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Category: Electronics

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Electronics news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • NEC launches Open Innovation Centre in Singapore

    NEC launches Open Innovation Centre in Singapore

    NEC Corporation announced the opening of the NEC Open Innovation Centre (OIC) in Singapore which forms a part of the wider NEC innovation eco-system, and reaffirms NEC’s commitment to foster open innovation and partnerships with private and public sectors.

    Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the OIC is part of NEC’s $100 million investment over the five years from 2017 in research and innovation in the Asia Pacific region.

    The Centre, operated by Global Safety Division, is NEC’s first of its kind facility outside Japan which infuses market-leading NEC technology and a deep partner ecosystem to offer cutting edge solutions in areas such as public safety, transportation and aviation.

    The Centre provides a platform where solutions can be translated into realistic and relatable use cases. It houses various revolutionary thematic zones which allow an immersive experience in AI and biometric solutions within the context of daily life. For example in the “home” zone, visitors will be shown how our face can be utilized as a powerful and trusted digital identity to securely access government and commercial services with NEC’s Trusted Digital Identity solution.

    NEC is also at the forefront of advanced ICT solutions for safety, security and efficiency in air travel. With more people flying today as well as heightened security threats, passengers are asked to go through more checks and screenings. All this leads to earnest needs of frictionless travel experience.

    NEC One ID-Single token technology takes travel experience to new heights by providing integrated identity management across the travel process that allows passengers to authenticate their identity online or in person for all stakeholders, ensuring an efficient flow within the airport.

    “We are delighted that NEC has chosen Singapore to establish its first Open Innovation Centre outside of Japan. Singapore’s strong base of enterprises, partners and digital talent offer NEC an ideal location to forge collaborations and translate its strong biometric identification technology into new applications for public safety and commercial domains for Singapore and beyond,” said Ms. Lily Phua, Director of New Businesses, EDB.

    Mr Vinoop Goel, Regional Director in Asia-Pacific from International Air Transport Association (IATA), comments, “With the number of travelers expected to double in 20 years time, the use of technology will be critical for increasing passenger throughput in the existing airport terminals. NEC’s OIC is a good showcase of the technologies that can make air travel more efficient, including IATA’s OneID initiative, and we look forward to implementations of these technologies to improve the passenger experience and enhance the efficiency of airline and airport operations.”

    “The vision of the Open Innovation Centre is to orchestrate a smart and safer city in collaboration with governments and businesses. With a digitally disruptive team at the heart of OIC’s operations, new ideas of approaching public safety can be prototyped and launched within the centre and further deployed in global markets. This is only possible with strong support from our industry partners who are already on board the OIC ecosystem,” said Mr Tan Boon Chin, Managing Director, Global Safety Division, NEC Corporation. “We believe that a trusted digital identity based on biometrics such as facial recognition technology can transform businesses so as to provide secure and frictionless experience across home, city and aviation.”

    NEC has been developing biometric identification technologies for more than 40 years, and systems using NEC’s Bio-IDiom biometrics have been introduced through more than 700 systems in 70 countries and regions around the world. Moreover, earlier this year, NEC’s iris recognition was named the world’s most accurate by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has also recently named NEC’s face recognition and fingerprint recognition technologies as the most accurate.

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  • Singtel and Starhub to offer Google Pixel 3 in Singapore

    Singtel and Starhub to offer Google Pixel 3 in Singapore

    The local telcos will include Google merchandise as part of their promo. Both Singtel and Starhub will offer Google’s flagship phone Pixel 3 as it launches in Singapore. Google itself will sell the handset through its online store starting 1 November.

    With price ranging from $1,249 for its 5.5-inch model and $1,399 for the 6.3-inch XL model, Google’s flagship will be sold in three colours including Just Black, Clearly White, and new colour Not Pink which will be sold exclusively by Singtel.

    Those who will buy from Singtel will also get a free Google Pixel Stand worth $119 when they additionally purchase certain data subscriptions. Meanwhile, those who will buy from Starhub will get Google Assistant worth $189 as a freebie.

    “Pixel users can gain an edge while streaming high-definition videos and chatting with the Google Assistant,” Starhub vice president of segment and marketing Donovan Kik said.

    Singtel launched the phone for pre-orders on 10 October.

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  • Naver unveils cutting-edge location tech for smarter mobility

    Naver unveils cutting-edge location tech for smarter mobility

    From indoor navigation using augmented reality to ultra-high definition mapping technology for autonomous driving, South Korean internet giant Naver is developing a range of location-tracking technologies it believes will form the backbone of new offline services in the future.

    Some of these technologies were unveiled Thursday at Naver’s annual developer’s conference Deview 2018 held in Seoul, organized to showcase the Korean portal site operator’s future tech development direction each year.

    Stressing “location” as the most important cue for context in a physical space, Naver Chief Technology Officer Song Chang-hyun said Naver’s in-house research lab is developing and testing out an array of location and mobility-based technologies that will serve as the backbone of new, real-world services
    “If technology can fix mobility problems in the physical space, it will inevitably lead to the development of new services. And the underlying platform technology for any location and mobility problem is mapping,” Song said in a keynote speech during the conference.

    In line with this vision, Naver plans to open source the Naver Maps Enterprise application programming interface to developers next month. The soon-to-be-free mapping API includes including point of interest data and navigation data, which most smaller ICT firms find difficult to build and maintain.

    The Korean internet giant also introduced for the first time the eXtended Definition & Dimension Map, or xDM, platform which includes high-dimension mapping, localization and navigation technologies to guide people and self-driving vehicles in not just outdoor, but also indoor settings.

    For instance, Naver utilized its xDM platform to build an AR navigation system that guides people through indoor spaces without GPS access, using just a smartphone camera. On a smartphone, walking direction signs and messages would be overlaid on top of real-life pathways as captured by the camera.

    The company also showcased the latest updates in its robotics technology development, which had taken center stage at last year’s Deview conference.
    This service is slated to debut soon, via a partnership with Incheon Airport. This week, Naver signed a memorandum of understanding with the airport’s operator to launch an indoor AR navigation app that would guide airport passengers to their respective destinations inside the airport.

    “We plan to open source our xDM platform in the form of API and SDK so that they can be used for various location-based service development and mobility research in the future. We plan to continue improving xDM so it can grow into Korea’s top location and mobility platform,” Song said.

    In addition, Naver Labs is developing technologies for self-driving cars, including a high-definition map that combines high-definition aerial maps and mobile mapping devices to build intricate, real-time maps even in crowded urban centers where GPS access is partly blocked out.

    M1, an autonomous indoor mapping robot that creates intricate 3D maps while moving by laser-scanning its surroundings with a 360-degree camera, and Around, a self-driving robot that navigates itself by accessing M1’s mapping data via the cloud, are undergoing commercialization procedures via a partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings.

    Aircart, an electric book cart equipped with a module that amplifies human power to make pushing the cart significantly easier, is preparing for commercial deployment at local libraries in partnership with Samsong Caster.

    Naver’s robotics lab is also continuing research and development efforts with Seoul-based Korea Tech Co. to develop robotic cable-driven arms with humanlike sensitivities called Ambidex. Weighing just 2.6 kilograms, the robot’s core motors are placed near the torque and transfers power down to the lower arms and fingers via flexible, lightweight cable wires.

    Looking ahead, Naver plans to showcase its fleet of robots at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January next year, marking its first-ever attendance at the global electronics conventio

  • Samsung launches Galaxy A9 with rear quad camera

    Samsung launches Galaxy A9 with rear quad camera

    Samsung Electronics on Thursday unveiled the world’s first smartphone with four rear cameras, packed with new features to capture moments more effectively.  The Galaxy A9 debuted at a launch event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, highlighting the first rear quad camera built for a world driven by visual communication.

    “Building on our legacy in smartphone camera development, we’re introducing next-generation technology across our entire Galaxy portfolio to give more consumers the opportunity to experience cutting-edge innovation,” said Samsung smartphone chief Koh Dong-jin. “We’re excited to deliver on this promise and debut world-leading smartphone camera technology with the Galaxy A9.”

    The Galaxy A9 with a 6.3-inch AMOLED display is packed with Samsung’s best camera innovations, Koh added.

    The rear quad camera, with four lenses on the back of the smartphone, allows users to get close, with a 2x optical zoom feature for detailed close-up shots even from far away.

    The 24-megapixel main lens captures clearer and brighter images in both bright and low-light conditions, while the ultrawide lens and the scene optimizer allow users to shoot scenes more like a professional.

    In addition, the camera’s AI Scene Recognition feature allows users to identify subjects and adjust settings accordingly for the best photo, in an instant.

    The Galaxy A9 comes with a 3,800-milliampere-hour battery, allowing an all-day performance. The new phone also provides 128 gigabytes of storage and up to 512 gigabytes of expandable memory for storing high-quality images and visual content.

    It will be released globally starting in November, in unique colors: Caviar Black, Lemonade Blue and Bubblegum Pink.

    The A9 also boasts a sleek and ergonomic design that fits in one hand with a curved back made of 3D glass for a luxurious comfortable feel, the company said.

    Smartphones with five cameras are becoming a major trend in the market.

    LG Electronics unveiled the V40 ThinQ smartphone with three cameras on the rear and two on the front on Thursday.

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  • Samsung sets quarterly profit, revenue records

    Samsung sets quarterly profit, revenue records

    Samsung Electronics once again set quarterly records for profit and revenue thanks to high demand for the semiconductor chips needed to propel today’s key technologies.

    However, Korea’s biggest company is facing challenges as its current portfolio is heavily dependent on computer chip sales. Its smartphone business is struggling as sales of its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone sales failed to reach expectations.

    According to Samsung Electronics’ guidance report on third-quarter performance, released on Friday, the company’s revenue grew 4.7 percent compared to a year ago to 65 trillion won ($57.5 billion) while its operating profit expanded by 20.4 percent to 17.5 trillion won. It is a new record for both quarterly revenue and operating profit. The earlier market consensus on Samsung Electronics’ operating profit was between 16.8 trillion won and 17.1 trillion won. Compared to the previous quarter, revenue was up 11.1 percent and operating profit was up 17.7 percent.

    Although the guidance report did not give details on the earning performance of each business, market experts believe the company’s record-breaking performance was due to the company’s semiconductors.

    Brokerage firms estimated that Samsung Electronics made roughly 25 trillion won in revenue in semiconductors in the third quarter, up 24 percent from last year’s 19.9 trillion won.

    The operating profit of the memory business is estimated to have increased by 36 percent to 13 trillion won, which would be an all-time record.

    DRAM revenue is believed to have surged 47 percent year-on-year to around 14 trillion won while NAND flash was up more than 8 percent during the same period to 7 trillion won.

    “The recent starting of additional production line manufacturing DRAM and NAND flash of the company’s memory plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, is said to have contributed to the robust sales of the company’s memory chips,” said Doh Hyun-woo, NH Investment & Securities analyst.

    The company’s display business is estimated to have improved sharply in the third quarter as well, contributed by Apple’s release of the latest iPhone, equipped with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, in September.

    While the liquid-crystal display (LCD) business revenue is estimated to have dropped 28 percent, OLED business is estimated to have increased 35 percent year-on-year to over 7.5 trillion won. LCD prices have recently been falling on the attacks of low-price competition from Chinese companies. The overall display revenue is estimated to have increased 14 percent to around 9.5 trillion won.

    On the contrary, Samsung’s mobile communication business is believed to have suffered. Sales of the Galaxy S9, which was released in the second quarter, are middling, and the company is believed to have spent a large amount on marketing the Galaxy Note9, which was released in August. This likely had an effect on the company’s operating profit.

    In the third quarter, market analysts believe the mobile business dropped 9 percent to 25 trillion won, while operating profit fell nearly 30 percent year-on-year to 2.3 trillion won compared to the 3.3 trillion won recorded a year ago.

    The company’s dependency on its semiconductor’s business is becoming an increasingly large concern.

    “While the third quarter guidance report is positive in that it exceeds earlier market consensus, heavy dependency on semiconductor performance is a negative [for Samsung Electronics],” said Kim Yang-jae, analyst at KTB Investment & Securities. “[Samsung Electronics] is facing a slowdown on earnings momentum, as DRAM prices has been falling since the fourth quarter.”

    DRAMeXchange, a computer chip market research firm, estimated that DRAM and NAND flash prices will fall in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter due to difference between supply and demand. When compared to the third quarter, DRAMeXchange projected a 5 percent drop in the fourth quarter, sharper than earlier estimates of a 1 to 3 percent decline.

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  • Google to send Pixel 3 smartphone into Asia

    Google to send Pixel 3 smartphone into Asia

    Google is taking a more global approach to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launch, announcing that it will now offer its new phones in 13 countries, including Japan, Ireland, Taiwan, and France. This builds on the rather small list of countries where Google’s Pixel 2 saw official release, which comprised of US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and Singapore.

    Now in its third generation, Google has been quite slow to bring its flagship smartphones to a wider audience, especially considering how easy it is to find a competing devices practically anywhere you live. For example, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max launched in more than 25 countries. Still, Google’s spread to more countries will give Android users more choice than before.

  • Apple has redesigned new iPhones in China

    Apple has redesigned new iPhones in China

    Apple has made a rare special concession to Greater China with the design of its newest line of smartphones, revealing that new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max produced for the market will not support the new eSIM feature.

    The eSIM feature, which supports two simultaneous carriers and is designed to allow more convenient switching between them, will not be available in Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau.

    Instead, the devices in these markets will offer slots for two physical SIM cards. This represents a rare case of Apple tailoring iPhones to a specific market.

    The report notes that it is unclear whether the special arrangement is to comply with any Chinese regulations, or merely as a result of pressure from the market’s operators reluctant to enable such easy switching between carriers, and Apple has not commented on the matter.

    But whatever the reason, the concession demonstrates that Apple is willing to take extraordinary steps to maintain its foothold in the world’s largest smartphone market. Greater China was responsible for around 20% of Apple’s total revenues during its 2017 financial year – around $45 billion.

    The company is under increasing competitive pressure from local vendors including Huawei and Xiaomi, which can differentiate by offering more locally oriented services.

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  • 3rd generation of Vietnam’s Bphone unveiled

    3rd generation of Vietnam’s Bphone unveiled

    Vietnam’s cyber security firm BKAV unveiled the third generation of its Bphone on Wednesday without a home button, pricing it from $300. It requires users to navigate to the home screen and apps by using hand gestures just like in Apple’s iPhone X.

    It comes in two versions, Bphone 3 and Bphone 3 Pro, and they have a six-inch 18:9 HD screen, Android 8.1 and a Snapdragon Qualcomm 636 chip, giving them twice the performance of the previous version, Bphone 2, according to BKAV. Company staff demonstrated this by playing the mobile game PUBG on the phones at the release event in Hanoi.

    The battery lasts 1.5 days and can be charged to 80 percent in 35 minutes with Quick Charge 3.0 technology at three times the average charging speed, the firm claimed.

    It is the first phone in the price range with IP68 waterproof rating, meaning it could be immersed in 1.5 meters of water for half an hour without a problem, BKAV stated. Vu Thanh Thang, Bphone vice chairman, said the phone would survive coffee spills and can even be washed with soap.

    Ninety percent of the phones’ parts are sourced from U.S. and Japanese suppliers, he added.

    It filters out all spam messages and phone calls, the company said. Bphone 3 comes with 3GB ram, 32GB storage and a microSD slot, while Bphone 3 Pro has 4GB and 64GB.Bphone 3 also has a new feature that allows people losing it to find it even when it is factory reset, not connected to the Internet or lacks a sim card.

    Bphone 3 is priced at VND6.99 million ($300), and the Pro version at 9.99 million ($430).

    Customers can start pre-ordering today, and shipping will begin October 19.

    Bphone 3 will be the only Vietnamese competitor in the Vietnamese mid-range phone market which is dominated with Korea’s Samsung, China’s Oppo and Huawei. Other popular phones in the same price range are the Huawei Nova 3i ($300), Galaxy A7 2018 ($330) and Oppo F9 ($330).

    BKAV produces antivirus software and provides cybersecurity solutions. Last year, the firm demonstrated in a Youtube video that it was able to fool Apple’s Face ID with a mask made with a 3D printer.

    The firm debuted the Bphone in May 2015. While initially warmly welcomed, the phone’s launch was disappointing to many buyers as it was only available online and the company had to delay delivery four times.

    The phone also caused controversy because despite being Vietnamese-made, 30 percent of the phone was manufactured by a Chinese firm.

    Bphone 2 was introduced last year, and 12,000 units have been sold, according to BKAV.

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  • Samsung opens biggest store ever in India

    Samsung opens biggest store ever in India

    South Korea’s Samsung Electronics announced the opening of the world’s largest mobile experience centre in Bengaluru.

    Located in the iconic Opera House building situated on Brigade Road, the new India flagship is the smartphone maker’s largest mobile experience centre.

    Dubbed “Samsung Opera House”, the renovated and redesigned retail space houses a mix of “technology, lifestyle and innovation to offer people unique experiences,” according to the Seoul headquartered Samsung, in a press release.

    Restored over two years, the store’s Opera House façade retains its original look and feel. On the inside, a modern experiential space has been developed with extensive use of modern technology.

    The store showcases Samsung’s full line-up of smartphones and wearable devices at the experience centre alongside flagship consumer electronics products such as smart tvs, ovens and refrigerators

    Harnessing the brand’s #DiscoverTomorrowToday mantra, Indian shoppers can also expect a differentiated product experience, centred on virtual reality and artificial intelligence, as well as the internet of things.

    VR experiences include a 4D Sway Chair and the Whiplash Pulsar 4D chair that makes 360 degrees three-dimensional movements, designed to simulate a fighter pilot doing extreme aircraft stunts, or experience a space battle, or a roller coaster ride.

    Consumers can also pre-book the centre’s home theatre zone for watching movies and shows.

    “Today’s consumers, especially millennials, seek unique experiences. They want to interact with the brand, touch, feel and create. This is what Samsung Opera House is about.

    We have curated never seen before experiences that will excite people of all age groups alike. Opera House will also organize workshops, activities and events, bringing together Samsung’s innovations with people’s passions. We are proud of the transformation that this place has seen,” HC Hong, President & CEO, Samsung SouthWest Asia, said.

    Samsung selected Bengaluru as host city given its notoriety as India’s tech capital, which has attracted many Millennials and tech-savvy consumers to the area.

    The new store in India comes two months after Samsung inaugurated the world’s largest mobile factory in Noida in July this year, reinforcing the company’s commitment to India.

     

     

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  • Xiaomi opens world’s largest Mi Home store in Wuhan, China

    Xiaomi opens world’s largest Mi Home store in Wuhan, China

    Chinese electronics brand Xiaomi has opened its largest Mi Home store in Wuhan.

    The new location, launched shortly after the firm reached its target of 100 Mi Home stores in China, features a smart home demo zone that showcases a range of its products in a home-use environment. Sales assistants are on-hand in Xiaomi’s stores to guide customers in the use of the devices on sale and to process payments without waiting in queues.

    Xiaomi now targets expansion to 200 Mi Home locations in China by the end of the year and 1000 by 2020. It will also bring the number of authorised dealers to 2000 over the next three months. Following the opening of the Mi Home store in Wuhan, the company aims to extend its retail network to cover all quality business districts across the country by the end of this year.

    The brand’s physical stores are seen as a move to counter those of competing brands.

    Robust handset sales have recently seen Xiaomi reverse a RMB12 billion (US$1.75 billion) loss during the fourth quarter of its financial year ended June last year to a profit of RMB14.6 billion ($2.1 billion) in the same period this year.

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  • SK Telecom puts its smart speakers in Paradise

    SK Telecom puts its smart speakers in Paradise

    SK Telecom will develop artificial intelligence-based (AI) hospitality services for the Paradise Hotel Busan, the mobile carrier said Wednesday.

    The company hopes to use its AI technology to improve various hospitality services offered at the hotel, located near Busan’s famed Haeundae Beach. It will start by placing the latest version of its voice-powered smart speaker Nugu, dubbed the Nugu Candle, in about 100 hotel rooms this year.

    The Nugu Candle, released in July, offers more mood-lighting options than its predecessors in 17 different colors from its own light-emitting diodes (LED).

    The device can answer customers’ verbal inquiries about hotel facilities and tourist information about surrounding areas.

    The device will also be used in restaurants and wine bars inside the hotel. The smart speaker is not capable of controlling lamps in the room or curtains yet, a spokesperson from the mobile carrier said.

    But the partnership could expand to offering more AI-based hospitality services in the future, and the device will be given software upgrades to support new features.

    “We will keep striving to make sure AI becomes a natural part of our customers’ lives,” said Park Myung-soon, head of SK Telecom’s AI business unit.

    It’s not the first time Nugu has been placed in hotels. An earlier version of Nugu is being used at the Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul. The company placed Nugu in all 250 rooms at the Walkerhill about two weeks ago, according to the company.

    That device can control some room settings, like temperature, through voice commands.

    KT is the mobile carrier’s largest competitor in putting AI technology into hotels. KT introduced a hotel version of its GiGA Genie smart speaker in July.

    The hotel version has a 10.8-inch display and it understands English, unlike the original GiGA Genie for homes. It can control lighting, room temperature, televisions and order things from the front desk on voice commands. The hotel version is currently being used in the Novotel Ambassador Hotel & Residence in Dongdaemun and L’escape Hotel in central Seoul.

    Kim Chae-hee, senior vice president of KT’s AI business unit, at a press event held in July said KT will continue to target hotels as customers increasingly look for services that don’t require them to interact with hotel staff face to face.

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  • Bang & Olufsen made a Brown Bear speaker inspired by a Line character

    Bang & Olufsen made a Brown Bear speaker inspired by a Line character

    Messaging platform Line has partnered with consumer electronics firm Bang & Olufsen to release a Brown-Bear themed speaker.

    The collaboration attests to the popularity of the chat app within Asia and of its proprietary characters, which are in familiar daily use amongst those who communicate via the platform. Brown Bear is a well-loved character in Line’s cartoon cast.

    Line character merchandise already sells in 108 countries, with a flagship store for Line-themed products in New York’s Times Square.

    The Bluetooth speaker, based on the firm’s Beoplay P2 model, is controlled by taps and shakes rather than button presses, and is brown with a featured Brown Bear accessory. It has been given a limited release with only 5000 units made, distributed in East Asia and the US both online and at a few retail outlets.

    Last month, Line partnered with DJI to create a Brown Bear-themed drone.

    View gallery of how the speaker looked like below (5 images) :

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  • Samsung cleans up its cross-shareholding web

    Samsung cleans up its cross-shareholding web

    Samsung Group affiliates sold off shares in each other’s companies on Friday in a major step toward revamping the conglomerate’s governance structure and removing its byzantine web of cross-shareholding.

    Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance put 2.61 million shares, or 1.37 percent, of Samsung C&T for sale at a suggested price of 328.5 billion won ($294.3 million) through a block deal. Samsung Electro-Mechanics had 5 million shares in the company, equivalent to 2.61 percent, which it aimed to sell at 642.5 billion won.

    The main buyers were institutional investors, industry sources said. They purchased each Samsung C&T share for 122,000 won, 5 percent down from the previous day’s closing price. This will leave Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance with 319.3 billion won and Samsung Electro-Mechanics with 610 billion won.

    The sell-offs put an end to the conglomerate’s long history of cross-shareholding in which companies in a group own shares in other companies. In Korea, the tactic is often used by a conglomerate’s owner family to tighten its ownership across affiliates without directly owning shares in each.

    Samsung, the country’s largest conglomerate, originally had six affiliates forming a complicated spoke-and-axle structure with Samsung C&T at the center. The other five companies were Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

    Its first step toward breaking the structure came in April, when Samsung SDI sold off 4.04 million shares worth 559.9 billion won in Samsung C&T. This effectively terminated three out of seven cross-shareholding arrangements that existed across affiliates. Friday’s sell-off cut off the remaining four.

    Industry analysts expected Samsung C&T to buy back the shares sold by the two affiliates, but all of them were sold to outside investors through block deals, a form of transaction in which two parties agree on a price outside the stock market. Samsung SDI also sold its shares to institutional investors in a block deal in April.

    The current administration under President Moon Jae-in has sent multiple warnings to Samsung to resolve its cross-shareholding structure. It was one of Moon’s pledges when he ran for office last year.

    As for Samsung’s Lee family, the effect on their ownership inside the group is minimal. Its members, including the ailing patriarch Lee Kun-hee and his son Lee Jae-yong currently own 33 percent of Samsung C&T, the group’s de facto holding company. Friday’s sell-off of 3.98 percent in the affiliate won’t make much difference.

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  • Apple cuts costs for the iPhone XS’s big display

    Apple cuts costs for the iPhone XS’s big display

    Apple shaved some parts from the display in its largest new iPhone, helping keep costs under control in what has become the priciest component of its phones in recent years, according to a new cost analysis of the device.

    TechInsights, an Ottawa, Ontario-based firm which rips open phones to analyze their contents and estimate the cost of the parts inside, said on Tuesday that the iPhone XS Max with 256 gigabytes of storage capacity contains about $443 in parts and assembly costs, compared with $395.44 for the 64-gigabyte version of last year’s iPhone X.

    Apple released a trio of new phones earlier this month, including an update to last year’s iPhone X, called the iPhone XS, that starts at $999, and the budget-minded iPhone XR that starts at $749.

    But it was the iPhone XS Max – with a 6.5-inch display that uses OLED technology for richer colors – that pushed new pricing boundaries, starting at $1,099.

    In its cost analysis released on Tuesday, TechInsights found that the single priciest part of the iPhone XS Max – the display – cost $80.50, compared with $77.27 for last year’s iPhone X, which featured a smaller 5.8-inch screen.

    The relatively small increase in cost despite the larger screen size was because Apple appeared to have removed some components related to its so-called 3D Touch system, which makes apps respond differently depending on how hard users press the screen.

    “All told, what they took out adds up to about $10, so this $80 estimate would have been about $90,” Al Cowsky, who oversees cost analysis at TechInsights said in an interview.

    “They had a trade-off in cost.”

    Apple declined to comment on the study.

    But Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research said Apple likely made the right decision to focus on ensuring it could deliver a larger-screened model this year economically.

  • LG U+ adds Google Assistant to its IPTV

    LG U+ adds Google Assistant to its IPTV

    Unlike its telecom service competitors SK Telecom and KT, LG U+, the smallest of the three, is taking a two-track strategy when it comes to voice commands for its internet protocol TV (IPTV) service.

    LG U+ said on Wednesday that it will enable its customers to use Google Assistant for its IPTV set-top box. Subscribers to LG U+ IPTV service can use Google’s AI voice assistant to watch YouTube on TV, launch the Google Photos app as well as use translate and search features with a remote control specifically devoted to Google Assistant.

    Searching for videos on YouTube and viewing photos on smart TVs is hardly new for owners of the latest smart TVs, but using a remote control for real-time translation on a TV is a unique feature.

    “We plan to continue expanding the fields of cooperation with Google that began in 2012,” said Won Kang-hoon, leader of the IPTV partnership service team at LG U+.

    LG U+, an affiliate of LG Electronics, already joined forces with top domestic search engine and portal operator Naver last December to let its customers use Naver’s Clova AI platform for its cable TV service. The telecom operator even tied Clova Friends, an AI speaker, with its subscription services as part of a joint promotion.

    LG U+ IPTV subscribers, who total around 2 million, can use both Clova and Google Assistant. But the telecom has yet to decide whether to link the Google Home AI speaker with its IPTV service.

    SK Telecom and KT, the two largest telecom operators in Korea, have been building their own AI voice command platform. The former has Nugu and the latter has Giga Genie. Other tech firms, such as Samsung Electronics and Naver, have theirs as well. LG U+’s affiliate LG Electronics has its own ThinQ platform, but as of now it only works with home appliances and smartphones.

    LG U+ first released a set-top box equipped with the Google TV operating system in 2012. Four years later, it let subscribers watch some curated YouTube video content. Last August, LG U+ began offering YouTube Kids content to subscribers.

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