China’s largest display maker wants Samsung to buy its OLED panels

Samsung’s business units look to the conglomerate’s own display affiliate for OLED panels but BOE, China’s largest display maker, wants some of their business as well. It’s reportedly looking to supply OLED panels to Samsung for the Galaxy Watch.

Samsung and BOE do have an existing relationship. The latter has supplied LCD panels to the company but never OLED. BOE start production of its first sixth-generation OLED panels in May this year.

BOE wants to supply OLED panels to Samsung

OLED panel manufacturing isn’t exactly easy. Samsung Display’s technological dominance in this space as worked well in the conglomerate’s favor. It’s aiming to win the orders for the Galaxy Watch. Samsung reportedly produces between 300,000 and one million units of the Galaxy Watch per month.

Winning all or a percentage of those orders would bring in good business for BOE. An industry source cited in the report says that BOE is currently working on samples that it’s going to supply to Samsung for the Galaxy Watch.

It may also open other possibilities for BOE since the company would probably want to supply OLED panels for Samsung’s smartphones as well. That would be a big win for BOE as Samsung is the world’s largest mobile vendor by sheer volume.

China’s largest display maker is believed to be supplying the OLED panels for Huawei’s upcoming flagship smartphone as well. As is the case with such reports about the supply chain, there has been no confirmation or denial from either Samsung or BOE.

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Samsung Q3 2018 earnings guidance predicts record profits

The Samsung Q3 2018 has been officially released today. As expected, the company is predicting record profits for the period compared to last year. Analysts have already been expecting it to post record third-quarter profits this year. The company’s chip business is once again the star of the show. It has benefitted from increased demand from data centers and improved production yields.

A poll of 15 analysts suggested that Samsung could post an 18 percent increase in profits to 17.2 trillion won or $15.5 billion. It would be a considerable improvement compared to the six percent operating profit growth posted in Q2 2018.

Samsung Q3 2018 earnings guidance

The guidance issued by the company today shows that it has actually smashed its record for the highest profit ever in a single quarter. It expects sales of 65 trillion won or $57.5 billion and 17.5 trillion won or $15.5 billion in operating profits. That’s 12 percent higher compared to its previous record of 15.64 trillion won posted in the first quarter of this year.

Samsung will only provide a detailed breakdown of the performance of its many businesses in the full earnings release which will come out later this month. That will help us better understand what has driven these record profits for the company.

The semiconductor business will be the hero yet again. The increase in DRAM chip prices has worked in Samsung’s favor even with NAND prices have fallen. Samsung’s second quarter earnings had confirmed that the Galaxy S9 sales had been sluggish. However, it’s likely that it has got a nice boost with the Galaxy Note 9 in this quarter. The new phablet has been very well received.

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Here are a few real-life Galaxy A7 ultra-wide camera samples!

The Galaxy A7 is Samsung’s first smartphone with more than two camera sensors at the back. The Galaxy A7 camera can take ultra-wide shots with one of the sensors, something no existing Galaxy smartphone can do. We have been working on our Galaxy A7 review, but we thought it would be a good idea to show our readers what the Galaxy A7 ultra-wide camera has to offer. To that end, we have uploaded a couple of images in both standard and wide format.

Galaxy A7 camera: Ultra-wide capability can be very handy

The ultra-wide camera is an 8-megapixel sensor with an aperture of F2.4 and a field-of-view of 120 degrees. The primary camera is a 24-megapixel F1.7 sensor with an FOV of 78 degrees. The biggest limitation on the ultra-wide sensor is that it’s a fixed-focus lens, while the F2.4 aperture means it’s less than stellar in low-light conditions compared to the primary camera. The photos also have a fish-eye effect at the edges, which is especially noticeable when there are buildings or other structures in the edges of the frame.

The Galaxy A7 also seems to change the aspect ratio for ultra-wide images taken in poor lighting. While daylight photos and those taken in good lighting are saved in 16:9 format, the ones in poor lighting are saved in the 4:3 ratio (same as the primary camera). Well, at least that’s generally the case, and we’re not sure why the disparity exists. Maybe we will find out by the time we publish our complete Galaxy A7 review, but if you have an idea, feel free to let us know in the comments.

But, overall, the ultra-wide camera is nice to have as it helps you capture a lot more without having to move around. Check out all the photos below to see how the ultra-wide shots compare with the regular ones. Because of the difference in aspect ratio, we have put the image from the primary camera before the one from the wide-angle camera instead of putting them side by side.

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Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 LTE closer to launch with FCC certification

A new Samsung Chromebook with model number XE525QBBI was spotted on the Wi-Fi Alliance last month. When we reported about it, we thought this could be a successor to the Samsung Chromebook Pro, perhaps an LTE variant of the successor. The same model has been now certified by the FCC, revealing some important product information in the process.

Hints point to an LTE variant of the Chromebook Plus V2

Beginning with the model itself, this is probably not a successor to the Chromebook Pro, but merely an LTE variant of the recently launched Chromebook Plus V2, at least according to a report in AboutChromebooks. The inference is based on the FCC documents referring to this model as ‘Hopper,’ which finds a mention in the Chrome OS code for Nautilus – the codename for Chromebook Plus V2.

The presence of the Intel Celeron sticker in one of the device photos is apparently another reason for concluding this as the LTE variant of the Chromebook Plus V2 (since V2 ditched predecessor’s ARM processor for an Intel Celeron chipset). The positioning of the camera module above the keyboard also matches with that of the Chromebook Plus V2.

We don’t know when Samsung is planning to release it, but the FCC certification hints at an imminent launch. Also, it makes business sense for Samsung to put it on sale in time for the year-end holiday shopping. As far as the pricing is concerned, the non-LTE version retails for $499, so expect an ~$100 premium on top of that for the LTE capabilities.

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SamMobile Daily Recap: October 4, 2018: Galaxy S9 Leaked Pie, Galaxy A9 specs, and more

We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap.

Here’s what we covered today.

Phones

Galaxy A9 specs and quad-camera details revealed in new report

Samsung dominates the premium smartphone segment in India

General

Samsung brand value touches $60 billion as it makes Interbrand’s list

Laptops

Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 LTE closer to launch with FCC certification

TV

Samsung 8K TV price is an eye-watering $15,000

Samsung widens its lead in the US premium TV segment

Firmware news

Galaxy S9 Leaked Pie build shows Samsung Experience 10 Night Theme

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Samsung widens its lead in the US premium TV segment

Despite the launch of OLED TVs from rivals, Samsung continues to dominate the premium TV segment with its QLED offerings, thanks to the company’s brand value, aggressive marketing, and an extensive distribution network. The company’s strategy for high-end TVs seems to be working exceedingly well in the US if we go by the latest market share data.

According to a report from the US firm NPD, Samsung reportedly held 34 percent premium TV market share in the US as of August 2018. Even after launching many critically acclaimed OLED TVs, LG had to settle for the second place with 15 percent market share, followed by Vizio and Sony at 11 percent each.

Samsung performed particularly well in the $2,500 and above segment with 44 percent market share, up from 27 percent during the same period last year. Sony secured the second spot with 33 percent market share, while LG came in third with 23 percent. Samsung is estimated to have crossed the 50% mark in the month of September.

MicroLED TVs will strengthen Samsung’s portfolio

The numbers look even better for Samsung in the 75-inch or larger TV category with over 57 percent market share – a sizeable increase from the 43 percent share last year. Sony is placed second with 25 percent market share – less than half of Samsung’s. With the arrival of the new 8K QLED TVs from Samsung, the company’s share in this category is bound to expand even further.

Interestingly, Samsung accomplished all of this with a “relatively-inferior” QLED technology. The company is planning to launch technologically superior MicroLED TVs in the coming months to counter the OLED offerings from rivals. When that happens, you can expect Samsung’s market share in premium TVs to soar even higher.

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Samsung brand value touches $60 billion as it makes Interbrand’s list

Interbrand has released its “Best Global Brands 2018” list today and Samsung has made it on that list. It has ranked 6th on the list with an estimated brand value of $60 billion. This represents a 6.5 percent increase in its brand value. Interbrand had estimated Samsung’s brand value as $56.2 billion last year.

Interbrand measures a variety of factors to rank brand values. They include internal clarity about what the brand stands for, commitment to the brand and the organization’s ability to constantly evolve the brand. Various external factors are considered as well. They include engagement, authenticity, consistency and presence.

Samsung brand value reaches $60 billion

The factors that particularly played a role in Samsung’s ranking were the launch of the Galaxy Note 9, The Wall TV and its Quick Drive washing machine. The company’s sustainable growth potential based on futuristic technologies such as AI, 5G and IoT went in its favor too. Its number one position in the global semiconductor market has further strengthened its brand competitiveness.

The company has continued its efforts to change customers’ perception of Samsung as a more human-centric brand. It has done that through various marketing activities and its Galaxy Unpacked events where it has highlighted its brand purpose.

“To further enhance our brand, we will remain committed to helping people do things that once seemed impossible with our focus on AI and IoT to provide new experiences for consumers going beyond just connecting devices,” said YH Lee, CMO of Samsung Electronics.

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Samsung dominates the premium smartphone segment in India

With the rise of Xiaomi, Samsung may have lost some of the sheen in the budget smartphone segment in India, but the Korean giant still rules the premium category. Though few reports have pegged OnePlus ahead of Samsung in the premium segment, the decline is often momentary, with the Korean company climbing to the top again after the launch of every Galaxy flagship.

According to the German market research firm Gfk, Samsung dominated the INR 40,000 (~$540) and above premium smartphone segment in India in August with 60 percent value market share and 62.5 percent volume market share. Unsurprisingly, the strong performance is attributed to the Galaxy Note 9 which went on sale towards the end of August.

Samsung beats OnePlus and others

Samsung also apparently topped the INR 30,000 (~$400) and above category with 55.5 percent value market share and 55 percent volume market share during the same period. If the numbers are accurate, the company’s performance in this segment is particularly impressive considering brands like OnePlus, Asus, Vivo, etc. have compelling offerings in this price band.

The Korean company has recently revamped its strategy for the midrange segment, promising to pack its midrange devices with features that even its flagship smartphones may lack. The newly launched Galaxy A7 and the upcoming Galaxy A9 are born out of this new strategy and may improve Samsung’s performance in the midrange and premium segments even more.

“We are extremely happy with the way our numbers are growing. We are bullish on further consolidating our leadership position in the Indian smartphone market. Our aim is to grow at 20-25 per cent in India in the festive quarter (October-December),” said Aditya Babbar, General Manager, Samsung India, to IANS.

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Samsung 8K TV price is an eye-watering $15,000

Prepare to dig into your wallets as the Samsung 8K TV price has been confirmed. The company revealed well before IFA 2018 in Berlin last month that it would unveil the 8K TV at the event. It did just that by unveiling the Q900R QLED 8K TV in Berlin. The company has now confirmed what the 85-inch model is going to cost.

Samsung will offer the 8K TV in 65, 75, 72 and 85-inch sizes. All models feature Real 8K resolution, Quantum Processor 8K and Q HDR 8K. These enhancements are meant to provide an exceptional 8K experience on the TV.

Samsung 8K TV price

The Samsung 8K TV price has only been confirmed for the 85-inch model as yet. Samsung hasn’t said when it will begin taking pre-orders for the other sizes and how much they will cost. Interested customers can now pre-order its 8K TV for an eye-watering $15,000.

So what does $15,000 get you? The Samsung Q900R touts Real 8K Resolution and 4,000 bit peak brightness. The TV can produce four times more pixels than a 4K UHD TV. 8K content isn’t really common so this is where Samsung’s AI comes in.

Its proprietary 8K AI Upscaling technology increases picture and sound quality “a level compatible with 8K” therefore it does that regardless of the original source quality or format. The Quantum Processor 8K can recognize and upscale content to 8K from sources like HDMI, USB, set-top box, streaming service and even mobile mirroring.

Pre-orders for the Samsung 8K TV can now be placed through the company’s online store. It will start shipping units the week of October 28. If you don’t want to pay $15,000 upfront, it’s offering an installment plan of $416 per month over 36 months.

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Leaked Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie firmware shows new UI

A leaked Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie alpha build has surfaced and it gives us a look at the new user interface. We have already got a detailed look at Samsung Experience 10 with the previously leaked Android 9 build for the Galaxy S9.

Samsung Experience 10 brings major user interface changes which isn’t surprising. It’s the next iteration of Samsung’s custom skin for Android after all.

Leaked Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie firmware

This leaked firmware is an alpha build so some elements are understandably incomplete. There are quite a few bugs as well but that’s to be expected from an alpha build. It goes without saying that Samsung will continue to improve things in future builds.

The new Night Mode is one of the biggest additions here. We have seen it in detail on the Galaxy S9. A more recent leaked build for that handset has the working Night Mode toggle. This is as close to a system-wide dark mode as possible and it looks really good.

Android Pie’s card-style user interface is present here. Recent apps scroll horizontally and not vertically while there’s a dock at the bottom. Good Lock on Samsung devices already allowed this change but this is how it will be by default with the next major update.

Many of Samsung’s native apps have been updated as well. These include the likes of Messages, Dialer and Samsung Internet. User interface changes have also been made for Bixby Home. We can expect Samsung to make additional changes in the coming builds.

This leaked Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie build is for the Snapdragon variant which is available only in select markets. It is as yet unclear if there’s going to be a beta program for Android 9.0. Samsung announced the Oreo beta program on November 2 last year so there’s still time. We have already confirmed that it’s testing the Android Pie update for the Galaxy S9 in all markets so a beta program is within the realm of possibility.

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