Samsung’s market cap falls to thirteenth place among global IT companies
Samsung is currently experiencing a rather bi-polar market situation as of late. Despite releasing amazing hardware that has received rave reviews, the Korean OEM is also faced with the lingering, nagging (and perhaps now sagging) financial turmoil that sought to define most of 2014. According to a new report published by The Korea Herald, the company is now out of the top 10 when it comes to having the largest market capitalization in the IT industry. Specifically, it’s now sitting solid at spot thirteen due in part to sluggish sales of the Galaxy S6, and an unfavorable business outlook.
The Herald mentions that Samsung “had remained in the top 10 IT companies since 2005, but it was left out of the league this year as investors found its shares less attractive amid the toughening competition with Apple’s iPhone and cheaper Chinese handsets.” Back in 2012, it was standing strong at spot number six with a market cap in excess of $200 billion, however it dropped to seventh place in 2013 and further to ninth last year according to the Korean Information Society Development Institute. Samsung remains the country’s most valuable company and the world’s largest handset manufacturer.
Say it ain’t so
Some might argue that the Samsung of 2015 is facing an identity crisis of sorts. Long since the established, perennial Android OEM, it has been harshly criticized by the press year-on-year for its liberal use of “cheap” plastics in smartphone design. This same design is also what allowed its products to feature creature comforts such as microSD support and a removable battery. These two features were scrapped this year in favor of a total brand makeover that has seen the company up its game considerably.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a stunning piece of hardware, but unlikely to be the panacea for Samsung’s financial woes.
Releasing not one, but two Galaxy S6 flagships this year, and this past month two flagship phablets, many of the more vocal critics have been quick to criticize the deliberate decision to remove so many cherished elements, the most recent being IR support.
Meanwhile, Samsung has been releasing a scattering of tablets, none of which might be classified as “premium” despite the new Galaxy Tab S2 series commanding a price that would suggest otherwise. In addition, there have been dozens of lesser smartphone variants released, with new reports indicating that the low-end Galaxy J series may even be cloned (spec-wise) and resold as the Galaxy O/Galaxy On in coming months.
Future prospects
With IFA just about to begin this week and Samsung’s already having let the cat out of the bag weeks early, there is an air of confusion as to just what -if any- products the OEM will unveil. The circular Gear S2, previously referred to as the Orbis/Gear A, has already been teased and confirmed, however smartwatch interest – and in fact wearables on the whole – is significantly down from last year. There is the possibility of a Galaxy Tab Edge, however no real leaks have sprung in past months, nor are tablets selling well these days.
While there is a chance something big could be unveiled, it’s probably safer to assume IFA will bring little more than the Gear S2 and the recently released Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. The former of the two, in particular, is not being released in Europe this year and will most certainly affect sales of the device, of which The Korean Herald mentioned has received “disappointing feedback, dashing hopes for a recovery in its earnings.”
Outlook
Samsung has arguably released the best products in its entire mobile history this year, yet still the profit picture remains unfavorable. Realistically speaking there is only so much that can be done above and beyond what the OEM is currently doing, and thus the true panacea may require a good, hard look in the mirror. Samsung may very well have to accept the reality that its smartphone success has peaked and the future will only result in a protracted decline.
The Tab S2 (right) may ultimately fail to thrive due to its irregular screen size and high price point.
While it may be difficult to increase handset sales among fierce competition brought by Chinese and Indian rivals, there are still ways to increase profits as a factor of cost-cutting. Samsung continues to spend untold amounts of financial resources on aggressive marketing campaigns, and continues to release devices that are several magnitudes more expensive than others on the market, despite often having lower specs or lesser hardware. It could also release new, unprecedented products like a Galaxy Note Mini to try and bolster sales and capitalize on untapped markets.
We would love to hear your thoughts on Samsung’s situation. Is the company truly cursed with a bleak outlook or can it do something to salvage its sagging situation?
T-Mobile to Restrict Unlimited Customers Using Up to 2,000 GB of Data Per Month
T-Mobile CEO John Legere has announced that the U.S. carrier will begin taking action against customers with unlimited 4G LTE data plans that deliberately violate the company’s terms and conditions by masking excessive tethering usage as smartphone data.
T-Mobile notes that less than 1% of customers are using apps or other methods to blow past their Smartphone Mobile HotSpot allotment, which is included free with every Simple Choice plan but capped at up to 7GB per month. The carrier says that, in some cases, these customers are using up to 2TB (2,000 GB) of data per month.
Here’s what’s happening: when customers buy our unlimited 4G LTE plan for their smartphones we include a fixed amount of LTE to be used for tethering (using the “Smartphone Mobile HotSpot” feature), at no extra cost, for the occasions when broadband may not be convenient or available. If customers hit that high-speed tethering limit, those tethering speeds slow down. If a customer needs more LTE tethering, they can add-on more. Simple.
However, these violators are going out of their way with all kinds of workarounds to steal more LTE tethered data. They’re downloading apps that hide their tether usage, rooting their phones, writing code to mask their activity, etc. They are “hacking” the system to swipe high speed tethered data. These aren’t naive amateurs; they are clever hackers who are willfully stealing for their own selfish gain.
T-Mobile says that customers who continue to have excessive tethering usage will first be warned, and then lose access to their unlimited 4G LTE smartphone data plan and be moved to an entry-level Simple Choice plan if they do not comply. T-Mobile began informing customers about the crackdown on network abusers today and has posted a detailed FAQ on its support forum.
T-Mobile prepaid and MetroPCS customers are not affected at this time.
Sony is crowdfunding a smart watch with a dumb face
For the better part of a year, Sony has encouraged employees to come forward with their own projects and showcase them via its First Flight crowdfunding platform. Early ideas have included an e-paper watch, a smart remote and a DIY smart project maker, but limited interest in them means they’ll likely never see the mass market. Sony’s latest project, however, has a lot more potential. It’s called the Wena Wrist and it’s a stylish watch that earns its smart credentials by packing technology into the strap.
Inside the Wena (which is short for “wear electronics naturally”) band lies an NFC chip that supports the Japanese FeliCa standard and lets wearers enjoy contactless payments, hop on public transport and even use it as a student ID card. It also features a seven-color LED for notifications, vibration alerts, fitness tracking and is water resistant down to around 30 meters.
Sony drafted in help from Japanese watchmaker Citizen for the body. As the Wena includes a 22mm strap, it’s technically possible that the band will fit any watch that matches its dimensions. Instead of having to upgrade a complete smartwatch when it becomes dated, Sony wants to see if consumers will modernize a stylish timepiece by simply upgrading its tech-laden strap.
The Wena will come in two styles, the $287 Three Hands and $576 Chronograph, and will only work with one brand of phone. No, not Sony; Apple. Specifically, devices running iOS 8 and above, at least for now. The band will last roughly a week between charges, but the Three Hands and Chronograph batteries will give you three and five years usage respectively. Sony hopes to raise 10 million yen ($82,450) via its crowdfunding portal and says it will begin shipping the Wena in March 2016.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile, Sony
Via:
Wall Street Journal
Source:
Wena Wrist
Tags: felica, japan, mobilepostcross, smartwatch, sony, watch, wena, wena wrist
T-Mobile will throttle users exploiting tethering workarounds
Under the leadership of its always-entertaining CEO John Legere, T-Mobile has undercut its competitors, rebranded as an “Uncarrier,” and generally painted itself as a champion of the people. Not so today. Legere has penned an open letter highlighting users that are getting around the company’s tethering limits. Apparently, this “small group” of customers use “as much as two terabytes of data per month,” and this makes John Legere very sad.
The issue stems from the company’s “unlimited data” policies, which allow customers to download or stream whatever they like on their smartphones. When it comes to tethering, though, the plans are limited. Enterprising users have taken to using apps, rooting devices, and generally doing everything they can to hide the fact they’re tethering, avoid the aforementioned limits, and “steal” data. Legere posits that, with 2TB per month, the users could be “stealing wireless access for their entire business, powering a small cloud service, providing broadband to a small city, mining for bitcoin — but I really don’t care!”
T-Mobile is gearing up to take action against the rogue tetherers, who apparently make up less than 0.01 percent of its total subscriber base. Legere’s letter is a pretty transparent way to try and prevent negative headlines and articles about T-Mobile throttling data. By painting these users as thieves and hackers, it’s clear he hopes to mitigate any damage the throttling policy will have on T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” reputation. The great throttling of 2015 will begin today, with “3,000 users who know exactly what they are doing” being the first to get hit.
“We started this wireless revolution to change the industry for good and to fight for consumers,” Legere ends his open letter. “I won’t let a few thieves ruin things for anyone else. We’re going to lead from the front on this, just like we always do. Count on it!” Sounds to us like, as T-Mobile grows, it’s running into the same problems that the likes of AT&T have been facing for decades.
Via:
Slashgear
Source:
T-Mobile
Tags: carrier, JohnLegere, mobilepostcross, open letter, t-mobile, tethering, throttling, uncarrier
Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4 Review: leather and elegance for your LG G4
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The LG G4 is a very rare device indeed – LG decided that its 2015 flagship should have an option of leather for its back cover, giving smartphone users an option of class that they might not necessarily have had with any other manufacturers. However, even if you got the leather version, you might still want to protect your device with a case, but it seems so futile since you’ll have all that beautiful leather hidden beneath the case. Well, for those of you in that situation, you might want to consider the Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4, a case that has leather on the back – this also applies to all those LG G4 users who got the plastic version and feel they want a leather option now. We’ve been reviewing the Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4 this week so let’s see what’s what.
What’s in the box
The box of the Napa is a relatively simple affair – you’ll get the case itself and a statement of lifetime warranty from Moshi. Not a bad start. The case itself is mostly constructed from a hard plastic which we’re guessing is some kind of polycarbonate which makes for a very hard and impact-absorbing case. As you have no doubt already guessed, that is leather on the back of the Napa – specifically vegan leather which seems pretty genuine to me.
On the case itself, you’ll get access to all ports of the device with ample space given to the flash and laser focus sensor beside the camera. Unfortunately we didn’t have a LG G4 dummy on hand to try with the Napa, however, if we assume it’s similarly fitting as the Moshi Sensecover case we reviewed the other day, the fit of the Napa should be tight but not difficult to get your device in and out of the case if required. There are no button covers to worry about as the LG G4’s buttons are all rear mounted and there is ample space for that to be reached.
How does it perform
If nothing else, the one thing that’s striking about the Napa is its looks. Even if you missed out on getting a leather back for your LG G4, you can now get it with the Napa, in either Metro Black or Garnet Red ,which is what we’ve got here – I find it’s more of a deep red/browny colour. Unlike the leather on the LG G4, the leather on the Napa doesn’t extend all the way to the corners, meaning it’s less likely that you’ll wear away the leather at the edges. It’s hard to tell how the leather will fare over a long time, but I had a scratch at it while taking these photos and it appeared to be quite durable.
Of course, for many of you protection is paramount and I’m glad to say that you will be well catered for with the Napa. Like all the good cases, the Napa has a raised lip which protects your display if you put it face down. Furthermore, since the leather doesn’t go around the corners of the case as well, you have very good coverage over the corners of the device which should easily withstand daily knocks and bumps.
What I like about the Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4
I really just love the idea of the Napa as a case that offers leather on the back of the device. While I understand why people want cases on their smartphones, getting a case for a LG G4 with leather on the back always seemed like a moot point since you would never get to feel the leather once the case goes on. While that’s not untrue with the Napa since it is still a case, at least this way you still get the leather experience without the fear of damaging your phone. And it works doubly well for the LG G4 owners who didn’t get the leather and now want in.
What I don’t like about the Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4
While Moshi doesn’t typically offer many colour variations of its cases, I was hoping that they’d make an exception for the Napa considering the number of coloured leathers you can choose from for the LG G4 itself – a white Napa would be killer. It’s definitely not a dealbreaker, but if you don’t like red or black, you may be out of luck here.
Final thoughts
The Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4 is a wonderful case for owners who are looking to protect their LG G4 and still have the leather feeling when using their devices day to day. At $44.95 USD, it’s a bit dear for a case, but it’s unlikely most cases out there will give you the versatility of the Napa.
If you want to find out more about the Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4, you can visit its product page on the Moshi website here. We’ve also provided Amazon links below if you feel like pushing the button now.
http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&Operation=GetAdHtml&ID=OneJS&OneJS=1&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwandcom-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B013SQG6PA&asins=B013SQG6PA&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&MarketPlace=UShttp://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&Operation=GetAdHtml&ID=OneJS&OneJS=1&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwandcom-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B013SQG858&asins=B013SQG858&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&MarketPlace=US
Gallery of Photos
- Option of leather
- Solidly built
- Not many colours
- A little pricey
2015-08-31
The post Moshi iGlaze Napa for the LG G4 Review: leather and elegance for your LG G4 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Xiaomi Mi 4c specs leaked, packing a Snapdragon 808 and USB Type-C
Xiaomi probably surprised a number of its home-grown fans in China when it announced that its new Mi 4i would be heading to India first, but such is the company’s focus on the fast growing Indian market. However, it looks like Chinese customers are in for a new low cost device of their own called the Mi 4c, complete with some beefed up specifications.
A picture from China of the back of the box has given away pretty much all of the specifications for the Mi 4c, which appears similar to the Mi 4i in many regards. There’s the same 13 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and similar 3,080mAh battery as the Indian handset.
However, the Xiaomi Mi 4c is expected to ship with a high performance Snapdragon 808 SoC, the same chip found in the LG G4. This SoC features two high power Cortex-A57 CPU cores, four lower power A53 cores and an Adreno 418 GPU. For comparison, the Mi 4i ships with an octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, which is built solely from lower performance Cortex-A53 cores and an Adreno 405 GPU. This should give the Mi 4c considerably more grunt in demanding scenarios and while gaming.
The Mi 4c also apparently comes with a USB Type-C connector, another first for a Xiaomi smartphone. Although not listed on the back of the box, the smartphone is also expected to ship with a 5-inch 1080p display and Xiaomi’s latest MIUI 7 operating system. A 32GB variant is also likely in the works.
We don’t have any official details regarding the handset’s price tag yet, but the Mi 4c is expected to cost around 1,299 Yuan, which is almost exactly the same price as the Mi 4i. That’s potentially a very good deal, even for a Xiaomi handset, given the extra processing hardware on board. A release announcement is expected sometime in the first week of September.
The Weeknd Stars in Two-Part Apple Music Ad During MTV VMAs
Apple debuted a new two-part Apple Music ad featuring The Weeknd during the 2015 MTV VMAs on Sunday night. The one-minute spots show The Weeknd walking backstage after performing at the MVAs, getting into a limo driven by actor John Travolta and listening to Beats 1 Radio while scrolling through his artist page on Apple Music Connect.
The Weeknd then arrives at an MVAs afterparty with his single “The Hills” playing and shuffles through additional songs from an Apple Music playlist, followed by the tagline “It’s all in your head. Create your own party. Unlimited music for $9.99.”
Apple launched a worldwide advertising campaign for its new streaming music service earlier this month, with billboards, posters and other signage appearing in cities including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto and Mexico City. Later in August, Apple released three artist-focused Apple Music ads starring James Bay and Kygo.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy J1 Ace in India next month for Rs. 6,400
According to a report published by Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom, Samsung is gearing up to launch a brand new budget-friendly smartphone in India. The handset has been dubbed the Galaxy J1 Ace and is expected to retail for under Rs. 6,400 ($96) when it hits the shelves next month.
As for the specifications, the Galaxy J1 Ace is believed to be extremely similar to the Galaxy J1 that went in sale in India earlier this year, packing a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of expandable internal storage, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP selfie shooter and a 1,800mAh battery.
The J1 Ace will come running the latest build of Android 4.4 KitKat skinned with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, but is expected to receive the Lollipop update shortly after its release. It will also have compatibility for 4G LTE and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, in addition to Bluetooth 4.0 LE.
If you’re based in India, like the sound of the Galaxy J1 Ace and would like to find out more about picking one up — hit the source link below.
Source: Mahesh Telecom
Come comment on this article: Samsung will launch the Galaxy J1 Ace in India next month for Rs. 6,400
India accuses Google of gaming search results
In Europe, Google stands accused of favoring its own products and services when providing search results to users. Now, India has joined in, with the country’s Competition Commission accusing the company of abusing its dominant position in the search market. A report by the Economic Times says that a coterie of other firms have poured anti-Google sentiment into official ears, including from Microsoft and Flipkart. The latter claiming that its position in the ranks seems to get higher the more advertising it buys from the engine. It’s not the first time that Indian regulators have jabbed angry fingers towards the firm, accusing it of dodgy dealing when it came to AdWords sales in 2012.
As with the EU’s investigation, the company is believed to be pushing its own products ahead of those actually wanted (or needed) by users. In one example, this means that CNBC’s India-based investment site MoneyControl will get second-billing to Google Finance, even if the former is more popular. The company now has 10 days to answer the charges, and public hearings will kick off shortly afterward, although it has already protested its innocence. If the commission finds that Google is at fault, it’ll be able to fine the firm up to 10 percent of the company’s income — and if Europe follows suit, it’s going to mean some painful weeks for Alphabet’s accountants.
[Image Credit: MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP/Getty Images]
Source:
Economic Times
Tags: Antitrust, CompetitionCommission, CompetitionCommissionOfIndia, DominantPosition, google, India, Investigation
New Moto 360 could arrive in September, Sport version in November
Teasers for a new Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch have been coming thick and fast this month and today we can bring you another set of leaked pictures of the second generation wearable, courtesy of @Upleaks. Furthermore, the prolific leakster suggests that a Sport version of the smartwatch is in the works too.
moto 360(2nd gen) and moto 360 Sport. pic.twitter.com/xKtUOiOqvP
— upleaks (@upleaks) August 31, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe pictures of the Moto 360 (2nd gen) match up with the previous leaks, showing off a metal build and a variety of leather and metal straps. There also appears to be a third rose gold color option, which wasn’t mentioned alongside the silver and black options that leaked yesterday. The Moto 360 Sport appears to swap out these materials for a plastic case which doesn’t look to offer changeable straps. We don’t have any specifications at this point, but this seems to suggest a waterproof case of some sort, which is pretty much a requirement for a sports wearable.
moto 360 2nd gen will be coming in September, Sport version will be coming in November.
— upleaks (@upleaks) August 31, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The rumor also gives us two potential launch dates for the products. The new Moto 360 could arrive sometime in September, while the Sport variant may have a later release around November time. Given that sports wearables still remain the most popular market segment, a dedicated fitness product could help Lenovo reach a wider audience with its new watch.
What do you think about the latest rumors, and which features are on your wish-list for a next gen smartwatch from Motorola?
AIVAnet 