[Poll] Do you agree that Samsung’s next flagship tablet should be water-resistant?

A shortcoming we pointed out in our Galaxy Tab S6 review, we feel that it’s about time that Samsung’s flagship tablets had an IP rating for dust and water resistance. Many of its flagship and mid-range smartphones already do, but the same does not hold true for its tablets.

Wouldn’t you like to use your tablet when you’re mindlessly floating in the pool? Or to not have that fear of dropping it when you’re using it in the bath? You wouldn’t know how much you’ve missed having this feature on a tablet once you start to take advantage of its benefits.

That can only be possible if Samsung decides to opt for an IP certification for its next flagship tablet, which is currently in development and may be launched as the Galaxy Tab S7 or Galaxy Tab S20.

In addition to providing additional value to customers, this functionality will also enable Samsung to get a leg up on the competition. Tablets generally don’t have an IP rating and that holds true for the Apple iPad as well. If Samsung were to lead the charge with this, it just might give a lot of people a reason to pick up a flagship Galaxy tablet instead.

What do you think about this? Vote below and share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Do you agree that Samsung's next flagship tablet should be water-resistant?

• Yes, absolutely!
• No, it doesn't make sense for a tablet
• Only if it doesn't end up being more expensive
• Doesn't matter, tablets are dead anyway

Results

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New Galaxy A phones could get Optical Image Stabilization soon

OIS or Optical Image Stabilization functionality isn’t something that you’d find on affordable devices. As competition in this segment of the market heats up, Samsung is looking to make its Galaxy A series of affordable devices stand out of the crowd.

A new report claims that Samsung is going to bring Optical Image Stabilization to the new Galaxy A phones that it releases in the second half of this year. This functionality has so far been limited to Samsung’s flagship smartphones only.

New Galaxy A phones to get OIS this year

An Optical Image Stabilization system utilizes hardware and software processing to reduce blur. The result is that your photos and videos turn out sharper as the camera system. The lens element inside the camera moves to counteract wobbling caused by holding the phone in your hand.

Moreover, since image sensors in smartphones are smaller, they tend to use exposure times in low light conditions to get enough light in the scene. This can also result in blurry images and OIS can help reduce that effect.

You’ve already taken advantage of this feature if you’ve owned devices like the Galaxy S7, Galaxy Note 10, or the Galaxy S20, all of which come with OIS. That hasn’t been the case for Samsung’s popular Galaxy A lineup, though, but it may be about to change.

A report out of South Korea claims that Samsung is thinking about bringing Optical Image Stabilization to some of its Galaxy A handsets in the second half of this year. It likely held off on this previously because the added cost of OIS components would reduce its margins on devices that are already very competitively priced.

It’s safe to say that we may only get OIS on the more premium Galaxy A models as opposed to something like the Galaxy A11. The addition of OIS would certainly help these devices stand out from the competition. Providing great camera functionality is one of the foundations of the Galaxy A series, so it’s quite possible that this may end up happening.

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Samsung heir meets Chinese leader to improve business cooperation

On his first overseas business trip in months, Samsung heir apparent Lee Jae-Yong visited the company’s memory chip factory in Xi’an, China. During his two-day visit, he also met Hu Heping, Communist Party Secretary of the Shaanxi province, to improve business ties.

During the meeting, Hu Heping reportedly expressed appreciation for Samsung offering quarantine aid for Chinese citizens, including the Chinese employees working for the South Korean firm in the region. The Communist Party leader also praised Samsung’s efforts to practice a strict quarantine program as a foreign company and asked to improve the cooperation.

The government in the Shaanxi province has pledged to provide complete support for all Samsung investments and factories in the region. Last year, the South Korean company had announced an $8 billion investment to expand the chip plant in Xi’an, China. However, the memory chip leader has been facing issues in the plant’s expansion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samsung’s Xi’an plant in China is its only memory chip production facility outside of South Korea. It was started in 2014, and the company had decided in 2017 to expand the plant. It recently sent around 200 engineers to oversee the factory’s expansion. Production of memory chips at the facility could begin anytime soon.

China and South Korea have started operating a fast-track entry system for business professionals, which allows them to travel without the 14-day quarantine rule that is applicable for other travelers. Lee Jae-Yong visited a dedicated coronavirus test center after landing in China and before flying back to Seoul, South Korea.

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Samsung extends its lead in TV segment with all-time high market share

Samsung has extended its lead in the global TV market during Q1 2020. Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the company’s market share hit an all-time high, according to the latest numbers. The South Korean TV giant accounted for 32.4 percent of the world’s TV market in terms of value. This number was up 3.1 percent from Q1 2019 and 0.1 percent up from Q4 2019. Samsung has been the world’s number 1 TV maker for 14 years in a row.

The company’s market share in Europe and North America reached 41.1 percent and 42.5 percent, respectively. Analysts say that Samsung got a boost due to higher sales of its QLED TVs and other premium TVs. The South Korean firm shipped 10.8 percent more QLED TV units during the quarter, resulting in a value of $2.05 billion. Samsung’s market share in the 75-inch (or up) TV segment was 50.4 percent.

Samsung’s primary rival LG had a market share of 18.7 percent in terms of value during Q1 2020, up 2.2 percent from Q1 2019. The South Korean TV makers clinched back the world’s number one spot from Chinese TV brands, who were on top during Q3 and Q4 of 2019. Samsung topped the global TV market with a market share of 30.9 percent, while LG and Sony came in second and third with 16.3 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

According to market research firm Omdia (formerly IHS Markit), global TV shipments plunged 10.2 percent year-on-year to 46.5 million units during the first quarter of this year. Moreover, the value of TVs sold globally in Q1 2020 dropped 17.9 percent to $20.6 billion. Chinese TV firms took bigger hits during the COVID-19 pandemic, while LG and Samsung saw smaller drops.

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