front-facing cameras for enhanced imaging, according to MySmartPrice.

The smartphones will ship with Bixby, but they don’t (appear to) feature a dedicated Bixby button.

Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) should ship with an Exynos 7885 processor

Both the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) are also expected to come equipped with an Exynos 7885/Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, and a slew of Samsung’s in-house software features, including Always-on Display (AoD), Secure Folder and Samsung Pay.

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Samsung’s Q3 2017 profits largely came from the components business

Samsung’s components business has been padding up the company’s bottom line for the past few quarters. The company recently reported its earnings guidance for the third quarter this year. According to market estimates, Samsung’s Q3 2017 profits have largely been contributed by its components business.

As per the company’s earnings guidance, it expects to post an operating profit of $12.9 billion on revenue of $55 billion. It would be the company’s second straight quarter in which it posts record profits. Samsung was the world’s most profitable tech company in the previous quarter.

Samsung’s Q3 2017 Profits

Market analysts predict that nearly $9.8 billion of the $12.9 billion operating profit has been contributed by the semiconductor and display business. This accounts for 76 percent of the company’s total operating profit for the quarter.

Samsung’s dependence on its component business for profits has been increased over the past few years. It helps that Samsung is a leading supplier of semiconductor components and display panels in the world. It has been actively investing in new projects to ensure its lead in these markets doesn’t erode.

However, increased dependence also exposes the company to risk. The prices of memory semiconductors are expected to decrease by 2019 as Samsung and its competitors bring new plants online. Chinese influence in the OLED panel sector is also expected to surge by then.

The fact remains that Samsung is bringing in record profits now because of the decisions it made a few years ago. It remains to be seen how the company will adapt once its components business comes under pressure.

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