Samsung confirms making ASIC chips for cryptocurrency mining

Yesterday, it was reported that Samsung is entering the cryptocurrency market by making ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) chips for mining hardware companies. Samsung has now confirmed this news to TechCrunch. This news follows Samsung’s Q4 2017 earnings, where its semiconductor business has performed stupendously well to emerge as the largest chip maker in the world by ending Intel’s 24-year reign at the top.

When asked for a comment, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch “Samsung’s foundry business is currently engaged in the manufacturing of cryptocurrency mining chips. However, we are unable to disclose further details regarding our customers”. The spokesperson refused to divulge any further details on this.

World’s largest chipmaker enters cryptocurrency market

Making ASIC chips makes business sense for Samsung as it also manufactures many components used to build mining rigs. Samsung already makes high-performance memory chips for GPUs and industry-leading SSDs. While GPUs were traditionally targeted at gamers, they have a found a new market in cryptocurrency mining. In the last couple of years, mining has moved from relying on consumer-grade graphics cards to ASIC chips, which are better suited for mining in terms of efficiency and performance.

Unlike normal computer chips which are designed to perform a variety of functions, ASIC mining chips are specifically built for a single computational task: to compute hashes very quickly. This makes them faster at mining and more power-efficient – both of which are key considerations for building a mining rig.

Samsung now joins the Taiwanese chip maker TSMC in the cryptocurrency space. Samsung will be selling its ASIC chips to companies that build and sell ready-to-use mining rigs in the market. It is not yet clear how big the market for ASIC chips is for the largest chip maker in the world to invest its resources in, and if it makes any significant impact on company’s already impressive bottom line.

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Samsung to hire 1000 engineers for three R&D centers in India

As you may or may not know, Samsung spends a considerable amount of money on research and development every year. With the way tech is shaping up these days, one can only expect an increase in the efforts applied to this extremely pertinent portion of the business.

Last year we saw Samsung India hire 800 engineers for its R&D facilities, and this year they seem to be upping the ante. Samsung India will hire 1000 engineers this year from top institutes in the country including 300 specifically from IIT.

The focus is AI, machine learning, biometrics amongst others

The focus for the new hires will be new age technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, signal processing, computer vision, Internet of Things and mobile security. Dipesh Shah, the Managing Director at the Samsung R&D institute in Bangalore says that “there is a large need for talent” to help move the company forward in these fields.

Aside from hiring computer science students, Samsung will also hire students from diverse streams such as electrical engineering, applied mechanics and statistics, etc.

The three research facilities in India focus on both local and global innovative technologies. As we saw in Q4 2017, the facility in Bengaluru began working on 5G technology. In addition to that, the Bangaluru facility was the one that carried out the final steps of development for Bixby.

As Samsung continues to make strides toward its vision of a smart and connected home, we can expect to continue to see increases in the efforts toward achieving this goal.

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VLC for Android adds DeX support in its latest beta

While VLC is the default go-to media player for many users on their computer, it is not always the case when it comes to Android. Between pre-installed media players from OEMs and dozens of great options on Google Play, users have plenty of choice on their mobiles and tablets. It is not that VLC is not popular, but there are equally good or better options on Android.

VLC for Android picks up DeX support

Given the not-for-profit nature of VLC, the development of VLC on Android has been a bit slow compared to other popular media players. It picked up more pace in the last few months adding more features and improving the performance in general.

In the latest beta release version 2.9.0, VLC for Android has added a new feature which should make Samsung DeX users happy. The app is now optimized to work in Samsung DeX environment. The timing of the VLC update seems to be just right as Samsung is reportedly planning to launch a new DeX dock this year at the official unveiling of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. The VLC beta version also adds support for Chromebooks and experimental support for Chromecast.

For those who are not aware, DeX (Desktop Experience) is a feature launched by Samsung with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. It allows users with Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8 to connect their devices to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse via a DeX dock (sold separately) and use their phone as a PC. DeX environment is optimized for keyboard and mouse use for a more productive experience. It also supports running apps in a windowed mode similar to a desktop operating system.

At the launch of DeX, Samsung announced that Microsoft apps on Android are optimized to work in DeX. Now, with support for VLC in DeX environment, both the work and play parts are covered well in the DeX mode.

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Samsung announces first ever stock split to boost shareholder value

Many Samsung investors had been calling on the company to boost shareholder returns so the company launched its Shareholder Value Enhancement Program in 2015. Since then, it has given out billions in dividends and spent billions on buying back shares to cancel them. The company confirmed in 2016 that it was thinking about a stock split.

The company’s board has approved a 50:1 stock split today as Samsung posted record profits for the final quarter of last year. It says that this decision was taken after many requests for a stock split were received based on the view that a high share price was keeping away retail investors.

Making it easier for retail investors to purchase stock

Samsung Electronics’ stock price closed at 2,495,000 won today which is roughly $2,342 per single share. Assuming that the Korean stock exchange has set a 10 share lot size for Samsung Electronics, it would mean that anyone willing to buy shares in the company must have at least $23,420 to buy a single lot.

A 50:1 stock split means that existing shareholders will receive 50 new shares for every single share they hold. This doubles the float – the total number of shares available for trading – and cuts the stock price in half.

Samsung believes that this stock split is going to make investing in the company more accessible to retail investors and will also provide dividends to a wider range of investors from 2018. It’s also going to add more liquidity to the company’s stock.

The board also approved a year-end dividend of around $20 per share today. It has already committed to doubling dividends this year. Samsung will increase annual dividends by 100 percent in 2018 and it’s going to maintain that level for 2019 and 2020.

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Samsung has emerged as the world’s largest chipmaker, dethrones Intel

Samsung became the world’s most profitable tech company in the second quarter of last year but that wasn’t the only record it broke. It also ended Intel’s 24-year reign as the largest semiconductor-based chipmaker in the world. Samsung posted higher revenue and operating profits compared to Intel during Q2 2017.

That wasn’t a one-time thing. Samsung’s semiconductor business has seen a terrific boom in the past year and that has helped the company close out 2017 not only with record profits, but properly dethroning Intel as well. Samsung is now the largest chipmaker in the world by revenue.

Intel brought this on itself

It’s not like Intel had a bad year in 2017. Sales were up six percent and the company posted a healthy growth in revenues, bringing in $62.8 billion last year but it wasn’t enough to match Samsung. The Korean giant revealed in its Q4 and year-end earnings result today that its semiconductor division generated $69.1 billion in revenues last year.

You might be wondering how Samsung has been able to do that given that Intel processors are found in a significant majority of all computers in the world. Samsung makes processors for mobile devices not for notebooks and desktops.

Samsung has dethroned Intel because of memory chips which are a crucial component for both smartphones and computers. It has built a dominant position in the memory chip market. It will be difficult to find a smartphone or tablet these days that doesn’t have a Samsung-built RAM inside. It’s also becoming increasingly dominant in the solid state drive market.

It’s ironic that Intel may have handed over the crown to Samsung itself even if it took the latter more than two decades to take it. Intel created its memory business in the 1960s but it left the market when competition from Japanese companies grew significantly in the 1990s.

Samsung kept its head down and steadily established a position of dominance in the memory business. It’s capital expenditure on consolidating and securing its lead now crushes rivals. Intel recently entered the memory business once again but it’s going to take the company a very long time to catch up to Samsung.

The Korean giant expects to keep raking in the cash from its semiconductor division. It’s right to assume that as mobile device shipments continue to grow. Moreover, memory chips are also making it into smart home devices and even cars. Samsung’s position of dominance and ability to mass produce these chips at scale puts it at an advantage.

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Samsung trademarks ‘Uhssup’ for possibly its own messaging app

Samsung is primarily a hardware company, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t tried its hand at services. Back in 2014, Samsung launched its Milk music streaming service in select markets, only to shut it down a few years later. With rivals like Apple making a good chunk of money from services, it is expected that Samsung would want to replicate the success. Being the largest smartphone vendor in the world gives Samsung an enviable opportunity to pre-load its services on its devices.

Samsung’s own messaging app?

Samsung has filed a trademark application with the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) for the brand name ‘Uhssup’ on January 26, 2018. The trademark application describes it as a mobile app that allows for sharing real-time locations of users and communicating with friends. None of this sounds any different from what other popular messaging apps already offer. So, it is not yet clear what Samsung’s rationale is behind this service if it’s intended for public release, although the implementation will hopefully be better than the now-defunct ChatOn service.

Of course, a trademark application alone doesn’t guarantee the launch of a product or a service. Samsung patents and trademarks many ideas and names which never make it to the market. However, this trademark does look a bit more focused and may actually launch sometime in the future. If it does, let’s hope Samsung adds enough functionality to justify its presence on Samsung smartphones.

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Samsung trademarks ‘Uhssup’ for possibly its own messaging app

Samsung is primarily a hardware company, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t tried its hand at services. Back in 2014, Samsung launched its Milk music streaming service in select markets, only to shut it down a few years later. With rivals like Apple making a good chunk of money from services, it is expected that Samsung would want to replicate the success. Being the largest smartphone vendor in the world gives Samsung an enviable opportunity to pre-load its services on its devices.

Samsung’s own messaging app?

Samsung has filed a trademark application with the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) for the brand name ‘Uhssup’ on January 26, 2018. The trademark application describes it as a mobile app that allows for sharing real-time locations of users and communicating with friends. None of this sounds any different from what other popular messaging apps already offer. So, it is not yet clear what Samsung’s rationale is behind this service if it’s intended for public release, although the implementation will hopefully be better than the now-defunct ChatOn service.

Of course, a trademark application alone doesn’t guarantee the launch of a product or a service. Samsung patents and trademarks many ideas and names which never make it to the market. However, this trademark does look a bit more focused and may actually launch sometime in the future. If it does, let’s hope Samsung adds enough functionality to justify its presence on Samsung smartphones.

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Galaxy S8 Tip: Prepare your phone for the Android 8.0 Oreo update

It’s only a matter of time before Samsung starts rolling out the official Android 8.0 Oreo update to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, with the beta program having ended in every country where it was made available. Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners will be scrambling to download the update once it goes live, but have you prepared your phone well enough for its first major Android OS upgrade?

We’ve put together a couple of tips that Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners should follow to ensure they jump over to the new version of Android without any issues. Check them out below!

Backup your data

Running into data loss with official updates is a rarity these days, but it’s a risk one should avoid taking with major updates, so backing up your data is important. Even if the Oreo beta installs fine, you can rest assured you have a backup to fall back on for apps and data if things start to go wrong after the update is installed and, heaven forbid, you have to do a factory reset to bring things back to normal.

The quickest way to backup all important data is by using Samsung’s Smart Switch software on a PC, which backs up SMS, phone and home screen settings, call logs, apps, images and other media, documents, and more. You can also use the Smart Switch app on your S8 or S8+ and backup everything to an external USB drive using an OTG connector (instructions for this can be found in our Smart Switch guide).

Samsung Cloud is the option to use for backing up to Samsung’s cloud servers, although the 15GB of free storage is limited and hence unsuitable for backing up things like images and videos. But it’s perfectly fine for phone settings, call logs, messages, apps (but not app data, which will be disabled for third-party apps in February), your home screen setup, alarms, documents, and voice recordings. Samsung Cloud can be found in the Settings » Cloud and Accounts menu; you’ll need a Samsung account to use it, and you can create one from the phone itself if you don’t already have one.

There are also a ton of apps on the Play Store that let you backup data like SMS, call logs, calendar entries and more. Super Backup is one such excellent app that’s free of cost (with ads). Some of these apps can upload those backups to different cloud services (like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive) so you can retrieve them at a later time. Most, if not all, apps can also save backups on the external storage if you have a microSD card in the phone.

Speaking of the microSD card, there’s no need to take a backup of external storage contents since external storage isn’t touched during an update. If you’re still concerned, you can simply remove the microSD card before installing the update instead of wasting time backing up its data.

Have enough free space on the internal storage

If you happen to be running low on internal storage and usually just ignore the related notifications the phone throws at you, it might be an issue when Oreo comes knocking. Major updates are usually at least a 1GB over-the-air download, and you also need some space for the update to install. A good rule of thumb here is to keep at least 3GB of storage free on the internal storage. If you have a microSD card, you can move some apps and image and other media files from the internal storage. If not, then uninstalling a few big apps that you can always install later can get the job done.

Tip: If you’re planning on uninstalling a few games, make sure that game supports backup of your progress on Google Play Games or another service, or you’ll have to play everything again. Gameloft titles usually let you restore progress from your Google Play Games account after you’ve gone through the introduction levels. Candy Crush, meanwhile, can sync your progress with your Facebook account.

You can also let the phone manage things and clear data using the Device Maintenance menu in the phone’s settings. Just go into the device maintenance section, tap the Storage option, then select the Clean Now option to free up space used by app caches and other minor data.

Keep your phone charged to at least 30 percent

Software updates usually require 20 percent of battery charge to install, but depending on your internet speed, the Oreo update can take a few minutes to download. So it’s a good idea to make sure your phone stays at least 30 percent charged in the next couple of days, so that you can immediately start downloading and installing Oreo once it becomes available. This step isn’t a necessity, but it’s a suggestion you should follow unless you want to be waiting around for the phone to charge after Oreo hits.

Keep your apps updated

This is something you can do after you’ve upgraded to Oreo, but if you want to waste no time getting back to business once the software update completes, it’s a good idea to update all your apps from the Play Store before installing Oreo. This is important if you haven’t updated apps for a long time and/or have automatic updates disabled in the Play Store, as many apps might have been updated for Oreo support in recent days and will work as intended after your S8 or S8+ makes the jump to the newest version of Android.

Schedule the update

What if the Oreo update arrives for your device in the dead of night, when you’re fast asleep and dreaming about its imminent arrival? What if you’re so busy you have no time for checking the phone for the update? Well, you can schedule to install software updates at a particular time. To set a schedule for software updates, open the phone’s settings, tap Software update, then use the scheduler option.

It’s recommended to select a time that falls somewhere in your sleeping hours; you don’t want the phone restarting while you’re using it, do you?. Having your phone sufficiently charged Having your phone connected to a charger is also recommended if you schedule updates, and so is the part about backing up all your data and having enough free internal storage.

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That’s our list of things that you should take care of before upgrading to Android 8.0 Oreo on your Galaxy S8 or S8+. None of it is necessary, but it’s good practice if you want to leave the older version of Android behind with complete peace of mind. Let us know if you think there’s something else that should be on this list, and hope that we don’t have to wait too long for the official Oreo update!

Also Read: What’s New With Android 8.0 Oreo

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These Galaxy devices will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo (updated: January 31)

Not many topics keep Android users on their toes as much as big, feature-rich updates. And with the Android 8.0 Oreo update on the horizon, we are once more bombarded with questions. Will the Galaxy S8 get that update? When can I update my Galaxy S7? How about my Galaxy S6? Here we share what we know. Be smart and bookmark, since we’ll be updating this article whenever new information surfaces.

We’ll get right to the question of which device will be updated, but we can not make any predictions regarding a timeline. So, for example, we can say that the Galaxy S8 will, of course, get the Android 8.0 update, but we do not yet know when. If you’re looking for all the latest news about Samsung’s Galaxy and Android Oreo, scroll down past these lists to find all headlines with related news.

These Galaxys will get Android 8.0 Oreo

• Galaxy S8 – beta test has ended, awaiting final release, check out what’s new
• Galaxy S8+ – beta test has ended, awaiting final release, check out what’s new
• Galaxy S8 Active – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy Note 8  – update early 2018, internal testing is under way
• Galaxy Note FE – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy S7 – Android 8.0 will be the second major OS upgrade
• Galaxy S7 edge – Android 8.0 will be the second major OS upgrade
• Galaxy S7 Active – Android 8.0 will be the second major OS upgrade
• Galaxy A8 (2018) – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy A8+ (2018) – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy A7 (2017)  – Android 8.0 will be the second major OS upgrade
• Galaxy A5 (2017)  – Android 8.0 will be the second major OS upgrade
• Galaxy A3 (2017)  – Android 8.0 will be the second major OS upgrade
• Galaxy J7 (2017)/Pro – J7 models usually get at least one major OS upgrade
• Galaxy J5 (2017)/Pro – J5 models usually get at least one major OS upgrade
• Galaxy J7 Max – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy C9 Pro – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy C7 Pro – Android 8.0 will be the first major OS upgrade
• Galaxy Tab S3 – flagship tablets usually get two major OS upgrades

These Galaxys may or may not get Android 8.0

• Galaxy S6 series – received two major Android upgrades but here’s some rumors
• Galaxy A9 Pro – Android 8.0 Oreo would be the 2nd OS upgrade, but unsure for now
• Galaxy A8 (2016) – Android 8.0 would be the 2nd OS upgrade, but unsure for now
• Galaxy J7 (2016) – update track record unclear, already has one major upgrade
• Galaxy J5 (2016) – update track record unclear, already has one major upgrade
• Galaxy J3 (2017) – not all previous J3 models received a major OS upgrade
• Galaxy Tab S2 VE (2016 models) – update track record unclear
• Galaxy Tab A (2016 models) – update track record unclear
• Galaxy J7 Prime (OnNxt) – hasn’t yet received Nougat

These Galaxys will not get Android 8.0

• Galaxy S5 series – no more major OS upgrades
• Galaxy Note 5 – received two major Android upgrades before
• Galaxy A7 (2016) – received two major Android upgrades before
• Galaxy A5 (2016) – received two major Android upgrades before
• Galaxy A3 (2016) – received two major Android upgrades before
• Galaxy J3 (2016) – has not received an OS upgrade, unlikely to do so later
• Galaxy J2 (2016) – has not received an OS upgrade, unlikely to do so later
• Galaxy J1 variants – these devices usually do not receive OS upgrades

So, you ask, how do we get to these lists? Tracking Samsung’s Android updates over a long period of time, it is clear many series and devices always get two major OS upgrades, before continuing with security updates only. However, as indicated above, this rule is not firmly established for most of the Galaxy J series, nor for several other devices.

Over time, we’ll be updating the information above when we receive new information, or when it surfaces elsewhere. We have not included devices that have already stopped receiving major OS upgrades, like the Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Note 4, even if they still receive new security patches regularly. Other devices missing from this list will be added if and when we have tangible information to report.

One last thing we have to point out, is that we are, of course, not Samsung. This list is by no means based on official information and only enumerates our predictions, not Samsung’s official update policy. Should our information be proven wrong, we will update this article, but we are not responsible for your device’s updates. If you think we missed a device from the last two years, let us know in the comments and we will try to add information about that device to our list.

Samsung Galaxy + Android 8.0 Oreo update headlines

• January 31: it can’t be long now, as the Oreo-beta has ended, and users should start seeing the first rollout any day now
• January 11: added even more devices to the list
• January 5: Android Oreo beta for the Galaxy S8 will end next week, signalling the official roll-out might be close
• December 8: an actual early build of the Android Oreo firmware for the Galaxy Note 8 has leaked.
• November 24: rumors about the Galaxy S6 getting the Oreo update have surfaced. We remain sceptical, but have upgraded the device’s Oreo status to ‘maybe’
• November 2: follow us, as we explore all that is new in Android 8.0 Oreo on the Galaxy S8
• November 2: the long-awaited Oreo-beta for the Galaxy S8 has officially started in the US, UK and South Korea
• October 24: Samsung Turkey expects the Android Oreo update to be ready for release in early 2018
• October 15: a quick reminder that Galaxy phones on Android 7.0 will go straight to Android 8.0. There will be no Android 7.1.x for devices like the Galaxy S8.
• September 21: going by our information, an Android 8.0 Oreo beta for the Galaxy S8 seems likely
• September 8: we’ve learned development for the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo update has started
• September 4: added more devices to the list
• August 21: it’s official, Android 8.0 will be known as ‘Oreo’. We expect concrete information about the update for several Galaxy devices to surface in the next weeks.
• June 27: first list of Galaxy devices that will get the Android 8.0 update.

The post These Galaxy devices will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo (updated: January 31) appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung might finally start producing its foldable smartphone this year

It has been rumored for a few years now that Samsung is working on a foldable smartphone. We’ve heard countless rumors and seen many patents but Samsung is yet to launch such a device. Recent reports suggested that it may be out in early 2018 and while Samsung itself said that it would launch the foldable smartphone in 2018, it’s unclear when the company might do that.

Foldable OLED panels are part of Samsung’s 2018 strategy

It was reported earlier this month that Samsung will finalize the foldable smartphone’s design in March this year and start producing the foldable OLED panels for it in September. That meant we’d see Samsung officially unveiling the much-rumored foldable smartphone either in December or early 2019.

Samsung mentions in its Q4 2017 earnings release today that its OLED panel is going to improve its competitiveness in the premium segment this year “with the release of foldable panels.” Since the company sources OLED displays for its smartphones from its display-making subsidiary, that part of the company has to start producing foldable OLED panels before the mobile division can put a device together and launch it.

Samsung also mentions in its press release that the mobile division is going to try and differentiate its smartphones by adopting cutting-edge technologies “such as foldable OLED displays.” This goes to show that Samsung is still very much sticking with the idea of launching a foldable smartphone and that it will seriously work to that end this year.

It was reported a few weeks ago that the foldable smartphone will have a 7.3-inch foldable OLED panel. The device would fold inwards to act as a phone and outwards to double as a tablet. Samsung Display is said to be working on a panel that folds in and out smoothly without showing any creases.

Samsung hasn’t given any timelines for its foldable panels in the press release but at least it’s confirmation that the company has made them a part of its strategy for 2018. As it stands, though, it’s unlikely that the foldable smartphone will be released by the end of this year.

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Samsung’s mobile division continues to struggle

Samsung earned $14.13 billion in operating profit in the fourth quarter of last year but this stellar performance can’t really be attributed to the company’s mobile division. Samsung’s mobile business has been under pressure for quite a while now due to several factors such as increasing competition from Chinese rivals in key markets.

The company released its earnings results for Q4 2017 today and they reveal that the struggles of its mobile business are far from over.

It may get worse before it gets better

Samsung’s mobile division posted 25.47 trillion won or $23.8 billion in consolidated revenue for the quarter with an operating profit of 2.42 trillion won or $2.2 billion. Revenue is flat compared to the same period in 2016 while the operating profit is slightly down compared to 2.50 trillion won or $2.34 billion in Q4 2016.

Samsung attributes this to a surge in marketing costs during the holiday season. It also mentions that total smartphone shipments decreased in Q4 2016 due to the lineup optimization of its low-end models. Samsung does point out that shipments of flagship products like the Galaxy Note 8 were up compared to Q3 2017.

The company doesn’t provide shipment figures so it’s difficult to ascertain precisely how many units it shipped in the previous quarter and by what percentage shipments of its premium handsets increased.

Samsung expects its mobile division to perform better in 2018 on the back of growing replacement demand for premium smartphones. It’s also going to optimize its mid and low-end lineups further to achieve qualitative growth of the smartphone business.

However, the company forecasts weak demand for smartphones and tablets in the first quarter due to low seasonality, not to mention the fact that many customers will hold off buying a new flagship until the Galaxy S9 comes out. Samsung expects to increase its shipments in this period by pushing the new Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ (2018).

From the looks of it, it’s going to get worse before it gets better for Samsung’s mobile division. It’s already having to deal with saturation in the flagship segment and the company has been coming under increasing pressure from the likes of Xiaomi in key markets like India. It’s being squeezed at both ends and unless Samsung takes major steps to increase its profit margins while also effectively competing against Chinese rivals, it’s mobile division may not contribute much to the bottom line.

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