Samsung expected to see 73% increase in Q4 2017 operating profit

2017 was a good year for Samsung. The company posted record profits in two quarters and is on track for a full-year record operating profit. Market analysts are now predicting that Samsung will post an operating profit of 16 trillion won or around $15 billion in Q4 2017. If that’s accurate, it would be a 73 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The prediction is based on a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax of 19 brokerage houses. Samsung’s chip division is likely going to be the biggest contributor to the company’s fortunes in this quarter as well.

Samsung’s Q4 2017 operating profit

The latest predictions come amid adjustments in expectations made by some analysts. Morgan Stanley recently cut its recommendation on Samsung as NAND prices have started to reverse and memory chip demand is going to peak soon.

Some investment firms have cut their Q4 2017 operating profit forecast for Samsung by more than 5 percent to $14.5 billion. Six investment firms have slashed their estimates in the past four weeks.

The latest survey suggests that some are still bullish on Samsung’s prospects for Q4 2017. Hanwha Investment & Securities predicts that Samsung’s fourth quarter earnings will likely hover below expectations due to one-off costs but the company’s business conditions remain robust.

It’s also of the view that Samsung is going to post earnings growth in the first half of 2018 as well. Samsung is yet to release its earnings guidance for Q4 2017, when that happens we’ll have a good idea of what to expect from the quarterly results.

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Samsung trademarks ‘DeX Pad’ Galaxy S9 accessory

As the launch of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ inches closer, more details are emerging every day about the accessories that will launch along with them.

Dex Station was one of the headline-grabbing accessories launched with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ last year. It enables users to connect their Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note8, to a monitor, keyboard and mouse for a desktop-like experience.

New name and new form factor

While the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are rumored to follow the same design language and naming scheme of the last year’s flagship models, the newer version of Dex Station is expected to launch with a slightly different name and form factor.

Samsung has registered the ‘Dex Pad’ trademark at the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office). The registration almost confirms the launch of a new Dex accessory with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. The name change also implies that the new Dex Station will probably come in a different form factor.

All the rumors have been pointing towards a new Dex Station which doesn’t require users to dock the phone but instead place it flat like on a wireless charging pad. The new form factor should also allow the smartphone screen to be used as a touchpad for the desktop experience.

While the Dex Pad seems to be a step up from the current Dex Station, it would have been more interesting if Samsung went the Huawei route and eliminated the need for a separate accessory. Huawei’s Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro offer Dex-like functionality by using a simple USB-C cable. While Samsung’s approach helps in better performance, the additional cost of buying Dex Pad may restrict it to a niche group of users.

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Galaxy A5, A7 (2017) update brings selfie focus, other camera features

Samsung has added a number of new camera features for the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) in the latest update, somewhat bringing the two devices in line with their 2018 successors as far as camera functionality is concerned. We say somewhat because the Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) also pack upgraded camera hardware to match the new features on-board, although it’s nice to see the company introducing software parity on existing devices in the lineup without making people wait for the next major Android upgrade.

Selfie focus is the highlight feature

Among the new camera features, the Selfie focus mode for the front camera is the most notable here. There’s no dual camera setup on the 2017 A series models, so this mode is just a take on the Selective focus mode seen on Samsung’s flagship phones. It’s a simple take at that: You just enable Selfie focus and take a picture, with no need to tap on the screen to choose a subject nor an option to adjust background blur after a photo is taken. But the feature seems to work well as long as the lighting is sufficient, so we don’t think anyone will care it’s not as full-fledged as Selective focus.

The update also introduces a color correction option for your skin tone in the front camera (accessible by tapping the beauty effects icon); the rear camera, meanwhile, gets augmented reality (AR) stickers and stamps. A new security patch is also part of the update, but Samsung isn’t keeping things consistent in this regard, as some regions are getting the November security patch while others are getting the more recent December patch. Then again, that’s how it is with security updates for all of Samsung’s devices, so we’re not surprised.

If you’re rocking a Galaxy A5 (2017) or Galaxy A7 (2017), you can check to see if the update is available for your phone by going into the Settings app, then tapping the Download updates manually option in the Software update menu. We’re not entirely sure if every region is getting these features in the latest update, so if you have received an update in the last few days, do let us know if you see the new features on your device.

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SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: January 1, 2018

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine – the first of the new year!. 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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Samsung acknowledges Galaxy Note 8 battery issue

It was reported last week that some Galaxy Note 8 owners had complained on the Samsung community website that their handset basically bricked itself after the battery was drained completely. They couldn’t turn on the device by plugging it in. Swapping chargers didn’t help and neither did trying to power it on in safe mode.

There were some reports from Galaxy S8+ owners as well who faced a similar problem. Samsung didn’t provide an explanation but it did offer replacements to affected customers.

Galaxy Note 8 battery issue

It’s unclear at this point in time what’s causing this Galaxy Note 8 battery issue. Samsung hasn’t explained it and no one has been able to figure it out. Devices from US carriers appear to be most affected by this issue so it’s likely that the Galaxy Note 8 battery issue is limited to the Snapdragon-powered variant.

It can’t be said for sure right now if this is a hardware or a software issue. Some users reported that their unit shows the charging circle when connected but doesn’t actually charge. Others said that the device gets warm but the screen doesn’t turn on. Wireless charging doesn’t help either.

Samsung has now acknowledged the Galaxy Note 8 battery issue. It has sent out the following statement (machine translated from German):

Samsung is taking all reports of this kind seriously, we only received a very small number of customer inquiries that could be linked to charge management, and unfortunately we can only comment on the matter further.

The statement is vague at best and doesn’t help us understand what’s causing this. Hopefully, it will provide more clarity on this in the near future.

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Samsung launches Samsung Pay Web Checkout in Russia

Samsung and Sberbank have launched Samsung Pay Web Checkout in Russia. It is a new payment option which aims to make online purchases on any device simpler by using Samsung Pay.

On supported websites and apps, Samsung Pay Web Checkout eliminates the need to enter card details. A buyer can just enter the email address linked to his/her Samsung Account (the same email address is used by Samsung Pay as well) on Sberbank’s online payment page. This triggers a notification on the corresponding Samsung Pay enabled smartphone requesting payment. The buyer can then choose any of the cards linked to his/her Samsung Pay and authenticate the transaction with the help of a fingerprint or PIN.

Works in any browser on any device

According to the press release, Samsung Pay Web Checkout will not require any additional integration if the seller already accepts payments through Sberbank’s online payment page. Sberbank has been an enthusiastic supporter of Samsung Pay. It was the first bank to support Samsung Pay when it was launched in Russia in September 2016.

Since Samsung Pay Web Checkout is not dependant on online stores integrating Samsung Pay, it should help in faster adoption of the service. Samsung says the service is available in any browser on any device as long as you have a Samsung Pay enabled device to make the payment.

In the US, Samsung partnered with MasterCard to facilitate web payments through Samsung Pay. Under the partnership, buyers can pay through Samsung Pay on any site or app which accepts Masterpass.

While Samsung’s exclusive MST technology gives Samsung Pay an edge at millions of Point of Sale (POS) locations around the world, online payments require buy-in from many partners such as online stores, banks, Credit Card companies, payment wallets etc. Samsung’s efforts in this space will help Samsung Pay acquire widespread adoption for online payments.

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Happy New Year from SamMobile – We have exciting news!

2017 has been a great year for Samsung. The company bounced back from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle in spectacular fashion. It delivered us two of the best Android devices on the market today – the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8. It retained its position as the leader in the global smartphone market. The company is also on track for a record yearly operating profit.

All of us at SamMobile would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. We hope that you have a great time celebrating with your friends and family. If you’re headed out to take photos of the amazing fireworks displays, don’t forget to configure the camera’s ISO to as low as possible, adjust the shutter speed for better effects and avoid using HDR, zoom or flash.

We look forward to great things from Samsung in the coming year. Speaking of great things, we have some exciting news. SamMobile will be introducing its new site design in the first quarter of 2018. We’re very excited about it and can’t wait to show it to you. We can only give you a sneak peek right now but will share more about it in the coming months.

Happy New Year once again, and we hope that the coming year brings you all a lot of joy and happiness.

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