الخميس، 4 يوليو 2019

Samsung estimates a 56% fall in profit even as Apple reimburses $684 million

Samsung has sent out its earnings guidance for the April-June period today and it corroborates reports that its profits will nosedive due to a weak memory chip market. Samsung estimates a 56 percent fall in its operating profit in Q2 2019 compared to the same period this year.

Q2 2018 essentially capped the record profit run that Samsung was enjoying. It was actually the company’s slowest quarterly profit growth in over a year. Samsung posted 14.87 trillion won or $13.3 billion in operating profit this time last year. Q2 2019 will be Samsung’s third consecutive quarter with a year-on-year profit decline.

Going gets tough for the semiconductor business

Samsung’s semiconductor business has long been the company’s cash cow. The super cycle in the memory market which saw demand and prices rise sharply has withered. Samsung’s balance sheet is now reflecting that. The company acknowledges that this slowdown poses significant challenges to its business and it’s now looking for other growth avenues.

According to its earnings guidance for the second quarter of this year, revenues will clock in at 56 trillion won or $47.89 billion, a decline of 4 percent compared to Q2 2018. The operating profit will crash by 56 percent to 6.5 trillion won or $5.56 billion. The supply glut of DRAM and NAND flash chips has been consistently pushing prices down. They account for over two-thirds of the company’s sales, hence the steep decline in profitability.

The market appears to be going in the opposite direction of what Samsung had earlier predicted. It expected memory chip earnings to improve in the second quarter as inventory levels stabilized and demand picked up. It’s not going to get any better soon. Not only are prices expected to fall by up to 15 percent in the second half of this year, Samsung is also going to feel the pinch of Washington’s ban on Huawei. The Chinese conglomerate is a major customer of Samsung’s memory chips. Some in the mobile division might relish the breathing space afforded by the ban on Huawei. Others in the memory chip division may want the uncertainty to end soon.

The Q2 2019 profit would actually have been lower if Samsung didn’t record a one-time gain for the display business. It is reflected in the $5.56 billion profit estimate. Samsung doesn’t provide the details about this one-off gain. Analysts tell Reuters that Samsung Display was reimbursed nearly 800 billion won or $684 million by Apple as it missed a sales target previously agreed with the company. A recent report had suggested that Samsung will seek a penalty from Apple for not buying as many OLED panels for its iPhones as it had agreed to.

We’ll get to see the performance breakdown for all divisions when Samsung releases the full earnings result for Q2 2019 towards the end of this month.

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Galaxy A50 scores 83 on DxOMark but can’t challenge mid-range rivals

The Galaxy A50 got an overall score of 83 points in a recent DxOMark camera review. The source places the phone’s camera in the same league as older flagships like the Galaxy S6 Edge, with the unit performing particularly well in terms of stills. It scored 85 and 79 points in the photography and video recording departments, respectively.

The source found that the Galaxy A50’s camera performs quite decently in bright sunny conditions but tends to yield relatively poor results in poorly-lit areas. We’ve reached a similar conclusion after spending some time with the device for our review.

It can do a decent job if the proper conditions are met

Stills captured in adequate conditions deliver good exposures and color rendering, as well as accurate white balance. Meanwhile, the 5-megapixel depth-sensing module offers decent background blur, even though the final results are not perfect as some edge artifacts can occur.

This trade-off trend continues with the ultra-wide-angle camera as well. Its inclusion is welcomed in situations where the user might want to capture a wider shot, but there’s no telephoto lens and zoom is handled only digitally with up to 4x magnification. Loss of detail becomes visible even at roughly 2x zoom. Push things further to 4x zoom and the sensor struggles with poor color rendering and a lot of noise.

The Galaxy A50 can’t challenge the top mid-range phones

Video recording is, once again, a mixed bag category. Clips recorded with the Galaxy A50 generally perform well in terms of noise, particularly when the camera setup is presented with flat areas of uniform colors. The colors are pleasant with accurate white balance, but performance has a tendency to degrade in low-light conditions where noise can build up.

Videos recorded while standing still benefit from decent stabilization, but some residual high-frequency motion becomes visible when recording while the user is walking. It doesn’t help that autofocus can frequently refocus and overshoot. These results remind us that the camera can do a decent job if the proper conditions are met and the user is mindful of its limitations, but some things are simply out of the user’s control, leading to somewhat mixed results.

DxOMark concludes that, although the phone has a lot to offer for its segment, it’s not going to challenge some of the best mid-range smartphones in the camera department.

Check out their full review complete with sample images, graphs, and videos at their website.

Galaxy A50

  • Model: SM-A505F
  • Dimensions: 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7mm
  • Display: 6.4"(162.1mm) Super AMOLED
  • CPU: Exynos 9610
  • Camera: 25 MP, CMOS F1.7 & 5MP, CMOS F2.2 Depth & 8MP, CMOS F2.2 Ultrawide
More specifications

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[Poll] Which Galaxy Note 10 feature are you looking forward to the most?

We have now started counting down the days until August 7 when Samsung will take to the stage in New York City to unveil the Galaxy Note 10. It has confirmed an Unpacked event for that day and the teaser more or less confirms we’re in the store for a new Galaxy Note.

There have been quite a few rumors and leaks about this device so far. We were one of the first to confirm that there will be two separate models of the Galaxy Note 10 this year. According to some reports, the handsets will be called the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+.

It appears that Samsung may make some changes that prevent a few Note fans from taking the plunge. There’s talk of the 3.5mm headphone jack being removed and even the microSD card slot being limited only to the larger model. These decisions would certainly be polarizing. However, I’m sure we can find common ground on the new features that almost everyone will appreciate.

It was reported not too long ago that the Galaxy Note 10 might feature a three-stage variable aperture camera. This would, at least in theory, greatly improve the device’s imaging prowess. The addition of f/1.8 aperture would allow the device to do a much better job with intermediate scenes where it’s neither too dark nor too bright. That’s one thing I’m particularly quite excited to see on the device.

So what is the Galaxy Note 10 feature that’s you’re looking forward to the most? Is it going to be the larger display or the significantly improved camera? Or perhaps you’d much prefer the 4,500mAh battery on the larger model?

There have even been rumors of 45W fast charging which would be the first for a Samsung device. Just how much of what has been rumored about this device becomes true remains to be seen. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of excitement among fans for the new flagship. Vote below and share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

Which Galaxy Note 10 feature are you looking forward to the most?
Results

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Samsung expects IoT to gain popularity in India as 5G rolls out

India is considered by Samsung as one of its most important markets, which is why the company is constantly making an effort to increase its influence in the mobile segment and other areas. Now, according to a recent report citing Vice President of Home IoT, Sunggy Koo, Samsung is looking forward to making a bigger IoT push in India as 5G becomes available.

“Our smart products have received a strong response in the Indian market… We think the usage of IoT and demand for connected devices will definitely increase in countries like India as 5G gets rolled out” revealed Sunggy Koo in a recent interview.

Of course, Samsung has already commercialized IoT-capable products in India, including the Family Hub refrigerator which was introduced roughly one year ago. But 5G will allow for faster network speeds, increased data traffic, and improved latencies, which should greatly benefit the IoT segment. IoT is fundamentally based around the idea of different types of devices being able to communicate with one another, and 5G is expected to have a major effect on the IoT landscape.

It may take a few more years before 5G will become available in India – and thus 5G-based IoT solutions to be commercialized – but Samsung could also play an important role in the 5G infrastructure’s development. Last month we’ve reported that Samsung and two of India’s top telecommunication companies – Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel – are discussing 5G networks. The Korean company might become a primary supplier of 5G network equipment for the Indian market as a result, thereby getting in on the ground floor of India’s 5G revolution.

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Daily Deal: 13% off Samsung 23.5-Inch Screen Curved LED Monitor

Curved monitors are gaining popularity among both gamers and business users. They’re unique in that the panel is curved so it wraps around the user’s vision slightly. This allows for a wider viewing angle and thus a more immersive viewing experience. This 23.5-inch curved monitor from Samsung has a 1800R curvature and AMD FreeSync support for minimizing input latency and image tearing during gaming.

You can now get this Samsung curved monitor at 13% off which makes this a good time to get a curved monitor at a fair price. Use the Buy Now button below to get one, but be fast as this price might not last long.

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Samsung awarded for providing best customer service in Korea

Samsung Electronics has been awarded 1st place in terms of customer service quality in the 2019 Korean-Standard Service Quality Index (KS-SQI). The company won the award in all categories, including computers, household appliances, and mobile phones. Samsung won the first place in the computer category for 18 consecutive years, while its mobile phone segment earned the top spot for its 16th year in a row.

The company seems to go to great lengths to offer the best customer support in Korea, to the point where it puts buses at the disposal of customers who might not have easy access to service centers. These buses serve customers who are living in remote islands or who may be suffering from mobility issues.

Samsung claims that it is constantly looking for ways to further improve customer service. For example, the company carefully analyzed the times of day when customers are more likely to show up at service centers and changed the working hours according to these patterns. This has allowed service centers to help more customers in a more efficient manner.

Furthermore, Samsung Electronics also seems to be working on a more flexible repair cost philosophy in Korea with the main goal being the reduction of repair costs for consumers. It’s not exactly clear from translation how this flexible program works, but it would seem that repair costs vary depending on how long a product has been used.

The research institute awarded the first place in customer service quality to Samsung Electronics based on direct feedback gathered from customers who’ve dealt with the company’s service centers.

Samsung’s products have also helped other companies to improve their customer service quality. Last year, HSBC employed the Gear S3 smartwatch in order to allow employees to quickly communicate about customer needs.

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Galaxy Fit is receiving its first firmware update

It has been a few weeks since the Galaxy Fit landed on shelves. Samsung unveiled this new fitness tracker alongside the Galaxy S10 in February this year. Samsung is now rolling out the first firmware update for the wearable device.

Reports of the roll out first came in from France. Users have reported receiving a new firmware update for the device which weighs 20.72MB. Don’t expect much more than the usual slew of tweaks and improvements.

Galaxy Fit gets its first firmware update

The Galaxy Fit features a 0.95-inch full-color AMOLED display and a 120mAh battery. It’s powered by Samsung’s Realtime OS with MIL-STD-810G ruggedness certification. It also has 5 ATM water resistance rating. Its features include sleep and stress monitoring, automatic motion detection for walking, running, cycling, and more. The wearable device can also pull in notifications from a connected smartphone and even let users respond with preset messages.

Samsung is rolling out the first firmware update for the Galaxy Fit today. Firmware version R370XXU0ASG1 is now rolling out for the device. The changelog mentions that the update brings stability improvements and tweaks the battery charging algorithm. The only other addition is a new button in the heart rate widget to get a measurement.

Galaxy Fit owners can get the update on their wearable device right away through the Galaxy Wearable app on their smartphone.

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Galaxy J4 starts receiving July 2019 security patch

Samsung has started rolling out the July 2019 security patch to the Galaxy J4, making it the third device from it’s stable to receive the latest monthly update. The company kickstarted the July patch rollout a couple of days back, beginning with the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The Galaxy J4 update is currently available only in India and bumps the software version to J400FODM4BSF3 when installed. The release doesn’t seem to bring any new features to the budget device from last year and includes just the security fixes detailed in Samsung’s July security bulletin. It contains Google’s patches for ten critical and over a dozen high-risk vulnerabilities in Android and fixes from Samsung for 13 vulnerabilities that are specific to its devices.

To check for the update, go to Settings, select Software Update, and tap on the Download updates manually option. Doing so should trigger the update if its available to your device in your region. Alternatively, you can also download the latest firmware for your device from our database and manually flash it.

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Galaxy A80 video shows Samsung’s clever engineering of the rotating camera

There are already a few handsets on the market with pop-up cameras. Manufacturers are using them to eliminate notches and holes for truly edge-to-edge displays. Samsung had a slightly different idea with the Galaxy A80. It created a sliding, rotating mechanism for the camera. So there’s just one single camera system on the device that rotates to let you take selfies as well.

Have you ever wondered how Samsung has made this happen? A video of a disassembled Galaxy A80 shows us how cleverly Samsung has engineered the entire mechanism. It only uses one motor to both raise up the slider and rotate the camera.

Samsung’s clever engineering is on display in this Galaxy A80 video

The Galaxy A80’s triple camera setup has a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. It can rotate 180 degrees so the entire setup can also be used for selfies and video calls. Samsung has rightly been highlighting this prominently in marketing materials for the Galaxy A80.

The video first posted on Weibo shows how the motor first raises the slider out of its housing and then continues to push it further to rotate the camera. This shows that the mechanism Samsung is using for this rather unique idea is not too different or more complicated compared to a normal pop-up camera. It’s just extracting a little bit more out of the same hardware.

Samsung has even built in a fail-safe into the mechanism in the event of a malfunction. The camera rotates even if the pressure in only exerted on one side. This means that even if there’s a hardware defect on one side, the camera would still rotate. Impressed? We certainly are!

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Exclusive: Galaxy Watch Active 2 features include ECG and Fall Detection

We exclusively revealed the very first images of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 soon after confirming that this smartwatch was being developed. We now have some more information about the wearable device, particularly about the new health-related features that it’s going to offer.

As previously mentioned, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will be available in both 44mm and 40mm sizes. The design is going to be the same and both won’t have the rotating bezel like previous Samsung smartwatches. The decision that Samsung made with the original Galaxy Watch Active to remove the bezel wasn’t a one-off.

Our sources reveal that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will take a page out of the Apple Watch Series 4’s book and feature an ECG app. It will enable users to take an electrocardiogram from their wrist. The app will let users capture their heart rhythm when they experience symptoms such as rapid or skipped, low or irregular heartbeat. The data could then be shared with physicians for an expert opinion.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 will provide Afib notifications too

The device will also be able to provide users with atrial fibrillation or Afib notifications by occasionally checking heart rhythm in the background. It’s the most common kind of irregular rhythm and if it’s not treated, it could result in a stroke. So this functionality will be a welcome addition to the smartwatch. Given that Apple was required to obtain FDA clearance for these features, it’s highly likely that Samsung would require it as well. This would mean that the features may not be available at launch.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 will also have Fall Detection. The feature will work much in the same way that it does on the Apple Watch Series 4. If the device detects a hard fall while it’s on the wrist, it will display an alert on the screen and also vibrate to nudge the user. They can use one-tap options to either contact emergency services or dismiss the alert. If the smartwatch doesn’t get a response in a pre-determined period time, it will automatically call emergency services and also send messages to the user’s emergency contacts.

It’s unclear as yet when the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is going to be released. Some are suggesting that perhaps it might be launched alongside the Galaxy Note 10 on August 7. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything about a new wearable device at this point, though. We’ll update you if more information about the Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in.

The post Exclusive: Galaxy Watch Active 2 features include ECG and Fall Detection appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung accused of false claims about smartphone water resistance

Samsung has been making water-resistant phones for a while now. The Galaxy S5 from 2014 had an IP67 rating and could withstand being submerged for up to 30 minutes in depths of 1 meter or less. The Galaxy S7 was its first IP68 phone which can withstand being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. All of its flagship phones have kept the same IP rating since.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken issue with Samsung’s claims. The consumer watchdog says that Samsung has made “false, misleading and deceptive” claims in advertising the water resistance of several Galaxy smartphones. Therefore, it has decided to take Samsung to Federal Court.

Samsung accused of misleading customers

As we have previously explained, phones with an IP-rating are water resistant, not waterproof. There are certain limitations that must be kept in mind. Furthermore, an IP68 rating certifies that the device can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. However, the official classification mentions that it must be fresh water since the tests for assigning these ratings are conducted in lab conditions. The devices are not tested in a swimming pool or the beach.

The ACCC’s issue is that Samsung’s advertisements show that the devices will be fine with exposure to all types of water, including ocean water and swimming pools, and that they “would not be affected by such exposure to water for the life of the phone.” The claim here is that Samsung showed people in its ads using the devices in pools and beaches even though the IP68 certification explicitly mentions fresh water. It has collected 300 examples of such ads.

The consumer watchdog adds that Samsung has denied warranty claims for customers whose phones were damaged after being used in water. It then points out that Samsung’s own website mentions that the new Galaxy S10 series is “not advised for beach or pool use.” Thus the ACCC is now initiating court action against Samsung and will be seeking penalties.

“Samsung stands by its marketing and advertising of the water resistancy of its smartphones,” the company said in a statement, adding that “We are also confident that we provide customers with free-of-charge remedies in a manner consistent with Samsung’s obligations under its manufacturer warranty and the Australian Consumer Law.”

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