The series comprises three models – Galaxy S24, S24+, and the high-end S24 Ultra, each tailored to diverse user needs with different pricing.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone introduces exciting AI features focusing on language, productivity, and camera functionalities.
Notable features include Live Translate, Chat Assist, and other AI features added to the Samsung S24 Series this year.
One standout AI feature in the S24 series is 'Live Translate.' Imagine you know only Hindi, and you are conversing with someone who speaks English.
Samsung addresses this by allowing the Hindi speaker to hear the English conversation translated in real-time. This feature significantly helps overcome language barriers.
Another remarkable AI feature is the 'Generative AI wallpaper.' Users can create a variety of wallpapers using text prompts and the built-in features of the S24 series.
Say Hi to the ease of searching for anything with the #GalaxyS24 Ultra. Simply circle it, find it. Epic search is here.
— Samsung India (@SamsungIndia) January 18, 2024
Pre-book now: https://t.co/UVcH9n7HJX. #Samsung pic.twitter.com/0F91lOVYSN
The 'Circle Search' AI feature eliminates the need to type when searching for information on the internet.
For instance, if a user wants details about an object in a picture, they simply need to circle that area, and Google will automatically provide relevant results. This makes the S24 series more user-friendly and efficient.
The 'Summaries' AI tool is designed for handling lengthy documents like PDFs, texts, or articles.
The S24 series uses this feature to provide users with summarised versions at regular intervals, making it easier to understand complex information in a shorter format.
The smartphone is equipped with AI features for user convenience.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's price in India starts at Rs 1,29,999 for the base 12GB + 256GB RAM and storage configuration.
It is also available in 12GB + 512GB and 12GB + 1TB variants, priced at Rs 1,39,999 and Rs 1,59,999, respectively.
As an introductory offer, Galaxy F34 5G will be available for purchase at an all-inclusive price of Rs 16,999 for the 6+128GB variant and Rs 18,999 for the 8+128GB variant on the company's official website and at select retail stores.
The smartphone comes available in two colour options -- Electric Black and Mystic Green.
"Experience the magic of Revolutionary Nightography, complemented by an unparalleled 120Hz FHD+ Super AMOLED display and a long-lasting 6000 mAh battery, all backed by up to 4 generations of OS upgrades and up to 5 years of Security updates," Aditya Babbar, Senior Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India, said in a statement.
The latest addition to Samsung's Galaxy F series comes with a massive 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 120Hz display that is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
The smartphone features a 50MP (OIS) No Shake camera to shoot high-resolution and shake-free photos and videos, plus the camera setup includes an 8MP 120-degree Ultrawide lens and a 13MP high-resolution front camera for stunning selfies.
Moreover, the Galaxy F34 comes with a segment-leading 6000mAh battery, enabling long sessions of browsing and binge-watching.
The device comes powered by the fast and super power-efficient Exynos 1280 5nm processor for seamless multi-tasking and a lag-free experience.
With the ultimate speed and connectivity of 5G, users can stay fully connected wherever they go, experiencing faster downloads, smoother streaming and uninterrupted browsing, the company said.
In other features, the Galaxy F34 comes with a Voice Focus feature that will minimise background noise during voice and video calls, ensuring crystal-clear conversations.
The device will provide up to four generations of OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates, ensuring users can enjoy the latest features and enhanced security for years to come.
The smartphone will also feature a premium and signature Galaxy design and come in 2 new colours -- Electric Black and Mystic Green.
The display will come protected with Gorilla Glass 5. With Vision Booster technology and 1000 Nits peak brightness, users will get an immersive viewing experience even in bright sunlight, while the 120Hz refresh rate will enable smooth scrolling while browsing, the company said.
Moreover, the new smartphone will feature a 50-megapixel (OIS) No Shake Camera to shoot high-resolution and shake-free photos and videos. The much-loved Nightography feature from the flagship series is being made more accessible with Galaxy F34 5G, offering dedicated features for capturing stunning low-light shots, Samsung said.
Galaxy F34 5G will also sport Fun Mode, which has 16 different inbuilt lens effects allowing users to express themselves through their smartphone camera, plus it will come with another revolutionary camera feature -- Single Take, that captures up to four videos and four photos in a single shot. Further, the device will come with a segment-leading 6000mAh battery, enabling long sessions of browsing and binge-watching.
In other features, the Galaxy F34 comes with a Voice Focus feature that will minimise background noise during voice and video calls, ensuring crystal-clear conversations. The smartphone will also come with immersive audio capability powered by Dolby Atmos.
The device will provide up to four generations of OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates, ensuring users can enjoy the latest features and enhanced security for years to come. Galaxy F34 5G will come with Samsung Wallet, and its Tap & Pay feature, which tokenises and stores your credit and debit cards on the phone.
Samsung has made it easier to replace the batteries by using less glue and a pull tab, making the process much simpler.
The batteries have already been certified by the South Korean safety certification authority and are manufactured by ITM Semiconductor in Vietnam and China's Amperex Technology Limited.
However, Samsung is yet to confirm if the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a combined lower capacity battery before looking at the capacity of the primary battery. In addition, Samsung tested two battery sets for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 last year and ended up using a set with a higher capacity.
It's worth noting that the batteries for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 have also undergone similar enhancements. Both models have easily replaceable batteries with pull tabs for easy removal from the handsets.
Samsung has stated that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will come with a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon for Galaxy SoC.
Additionally, Samsung has made a commitment to making its products and the entire supply chain more environmentally friendly by using recyclable and PCM materials to produce many accessories and phone parts.
Both phones offer impressive features, but which one is better for you?
Let's take a closer look at the specifications, features, and price of each device to help you make an informed decision.
The display is one of the most important features of any smartphone, especially for foldable devices. The Huawei Mate X3 comes with a 7.85-inch Quad HD+ foldable OLED display, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 features a 7.6-inch Quad HD+ foldable Dynamic AMOLED display.
Both screens are excellent, with vibrant colors and high contrast ratios.
However, the Huawei Mate X3 has a slightly larger display, which may be more appealing to some users.
The processor is the brain of a smartphone, and it determines how fast and smooth the device runs.
The Huawei Mate X3 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 octa-core 3 GHz processor, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 octa-core 3.19 GHz processor.
Both devices are very fast and responsive, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has a slightly faster processor, which may be better for gaming or other intensive tasks.
Storage is another crucial factor to consider when choosing a smartphone.
The Huawei Mate X3 comes with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage, as well as a nano memory card slot for additional storage.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage and 12GB of RAM.
Both devices offer plenty of storage space, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has more RAM, which may result in smoother multitasking and app performance.
The camera is an essential feature for many smartphone users, and both the Huawei Mate X3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 have impressive camera systems.
The Huawei Mate X3 has a triple-camera setup, including a 50MP main camera, an 8MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 13MP ultrawide camera. The front camera is an 8MP shooter.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 features a triple-camera setup with a 50MP main camera, a 10MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultrawide camera, along with a 4MP front-facing camera and a 10MP under-display camera.
Both devices offer excellent camera quality, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has a slightly more versatile camera system.
The battery life of a smartphone is crucial, especially for foldable devices that consume more power.
The Huawei Mate X3 is equipped with a powerful 4800mAh battery, boasting impressive 66W fast charging and 50W fast wireless charging capabilities.
In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has a 4400mAh battery with 25W fast charging and 15W fast wireless charging capabilities.
The Huawei Mate X3 has a larger battery and faster charging capabilities, making it more suitable for heavy users.
The Huawei Mate X3 has impressive additional features, including a foldable display, a secondary external display, and IPX8 certification for water and dust resistance.
It also has reverse charging capabilities of up to 5W. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 boasts 5G connectivity, reverse wireless charging, and S Pen support in addition to a foldable display, secondary external display, and IPX8 certification.
The Huawei Mate X3 has not been launched yet, but rumors suggest it may become available on May 24th. Its expected price in India is Rs. 1,56,499.00.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 smartphone is priced at Rs. 1,54,999.
There have been some major upgrades from previous year’s flagship. The most advanced device in the Galaxy line-up is said to be a competition for Apple. Let’s discuss in detail
Design-wise one cannot differentiate between Galaxy S23 and its predecessor Galaxy S22. Both are identical except for the missing camera bump on S23. It has a 6.1” AMOLED display with 120hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Victus 2.
The most significant change is in chipset. All the Galaxy S23 devices run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. There’s a little upgrade in battery capacity as well from 3700mah to 3900 mah in the new device.
Camera remains the same. A 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto lens with 3x zoom. The selfie camera is of 12MP.
Again, on the design front, nothing really has changed. It’s the same when compared with S23 only instead of a 6.1” display it has a bigger 6.6” dynamic AMOLED 2x display with up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness.
The battery capacity has increased by 200mAh from 4500mAh in S22+ to 4700 in the new S23+.
The Galaxy S22+ and the Galaxy S23+ have the same rear cameras: a 50MP primary camera with OIS and dual-pixel autofocus, 12MP ultrawide camera, and 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS. They can record 4K 60fps videos from all three rear cameras. It supports up to 45w fast wired charging.
Now, the showstopper! The Galaxy S23 ultra carries the same design as its predecessor with some minor changes. The curved edges have been reduced for a better experience. It has become slightly heavier. It comes with an infinity-o display. It sports a massive 6.8” long AMOLED display with an adaptive 120 hz refresh rate which is the same as its predecessor. The peak brightness has increased.
It is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with an upgraded GPU.
The camera has taken a leap from 108MP last year to 200MP this year. It has a quad camera setup with a 200 MP main shooter, a 12megapixel ultrawide, plus a 3x telephoto and a 10x telephoto, both 10-megapixel sensors. The selfie camera has come down from 40 MP to 12MP. It sports the same 5000mah battery.
The standout feature continues to be the S-pen. Originally from the note series, this pen offers exciting features which make the Ultra one of the best in android market.
Another important feature that all the 3 devices have in common is the IP68 rating. All the devices support reverse and wireless charging.
The Galaxy S23 base variant of 8GB\128GB storage shall cost Rs 74,999 as compared to S22 which had a starting price tag of Rs 72,999. Likewise, the Galaxy S23+ base variant of 8GB\256GB will be available for Rs 94,999 - an increase of Rs1k from the previous version. Galaxy S23 Ultra is priced at around Rs 104999 for the base variant of 8GB\512GB.
Like every year, the tech giant will unveil its new flagship smartphone series, Galaxy S23.
The lineup is expected to have three models -- Galaxy S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra.
According to reports, the first two models will have similar designs and specifications, and the third will be more visually distinct with at least one significant unique feature.
The main camera of the S23 Ultra is likely to have a high-resolution 200-megapixel main sensor, which is almost double the 108-megapixel sensor featured in last year's Galaxy S22 Ultra, according to The Verge.
Alongside the 200-megapixel sensor, rumours suggest that the S23 Ultra is likely to have three additional cameras, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, a 10-megapixel telephoto with a 3x optical zoom and 10-megapixel telephoto with a 10x optical zoom.
However, S23 and S23 Plus are expected to feature triple-camera systems consisting of 50-megapixel main sensors, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel telephotos.
While the Galaxy S23 is likely to come with a 6.1-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED display, the S23 Plus is expected to feature a 6.6-inch display, and S23 Ultra might have a 6.8-inch display.
Galaxy S23 is likely to have a starting price of $799.99, S23 Plus will have $999.99 and S23 Ultra will have $1,199.99.
The tech giant is also expected to announce a new laptop lineup, Galaxy Book 3, alongside the S23 series.
All the laptops in the new lineup are likely to come with a 16-inch 1800p OLED display, an Intel i9-13900H CPU, an Nvidia RTX 4070 discrete GPU, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and might be compatible with Samsung's S Pen stylus
Moreover, the company is unlikely to launch tablets, earbuds or smartwatches at the Unpacked event.
Here's a list of five 5G smartphones you should definitely consider buying:
(a) Samsung Galaxy M53: Starting off with a Samsung smartphone, this device is touted to be the best M series phone launched this year. It has 6.7” super AMOLED display with 120hz refresh rate. It is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor. It has a quad camera setup in the rear with main sensor being 108MP. The front facing camera is 32 MP. It is available on Amazon and the base variant costs Rs 26,499.
(b) Nothing Phone 1: A new player in the market this year known for its creative design. The Nothing Phone 1 has a 6.55” FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Snapdragon 778G+ SoC. There is a dual rear camera setup with the primary camera being 50 MP having Sony IMX766 sensor with optical stabilization. The ultra-wide camera also has a 50-megapixel resolution. The front camera has a resolution of 16 MP. The phone has a semi-transparent back side with a specific array of attention grabbing lights which the company calls ‘glyph interface’. The phone 1 doesn’t come with charger or protective case in the box. The base variant is available on Flipkart for Rs 29,999.
(c) ONE PLUS NORD 2T: The list is incomplete without a OnePlus smartphone. The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G uses a MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC. The 6.43-inch AMOLED panel on the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G features a 90Hz refresh rate and OnePlus claims that it is HDR10+ certified. The OnePlus Nord 2T has three rear cameras. There's a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel monochrome camera, which is mainly used for gathering depth data when using Portrait mode. It has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. It is available on Amazon for Rs 28,999.
(d) IQOO NEO 6: Launched into the highly competitive sub-30k range, this device offers great performance at a great price. It sports a 6.62-inch AMOLED display with a hole-punch at the top for the selfie camera. iQoo Neo 6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC which is one of the most powerful SoCs in this price range. It packs a 4,700mAh battery and has support for up to 80W fast charging. It has a triple camera setup consisting of a 64-megapixel primary with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 2-megapixel macro. And in the front, it has a 16MP selfie camera. It is available on Amazon for Rs 29,999.
(e) MOTO EDGE 30: Coming to the final device on the list, Moto Edge 30 has a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 90 hz refresh rate. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC. It has a triple camera setup in the rear with a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera which is also capable of macro photography, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. The selfie camera on this device is 32MP. It is available on Flipkart for Rs 27,999.
(DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Method 1: Use Google Backup or iCloud
Most modern smartphones, whether Android or iPhone, include a dedicated cloud backup feature that is usually enabled as soon as you sign in with a Google Account or an Apple ID. If the display on your device is damaged, you can use the same Google Account or Apple ID to log in to another device, and it will automatically restore the last backup data on the new device.
Method 2: Use Google Takeout and iCloud website
Another notable method is to use Google Takeout for Android and the iCloud website for iOS to download your data from your old smartphone.
For Android users, open any web browser to takeout.google.com and sign in with the Google Account associated with the device. You can select the data you want to download here, such as contacts, photos, mail, messages, and so on.
For Samsung devices, if you own a Samsung smartphone that is linked to your Samsung Account. You can use the Find my mobile website to back up and download all of your data to Samsung Cloud.
For iOS, sign in to your iCloud account to see all of your data, including Contacts, Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive, and so on.
Method 3: Use Mouse and data cable
MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) and mouse are also supported by modern smartphones for wired external displays. To see the display on your TV or monitor and use the mouse to navigate through the menu and transfer your data, you'll need an MHL cable and a wired mouse, as well as a dongle.
These are the three most common methods for transferring data from a broken display device. Also, if you want to transfer WhatsApp data, WhatsApp has its own backup feature.
Here's a list of few devices you should look for:
1. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: We all know what Galaxy followed by Ultra means! A Samsung flagship. It is said to have better sensors and battery life.
2. OnePlus 11: OnePlus has a different fan base in India. And it has a unique feature of launching only one flagship a year unlike other brands which simply add or subtract some features from their flagship to make a new phone going at the same cost. We all know OnePlus flagships are powered by snapdragon socs. The phone is rumored to be launched in December.
3. Vivo X90 Pro: This is a camera-centric phone with amazing features. It is expected to have a 6.78-inch AMOLED E6 display, with a 120hz refresh rate.
4. Xiaomi 13 Pro: A phone worth looking out for. It comes with a 2k display with an amoled display. It has better cameras, display, and battery. It is expected to be launched in early January.
5. Moto X40: A great phone from India’s perspective. It has all the same features as its predecessor but the refresh rate is reported to be 165hz on this device. It is also rumored to have an attractive and affordable price.
(DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The decision comes as the tech giant has been faced with intensifying global competition from smaller rivals, including those in China, and growing economic uncertainty from global inflation, monetary tightening and worries over an economic slowdown.
Earlier in the day, President Yoon Suk-yeol approved his first special pardons for Lee, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and 1,691 others on the occasion of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day anniversary. Yoon said the pardon was expected to help the country "overcome the economic crisis."
Samsung heir Lee was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in a bribery case involving former President Park Geun-hye and released on parole in August last year. His prison term officially ended July 29, but he still needs a pardon to have all his rights reinstated, reports Yonhap news agency.
"I am really thankful that I am given another chance to start anew," Lee said in a statement right after the pardon decision was announced.
"I will work harder to fulfill my responsibility as a businessman and help the economy by creating more jobs for young people," he added.
Lee's supporters had demanded the government pardon him so that he could assume his role freely at Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of the group and the world's largest memory chip and mobile phone maker.
Lee's "absence," they argued, could hurt the performance of the company, the largest contributor to Asia's fourth-largest economy, at a time when global rivalry over chip manufacturing has intensified and chip shortages have hobbled the production of cars and consumer electronics.
With the pardon, Lee is expected to take a more decisive leadership role.
Like many global tech companies, Samsung is facing economic headwinds from global recession fears and high inflation that have cut into consumers' purchasing power. The semiconductor cycle has been showing signs of peaking out after more than two years of pandemic-fueled robust growth.
Samsung shares have dropped more than 23 percent since the start of the year, far underperforming the KOSPI market's 15 percent decrease.
In recent months, Samsung has stepped up efforts to build up networks and meet key clients and partners, including ASML, one of the company's biggest chipmaking partners and the sole maker of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, which is essential to make advanced chips.
Samsung has been also actively looking for potential M&A targets in a wide array of businesses, including chips. Senior executives have hinted multiple times for months that a deal could come sooner than later.
Earlier this year, Samsung announced a massive investment plan for the next five years, in particular to sharpen its competitiveness in the chip industry.
The tech giant said it will invest 450 trillion won (US$355 billion) in semiconductors and biopharmaceuticals in the span of five years, 80 percent of which will be used for research and development and nurturing talent in South Korea, especially in advanced chipmaking.
"I think the pardon will help the company make long-term and big business decisions more confidently, including possible M&As and investment," Greg Roh, head of technology research at HMC Investment & Securities, said.
Market watchers say that Lee could be promoted, within this year, to chairmanship of Samsung Electronics, a position that has been left vacant after his father Lee Kun-hee died in October 2020. The junior Lee assumed the vice president position in December 2012.
Meanwhile, in the eyes of activists calling for better corporate governance, Friday's pardon is yet another example of the country's leniency toward business tycoons convicted of white crimes.
His father was convicted of embezzlement and tax evasion but was given a presidential pardon in December 2009 in the name of "national interest."
"We deplore the Yoon government's 'selective justice' with leniency toward chaebol leaders," said People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, one of the country's most active civic groups.
Lee's legal battle, however, has not ended yet. He has been on a separate trial over the 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates and alleged accounting fraud at the pharmaceutical unit Samsung Biologics. The merger and fraud are widely seen as key steps to strengthen his grip on the group.
The news was confirmed by Samsung's smartphone chief Roh Tae-moon, who told reporters at Mobile World Congress 2022 that "Galaxy Note will come out as Ultra" going forward, referring to Samsung's recently released Galaxy S22 Ultra, reports The Verge.
As per the report, the news is not exactly a surprise. Samsung has not released a Galaxy Note device since the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra were released in 2020.
When Samsung first launched the Galaxy Note over a decade ago -- back in October 2011 -- with a massive (for the time) 5.3-inch screen, it towered over contemporaries, like the 4.3-inch screen Galaxy S II or the 3.5-inch iPhone 4S.
The Note was key in helping to popularise big smartphones, but it wasn't all slam dunks for Samsung, the report said.
Recently, Samsung has launched Galaxy S22 Series in India on February 17.
Samsung Galaxy S22 price in India has been set at Rs 72,999 for the base 8GB RAM+256GB storage variant and the 8GB+256GB model comes with a price tag of Rs 76,999.
The Galaxy S22+ starts at Rs 84,999 for the 8GB+128GB model and goes up to Rs 88,999 for the 8GB+256GB option.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is priced at Rs 1,09,999 for the 12GB+256GB option. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line 12GB+512GB model is priced at Rs 1,18,999.
Now and into the future, Samsung will incorporate repurposed ocean-bound plastics throughout our entire product lineup, starting with our new Galaxy devices that will be revealed on Wednesday at the Unpacked event.
"Made with repurposed ocean-bound discarded fishing nets, the use of this material marks another step in our Galaxy for the Planet journey that aims to minimize our environmental footprint and help foster more sustainable lifestyles for the Galaxy community," the company said in a statement.
The upcoming devices will reflect the company's ongoing effort to eliminate single-use plastics and expand the use of other eco-conscious materials, such as recycled post-consumer material (PCM) and recycled paper.
Samsung is committed to addressing ocean plastic pollution in a way that will positively impact not only the environment but also the lives of all Galaxy users.
This new technological advancement marks a notable achievement in the company's journey to deliver tangible environmental actions and protect the planet for generations to come.
In Q3, smartphone shipments in India posted a 47 per cent sequential quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) growth, on the back of robust consumer demand, and despite persistent supply constraints.
Xiaomi (23 per cent), Samsung (18 per cent) and Vivo (15 per cent) captured the top three spots in the smartphone market, followed by realme and Oppo.
The feature phone segment declined 21 per cent (YoY), driven by continued consumer transition to smartphones.
The 2G feature phone segment declined 27 per cent YoY, with itel (27 per cent), Lava (19 per cent) and Samsung (14 per cent) capturing the top three spots.
Samsung launched 10 new smartphone models including 7 5G smartphone models. Nearly 20 per cent of all Samsung smartphones were 5G capable.
The Samsung Galaxy M02, M02s and Galaxy A12 accounted for 34 per cent of its shipments, the report mentioned.
In Q4 2021, CMR anticipates the ongoing supply constraints, high components and logistics costs, and consequent high retail costs, to continue challenging smartphone brands.
"In Q4 2021 and beyond, the supply chain constraints will continue to persist. Smartphone brands that are able to augment their component supplies, and plan in advance their market outreach strategies, will be able to succeed" said Anand Priya Singh, Analyst, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.
However, Samsung retained the number one spot in the third quarter with smartphone shipments of 69 million units.
According to market research firm Counterpoint, the market declined due to the ongoing global component shortages and the slow recovery of key markets such as China and parts of Europe.
"During the September quarter, we saw supply constraints that were even more severe than those experienced during the June quarter," Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said in a statement.
"This led to declines in shipment volumes, especially in the entry tier segment, which limited the growth potential. As a result, market demand was met by mid-to high-tier smartphones that helped drive the quarter to a record revenue even with the declining shipments," he added.
Apple shipped 48 million units in the third quarter, up 15 per cent YoY. This growth was propelled by the launch of the latest iPhone 13 series and stronger than expected performance of the iPhone SE 2020.
Apple continued its push in China's premium segment where Chinese brands such as OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi have not been able to effectively fill the gap left by Huawei's diminishing position.
Xiaomi shipped 44.4 million units, down 5 per cent YoY and 15 per cent QoQ as it was severely hit by the ongoing component shortages.
As a result, its global market share declined to 12.9 per cent from 16.25 per cent in the second quarter. In China, Xiaomi's shipment declined 15 per cent QoQ and the brand lost the third spot to HONOR.
OPPO, which also includes OnePlus, grew 23 per cent YoY to capture an 11.1 per cent market share with 38.1 million units.
The brand saw an increase in the $400-$599 and $600-$799 price bands, mainly owing to strong shipments of the Reno 6 series, Find X3 and OnePlus 9 series.
During the quarter, OnePlus also registered its highest ever shipments in India.
Vivo grew 9 per cent YoY and 4 per cent QoQ to take 9.8 per cent share for the quarter. Vivo continued to lead in China's market in the third quarter with more than 17 million units.
Huawei's shipments further declined 84 per cent YoY to reach 5.8 million units due to a lack of core components.
HONOR's shipments grew 73 per cent QoQ driven by its market comeback in China, where it became the fourth largest brand in the third quarter.
realme achieved its highest-ever shipment performance with 16 million units. This was driven by the strong and consistent performance of its 8 series and newly-launched Narzo series.
Once launched, the Galaxy M52 5G will be available on Samsung.com, Amazon.in and select retail outlets.
Galaxy M52 5G is being dubbed as the 'Leanest, Meanest Monster' by Samsung in teasers put out on Amazon. Galaxy M52 5G is 21 per cent sleeker as compared to M51.
In terms of specifications, Galaxy M52 is rumoured to come with flagship Snapdragon 778G processor, making it the most powerful M Series smartphone to launch in India yet.
The new processor is expected to improve the phone's performance by 55 per cent resulting in powerful multitasking.
As per industry sources, Galaxy M52 5G is likely to feature 64MP triple camera and it will also support multiple 5G bands.
Samsung designed Galaxy M Series for young Indian millennial and Gen Z consumers and in the last three years.
With the launch of Galaxy M52 5G, Samsung is further eyeing to strengthen its 5G portfolio in the country.
Galaxy M52 5G will be Samsung's third 5G smartphone in the Galaxy M series, after the recently launched Galaxy M32 5G and Galaxy M42 5G.
Xiaomi's sales grew 26 per cent (month-on-month) in June, making it the fastest-growing brand for the month.
Xiaomi was also the number two brand globally for Q2 2021 in terms of sales, and cumulatively, has sold close to 800 million smartphones since its inception in 2011, according to Counterpoint Research's Monthly Market Pulse Service.
"Ever since the decline of Huawei commenced, Xiaomi has been making consistent and aggressive efforts to fill the gap created by this decline. The OEM has been expanding in Huawei's and HONOR's legacy markets like China, Europe, Middle East and Africa," said Research Director Tarun Pathak.
"In June, Xiaomi was further helped by China, Europe and India's recovery and Samsung's decline due to supply constraints," he added.
China's market grew 16 per cent (MoM) in June driven by the 618 festival.
"Xiaomi was the fastest growing OEM, riding on its aggressive offline expansion in lower-tier cities and solid performance of its Redmi 9, Redmi Note 9 and the Redmi K series," said Senior Analyst Varun Mishra, commenting on the China market and Samsung supply constraints.
At the same time, due to a fresh wave of Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Samsung's production was disrupted in June, which resulted in the brand's devices facing shortages across channels.
"Xiaomi, with its strong mid-range portfolio and wide market coverage, was the biggest beneficiary from the short-term gap left by Samsung's A series," Mishra added.
The company was yet to announce the India pricing of the devices.
Samsung introduced the new "Infinity-O" screen in the devices which has a tiny cut-out for the camera hole on top of the display. That means users don't have any sort of "notch" as you see on iPhones.
"Galaxy S10 delivers breakthrough display, camera and performance innovations. With four premium devices, each built for a unique consumer in mind, Samsung is leveraging a decade of industry leadership to usher in a new era of smartphone technology," said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics.
Samsung's direct rival to Apple iPhone XR is Galaxy S10e that doesn't have all of the features of the pricier Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, including the new in-screen fingerprint scanner, the advanced cameras or the curved displays. However, it does have the same brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and the most affordable price, starting at $749 (roughly Rs 53,000).
The price of Galaxy S10 starts at $849 (roughly Rs 60,000) and packs in almost all features as its high-end sibling Galaxy S10+ -- except for a slightly smaller display and a front-facing camera with portrait mode.
The S10 brings three rear cameras -- a 16MP ultrawide sensor with fixed focus, a main 12MP dual aperture wide-angle lens with OIS and a 12MP telephoto lens with OIS.
It has a 6.1-inch display and it is slightly smaller than the Galaxy S10+, which has a 6.4-inch display.
It is the first HDR10+-certified smartphone and its dynamic AMOLED display is also VDE-certified for vibrant colours and extraordinary contrast ratio for even deeper blacks and brighter whites, the company said.
The costliest of the lot is Galaxy S10+ that adds a 6.4-inch screen and a selfie camera for portrait selfies.
Samsung would reportedly sell a super premium model with a stronger ceramic body, 12GB RAM and a massive 1TB of storage out of the box apart from the $999 (roughly Rs 74,000) variant with 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM.
All three devices come with glass back panels and support wireless charging.
Similar to the Huawei Mate 20, the Galaxy S10 also supports reverse wireless charging, thus allowing users to charge a device by placing it on the rear of the S10.
The company also unveiled the Galaxy S10 5G phone, which has the largest screen of the bunch, measuring in at 6.7 inches.
The Galaxy S10 5G has a 4,500mAh battery and comes with 256GB storage with 8GB RAM.
The South Korean tech major also unveiled the Galaxy Fold with six cameras and two batteries for $1980 (roughly Rs 140,000).
This is Samsung's first truly flexible device which converts from a smartphone to a tablet and will be available on April 26.
At third position, Apple had 23 per cent market share as the overall premium smartphone segment grew by 8 per cent (year-on-year) for the full year and 16 per cent (YoY) for Q4 2018.
OnePlus recorded its highest-ever shipments in a single quarter (Q4), capturing 36 per cent market share to lead the premium smartphone segment for three successive quarters.
"OnePlus 6 was the best selling premium model throughout 2018 in terms of shipment as well as in retail value. OnePlus 6T was positioned at second place followed by Samsung S9 Plus," said Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst at Counterpoint.
According to Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, it has emerged as the best-selling premium smartphone brand owing to the focus on sharing the best technology with its consumers.
"Last year, we expanded in the offline segment through our 'Experience Stores' and through partners such as Croma and Reliance Digital in order to create more touch points for customers to engage with the brand," Agarwal told IANS.
Samsung captured 26 per cent share of the premium segment and its shipments grew 72 per cent (YoY) in Q4 2018.
"The newly-launched Galaxy A9, the world's first quad rear camera phone, in Rs 30,000-40,000 price segment attributed towards Samsung's growth, which is in direct competition with OnePlus," said the report.
Apple's premium segment shipments declined 25 per cent (YoY) in Q4 2018 mainly due to extreme high premium-commanding pricing for iPhones as Apple continues to choose to pay 20 per cent import duty on new imported iPhones instead of manufacturing in India.
"As a result, we believe Apple to start manufacturing locally for latest iPhones in 2019 and beyond to potentially lower the current higher iPhone pricing," said Chauhan.
The top three brands -- OnePlus, Samsung and Apple -- contributed to 92 per cent of the overall premium market in Q4 2018.
Galaxy M20 will be priced at Rs 12,990 for the 4GB+64GB variant, while the 3GB+32GB variant will cost Rs 10,990.
Galaxy M10 is priced at Rs 8,990 for the 3GB+32GB variant and Rs 7,990 for the 2GB+16GB.
The new Galaxy M series devices, available on Amazon India starting February 5, come with infinity-V display, dual camera with ultra-wide lens, and a new Samsung Experience UX.
"Today's millennials want a smartphone that is lighting fast, runs longer and comes loaded with latest innovations. Customer-centric approach form a part of our DNA and the new Galaxy M series is an embodiment of that commitment," said Asim Warsi, Senior Vice-President, Samsung India.
Galaxy M20 comes with a FHD+ 6.3-inch FHD+ infinity-V display, while Galaxy M10 has a HD 6.2-inch HD+ screen.
Both the devices come with "Widevine L1" certification for seamless HD content streaming via popular apps.
A big 5000mAh battery powers the Galaxy M20 and the power management feature has a multi-layered technology system that ensures low power consumption, the company claimed.
There's type-C fast-charging with a 15W in-box charger.
It is powered by Samsung's latest Exynos 7904 octa-core processor.
Both Galaxy M20 and M10 sport dual rear cameras with ultra-wide feature.
Galaxy M Series customers on Jio 4G would be entitled to double-data offer on Rs 198 and Rs 299 plans.
These displays could exist as TV sets or monitors and show content varying from photographs and videos to 3D games. The illustrations included with the patent also show that users may forward the information presented on their smartphones to the 3D screens.
"For example, if the user is on a call, the screen can show the person that they are currently speaking to at the moment and the display can also be used to control the playback of music files that the user forwarded from their handsets," Android Headlines reported on Friday.
The 3D display also features a 3D user interface (UI) that would allow users to interact with the device either through touch or by stylus pens.
These displays could also be sport sensors that detect user-contact with virtual objects presented by the device using infrared radiation or ultrasound waves to track how the person interacts with the content, the report added.
While patents do not always result in a commercialised product, it hints towards how the South Korean giant may market 3D displays in the future.
There has been no statement from the company as of now regarding the newly-filed patent.
The Seoul-based company launched a 3D TV set in 2010 which did not reach commercial success due to the inconveniences associated with using the products.
In November 2018, Samsung filed patents related to holographic technology that uses existing display apparatus for showing high-resolution images that the company might include in future foldable handsets.
So if you've bought movies or TV shows from Apple's iTunes store, you will be able to watch those on Samsung TVs without connecting an Apple TV box.
"In an industry first, a new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut only on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries. AirPlay 2 support will be available on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide," the company announced on Sunday at the CES 2019 here.
Support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will be made available via firmware update.
With the new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app on Samsung Smart TVs, Samsung customers can access their existing iTunes library and browse the iTunes Store to buy or rent from a selection of hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes a" including the largest selection of 4K HDR movies.
"We pride ourselves on working with top industry leaders to deliver the widest range of content services to our Smart TV platform," said Won-Jin Lee, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
"Bringing more content, value and open platform functionality to Samsung TV owners and Apple customers through iTunes and AirPlay is ideal for everyone," he added in a statement.
With AirPlay 2 support, Samsung customers will be able to effortlessly play videos, photos, music, podcasts and more from Apple devices directly to the entire range of Samsung Smart TVs.
"We look forward to bringing the iTunes and AirPlay 2 experience to even more customers around the world through Samsung Smart TVs," said Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services at Apple.
The South Korean giant, which has a significant presence across price points in the country, would this month launch two smartphones -- M10 for around Rs 9,500 and M20 for nearly Rs 15,000 -- with not-seen-before specifications like Infinity-V display in this segment.
According to reliable industry sources, the third smartphone M30 with triple-rear camera system will probably arrive next month.
The first-ever 'M' series smartphones with industry-first features are currently being manufactured for the millennials at Samsung's factory in Noida. It will be a global launch for the 'M' series in India and may reach other markets later.
According to experts, Samsung which is still the most vertical integrated player in the Indian market, has set its eyes firmly on de-throwning Xiaomi's highly-successful Redmi series in the affordable and mid-price range segment.
"Samsung has access to latest display, camera, memory and connectivity technologies from hardware perspective. Further, it can enjoy global scale for the same 'M' models more than Xiaomi," Neil Shah, Partner and Research Director at Counterpoint Research told IANS.
According to Shah, Samsung can surely compete well if it has the right value proposition in terms of design, specs and more so camera to take on Xiaomi.
"Samsung is also in better position in offline market and a robust service network. The only caveat has been Xiaomi sacrificing margins and out-pricing competition -- the challenge which Samsung will have to crack with these new models," Shah noted.
Galaxy M20 will house a massive 5,000mAh battery -- the first-ever on any Samsung smartphone -- a big plus for phone users in the country who treat battery life as one of their key requirements. M20 will house a 3,500mAh battery.
"Samsung's new Galaxy 'M' series of smartphones with industry-first features indicates the importance it accords to India as a growth market," said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).
"It would look at bolstering and taking the fight to Xiaomi in this price segment, and further cement its leadership in Indian market," Ram told IANS.
The launch of the 'M' series in India, following months of R&D carried out by Samsung India, would be in line with the company's strategy to consolidate its position among the country's millennials.
"There is a need for Samsung to pep up their presence in the affordable and mid-price segment. For sometime, the company emphasised on the premium and luxury segments but now is the time to refresh the bouquet for the highly-saleable segments in our country," emphasised Faisal Kawoosa, Founder and Principal Analyst, techARC.
Samsung that has always believed in being humble when it comes to answering the growing competition is also set to change the game for over 700 million feature phone users who would now have better options to upgrade.
Samsung Mobile today is the most attractive brand in India, a TRA Research report said last month.
"Samsung offers phones with prices ranging from Rs 8,000-75,000 and this very variety sets it aside from other mobile manufacturers," said N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research.
"A differentiated product strategy would fuel Samsung's further growth in India," added Ram.
While the specifications of the new speaker are not yet known it is presumed to have fewer of the features of the main Galaxy Home that Samsung announced in August, The Verge reported on Saturday.
While the main Galaxy Home, which is yet to hit the market, could compete with Apple HomePod, which retails for $349, the mini Bixby-powered speaker could take on Google Home and Amazon Echo which are available for less than $200.
Originally reported by SamMobile, the mini Bixby speaker might have fewer microphones than the Galaxy Home and perhaps lack a subwoofer.
The premium Galaxy Home, which was showcased in the US during the flagship Galaxy Note 9 launch, is likely to feature eight microphones.
Elevated by three stout metal legs, the main Galaxy Home looks like a mini space capsule, wrapped in black fabric with a flat top housing touch-enabled control buttons.
The three metal legs ensures the device can be kept anywhere at home - even in a cosy corner on the floor - while other smart speakers do need a desk or tabletop.
Speculations are rife that Samsung could showcase the mini Galaxy Home at CES 2019 to be held in Las Vegas from January 8-11.
The two companies are set to unveil a proof of concept, powered by the upcoming flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platform with the Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem and antenna modules, at the annual Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui, Hawaii, this week.
"5G will usher in a new era of mobile connectivity, allowing people to connect to data, experiences and other in ways never thought possible," said Brian Higgins, Vice President, Wireless Device and Product Marketing at Verizon.
"Together, Samsung and Verizon have made huge gains in bringing 5G commercial services to consumers in several cities. Now, we are partnering to create a smartphone to put the power of 5G in the palm of your hand," he added.
5G mobility service will provide massive bandwidth, greater opportunities for connectivity and improved network reliability.
When fully implemented, it will offer capacity and download speed many times faster than today's 4G LTE network. Along with network latency that is faster than the blink of an eye.
"We're proud to work alongside innovative partners like Verizon and Qualcomm Technologies to deliver a smartphone that will fundamentally transform how people work and play," said Justin Denison, Senior Vice President, Mobile Product Strategy and Marketing at Samsung Electronics America.
Samsung, which is set to launch world's first foldable smartphone early 2019, has partnered with Verizon on its 5G Home offering since the beginning of 2018.
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research's "Market Pulse", this was driven by e-commerce platform Amazon India and Flipkart's series of online sales and OEM promotions (such as Mi.com) that offered deep discounts and no-cost EMI on debit and credit cards.
"Flipkart stood out due to the most number of exclusives while Amazon benefited from the launch of OnePlus 6T," Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst, Counterpoint Research, said in a statement.
While Xiaomi dominated the season with record performance, thus, widening gap with rivals, smartphone player Realme witnessed a record performance for any new brand ever in India, becoming the second largest brand across the e-commerce channels.
"Top three smartphone brands, Xiaomi, Samsung and Realme captured 57 per cent of the overall Diwali festive season smartphone sales. Xiaomi widened the gap with Samsung which still did relatively well in offline channels, capturing 30 per cent share," said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research.
"Newly-launched player Realme had a record festive performance for any new brand ever in India. Realme immediately captured 9 per cent share jumping to the third spot in overall sales volume performance. Huawei had a strong performance in online segment while Vivo performed exceedingly well in offline channels," Pathak said.
"Emerging brands such as OnePlus, Pocophone, Asus and HMD Nokia also registered strong uptake during the festive season due to the new launches ahead of the festive sale period. Meanwhile, Apple's new iPhones had a lukewarm response for its new and older iPhone models," said Hanish Bhatia, Senior Analyst, Counterpoint Research.
Company officials from three R&D centres located in Bengaluru, Delhi and Noida, will visit the IITs at Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai, Chennai, Kharagpur, Guwahati, Varanasi and Roorkie starting December 1.
The R&D centres will also hire engineers from the newer IITs at Hyderabad, Dhanbad, Ropar, Indore, Gandhinagar, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Mandi and Jodhpur.
"Our R&D centres are focusing on cutting edge technologies, developing innovations for the Indian market as well as for the globe. We will continue to add engineers for research and development in these areas and further our commitment to making a strong research base in India," said Sameer Wadhawan, Head, Human Resources, Samsung India.
Samsung has offered over 200 Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) to students at the IITs this year.
"There's a tactical shift that we have made to spot talent early and offer PPOs. This year, we had a slightly longer internship period so that students can spend more time in the company, giving them opportunity to interact with the leaders and managers.
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"This helps us select bright talents amongst them," said Wadhawan.
Apart from the IITs, Samsung will also be hiring from other top engineering colleges such as BITS Pilani, IIITs, NITs, Delhi Technological University, Manipal Institute of Technology and IISc Bangalore.
Between the IITs and other engineering colleges, Samsung will hire close to 1,000 engineers. In all it has offered 350 PPOs this year.
The smartphone maker has applied for three brand name registrations -- "Flex", "Foldi" and "Duplex" -- at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
"All three applications are categorised in Class 9 that includes smartphones, so it's a pretty safe bet that LG is claiming these names for any future devices it makes, foldable or otherwise," Engadget reported late on Friday.
However, it was not clear if the names would be used for a smartphone or any other device.
"The first two, 'Flex' and 'Foldi', are pretty straightforward and in sync with Samsung's Galaxy F and Huawei's Flexi/Flex trademarks.
"'Duplex', on the other hand, is an interesting choice by LG, especially considering that Google is using the word for its AI call-making feature that just started rolling out to users," PhoneArena reported.
Samsung aims to launch its first foldable smartphone in March next year, along with a fifth-generation (5G) network-powered Galaxy S10.
The South Korean tech giant plans to unveil the flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone in February, followed by the foldable Galaxy F and another edition of the Galaxy S10 that runs on the 5G network in March.
Samsung Electronics President and CEO Kim Ki-nam, who heads the tech giant's crucial device solution division, expressed deep regrets on behalf of the company to the victims, claiming that Samsung will make every effort to comply with the compensation plan prepared by the mediation committee.
"Beloved colleagues and families have suffered for a long time, but Samsung Electronics failed to take care of the matter earlier," Kim said. "We lacked being considerate of such pains and promptly settled the issue.
"Samsung Electronics also did not fully and completely manage potential health risks at our chip and liquid-crystal display production lines. Today, we wish to express a sincere apology to the workers who suffered from diseases, as well as their families," Kim added.
The standoff involving the South Korean tech giant surfaced when Hwang Yu-mi, who worked on a Samsung chip production line, died of leukemia in 2007.
Victims have been claiming that Samsung should provide compensation, apologise and come up with measures to prevent further outbreaks, Yonhap news agency reported.
The world's top chipmaker and the Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry (SHARPS), a group of victims, agreed to accept any decision made by a mediation committee in July, unconditionally.
Earlier this month, the mediation committee announced the settlement that included compensation of up to 150 million won (US$132,000) per illness. The compensation plan also covers congenital diseases suffered by children of the victims. The agreement, however, did not acknowledge that the workplace environment is directly related to the diseases afflicting some employees.
On Friday, Samsung and victims accepted and inked the mediation plan as agreed in July. Government and industry officials attended the event as well.
Kim reiterated that Samsung will unconditionally accept the mediation.
Samsung said the compensation will be carried out by a third party -- Jipyong, a South Korean law firm. The deadline for the compensation is October 31, 2028, although it can be extended depending on circumstances.
All incumbent or former workers of Samsung and its sub-contractors, who have served at the company's chip and LCD production lines in Giheung, south of Seoul, since 1984 will be eligible to apply for compensation.
Along with the compensation, Samsung donated 50 billion won to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency to help improve workers' safety and health in the country.
The fund will be used for researching and building facilities for industrial safety.
Samsung and Jipyong plan to open an office to carry out the compensation scheme in December, and start the process within this year at the earliest.
"Honestly, today's apology made by a Samsung Electronics CEO is not sufficient for the victims of the work-related diseases," said Hwang Yu-mi's father, Sang-ki. "But I will consider the apology as Samsung Electronics' resolution."
"We still have more tasks. The work-related diseases are not limited to Samsung Electronics' chip and LCD segments.
"There are also ailing workers from Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDS, Samsung SDI and other affiliates, after handling hazardous substances," Hwang added. "I hope Samsung prepares a comprehensive compensation for all workers suffering from such illnesses."
They were chosen out of the 22 teams who submitted entries. The winning projects were selected for their degree of implementation, prototype implementation, final product realisation, business and market impact and the demonstration.
Kannan Chandrasekaran, who developed the self-learning bot that can read through and understand data quickly, won the first prize of Rs 1.5 lakh at the eighth edition of the awards.
The bot can respond to queries on data in any form or language, making it easy for users to find information.
V. Sushmitha, Anand Kadu and Sushmee Badhulika received the second prize for developing a low cost platform for personal healthcare -- a model that enables easy accessibility and low cost healthcare in remote parts of India.
It is enabled by easily available devices such as a smartphone and could be mounted on a wearable device as well. The three shared a Rs 1.2 lakh cash prize.
G. Hanu Phani Ram, Praveen Kumar Poola and Prasanth Panta won the third prize of Rs 80,000 for their idea of using a smartphone-based method to study cells for early detection of oral cancers.
"Students of IIT-Hyderabad have submitted powerful ideas that made shortlisting winners a difficult yet delightful challenge," Aloknath De, Senior Vice President, Samsung R&D Institute, India - Bangalore (SRI-B), said in a statement on Friday.
"Samsung has been supporting deep-tech innovation over the years and we believe such opportunities alongside joint courses and emerging technology labs at top institutions will help take our vision forward," De said.
Conceptualised in 2011, Samsung Innovation Awards aims to recognise and reward innovations that have the potential to revolutionise everyday living.
For the 2018 edition, students were invited to submit their innovative ideas in Internet of Things (IoT) and related technology areas.
Of the 22 entries that made it to the list, seven projects were selected as finalists by professors from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Hyderabad and researchers from SRI-B.
The other four finalists received awards of merit from Samsung.
Both the smartphones are likely to be priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, industry sources told IANS.
The Galaxy J6+ is expected to come with dual rear cameras along with the support of an industry-first side finger print sensor.
The Galaxy J4+ is likely to come with a new "emotify' feature that would allow millennial users to express themselves better.
Earlier this year, Samsung launched Galaxy J8 and J6 mid-segment smartphones in India. In July this year, the South Korean tech giant reportedly sold over two million units of Galaxy J8 and J6 in the country.
"Galaxy J" is Samsung India's most successful smartphone brand.
The collaboration will ensure that Android Messages and Samsung Messages will work together seamlessly, and it will boost coverage of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an upgrade to the SMS messaging system, Yonhap news agency reported.
The South Korean tech giant said it would work to bring RCS features to existing mobile phones beginning with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
It also said its new Galaxy smartphones will natively support RCS messaging, starting with those on a set of carriers that have or will soon launch RCS.
"By furthering our robust partnership with Google, we will bring a richer messaging experience to our customers, letting them seamlessly chat with their friends and family across messaging platforms," Patrick Chomet, Executive Vice President at Samsung's Mobile Communications Business, said in comments posted on the website of Samsung Mobile Press on Wednesday.
"This collaboration will help further the industry's momentum toward advanced messaging and global RCS coverage."
"Our partnership will further advance our shared vision of a substantially improved messaging experience on Android for users, brands and the broader Android ecosystem," Anil Sabharwal, Vice President for Communications Products and Photos at Google, said.
The move comes at a time when many people are opting to use popular messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and WeChat instead of traditional SMS messaging.
The tech giant is seeking to strengthen its AI capabilities and has opened research institutes in South Korea, Britain, Canada, Russia and the Silicon Valley in the US, Yonhap news agency reported.
The new centre, which opened on Friday, is led by Daniel D. Lee, a leading AI and robotics scientist who joined the company in June.
"New York is one of the world's great cities, and with this new facility, we will be able to leverage the tremendous talent in the area," Lee said in a statement.
"We also look forward to collaborating with top universities and academic centres in the region."
H. Sebastian Seung, a renowned neuroscientist, serves as the centre's chief research scientist.
The company earlier announced a plan to boost its AI research capabilities and employ about 1,000 specialists by 2020.
"What we need now is to focus on creating new values that make people's lives easier and more convenient by harnessing the power of AI in Samsung's products and services," said Kim Hyun-suk, President and Head of Samsung Research.
"To do this, our global AI Centres, including the New York AI Centre, must play a pivotal role."
The portable SSD is priced at Rs 27,999 for 500GB, Rs 48,999 for 1TB and Rs 97,999 for the 2TB variant.
"SSD 'X5' is designed to enable ultra-fast transfer of large multimedia and data files, thereby saving users' valuable time," Sukesh Jain, Senior Vice President, IT and Mobile Enterprise Business, Samsung India, said in a statement.
"Whether editing 4K videos, creating real-time 3D rendering images or compiling high-resolution photos, SSD 'X5' delivers maximized performance levels, durability and reliability for professionals working with heavy multimedia files," he added.
Based on "Thunderbolt" technology, SSD "X5" offers 40Gbps bandwidth -- up to four times faster than USB 3.1.
The X5 also offers a read speed of up to 2,800MB per second -- which is up to 5.2 times faster than the widely used SATA interface portable SSDs and up to 25.5 times faster than external HDDs, the company said.
There is a shock-resistant internal frame and rough metal housing which can withstand accidental drops of up to two metres, the company added.
The South Korean tech giant introduced the LED display for large screens in collaboration with multiplex theatre major PVR Cinemas in India on Monday.
"This is our first installation and we are trying to go further and install many more screens in the country. Roughly 5-7 installations (in India) is what we are looking at before we exit 2018," Puneet Sethi, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business, Samsung India, told IANS.
IANS had first reported in May that PVR Cinemas will be among the first multiplex chains to install Onyx Cinema LED in the country and that the LED screen would be deployed at PVR multiplexes in Delhi and Mumbai.
"To begin with in India, we are concentrating only on Delhi and Mumbai. As we get into the first quarter of 2019, we will also focus on other metro cities such as Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad," Sethi said.
"We are in discussion with other leading multiplex chains as well," Sethi added.
The technology was originally introduced by Samsung in 2017 and it deployed the first screen in Korea.
PVR Cinemas said it would install the 4K Onyx Cinema LED screen in Mumbai by the end of 2018.
"This financial year we are looking at one more installation, which will be in Lower Parel, Mumbai," said Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd.
The installation of one LED screen roughly requires 8-10 weeks.
"Based on the response of viewers in these two cities, we would decide about further installations in 2019," Bijli added.
With this new technology, currently available only in a few countries across the world, enthusiasts can watch movies with better picture quality, true colours, and greater vibrancy and accuracy, Samsung India claimed.
The LED display comes with comprehensive solutions such as "Onyx View", "Onyx 3D" and "Onyx Sound". The screen delivers HDR (High Dynamic Range) to the cinema, showcasing on-screen contents at peak brightness level, nearly 10 times greater than that offered by the standard cinema projectors.
The screen offers "Onyx" surround sound from JBL by Harman International and Samsung's Audio Lab.
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury
The new smartphone comes with a 5-inch quadHD display, 8MP rear camera with flash, 5MP front camera, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage, running on 8.1 Oreo-based "Android Go", which is the lighter version of Google's operating system, designed for entry-level smartphones, the company wrote in a blog post.
Price details of "Galaxy J2 Core" in India was yet to be revealed.
"The 'Galaxy J2 Core' offers a complete smartphone experience, incorporating some of the key features available on high-end devices with improved battery, storage and performance that is particularly appealing to first time owners," said Junho Park, Vice President of Global Product Planning, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.
The smartphone is powered by an Exynos 7570 processor and 2,600mAh battery.
Along with India, the distribution would be expanded to Malaysia and additional markets in the near future, the post added.
The smartphone, with dual "Intellicam" camera, will be available on Amazon India from August 27 and in retail stores starting September 5 in midnight black and ivory white colours.
"Galaxy A8 Star comes with the first ever dual 'Intellicam' proposition that can turn anyone into a professional photographer. Its Immersive 6.3 inches display and slim design are sure to make a style statement," Aditya Babbar, General Manager, Samsung India, said in a statement.
The dual "Intellicam" set-up includes 16MP+24MP sensors. Both cameras come with f/1.7 apertures for low light photography. There is a 24MP (f/2.0) selfie shooter as well.
Galaxy A8 Star's large-aperture lenses make the smartphone capable of capturing bright and clear images and beautiful selfies at any time of the day or night, the company claimed.
Galaxy A8 Star comes with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED "Infinity Display" with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
The device houses 3,700mAh coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, which is expandable upto 400GB via a MicroSD card.
According to CyberMedia Research (CMR) India's "Mobile Handset Review", Samsung with 48 per cent topped the premium market (Rs 30,000 and above), followed by Chinese smartphone player OnePlus with 25 per cent share and Apple at third with 22 per cent share.
"The premium smartphone segment, though small, is driven by aspirational, tech-savvy millennials and in the coming years, will continue to grow significantly. Samsung's flagship S9 helped it garner a lion's share of the premium smartphone segment," Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, said in a statement.
One in two premium smartphones shipped in the first half of 2018 was a Samsung device.
"The success of OnePlus 6 can be traced to the intelligent brand strategy of packing the best specs at competitive price points, contributing to the emergence of a new 'budget premium' smartphone segment under sub-Rs 30,000," added Ram.
During the first half of 2018, OnePlus introduced its "OnePlus Experience Stores" and is planning to embrace offline in a big way, to complement its strong online presence.
The iPhone-maker suffered a decline in demand for its iPhones due to pricing challenges on account of post-duty increase.
"Apple is reworking its India strategy for the all-important second half of 2018, with new retail partnerships, first-party stores and service overhauling with India-focused apps and services, including refreshed Apple Maps," said Narinder Kumar, Lead Analyst-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.
Samsung led the first half on the back of its partnerships with telcos and e-commerce players, and aggressive promotional push, including attractive cash back offers and exchange benefits contributing to consumer demand remaining high.
"Going forward, the new ‘budget premium' segment will see an aggressive competition from market players, including ASUS, Huawei, Vivo, OPPO and likely new entrants, such as POCO from Xiaomi, taking the fight to established market leaders like Samsung, Apple and OnePlus," added Prabhu.
According to CMR India's "Mobile Handset Review" report, Samsung (48 per cent) was followed by Chinese smartphone player OnePlus, which grabbed the second spot with 25 per cent share, and Apple with 22 per cent share.
"The premium smartphone segment, though small, is driven by aspirational, tech-savvy millennials and in the coming years, will continue to grow significantly. Samsung's flagship S9 helped it garner a lion's share of the premium smartphone segment," Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, said in a statement.
One in two premium smartphones shipped in the first half of 2018 was a Samsung device.
"The success of OnePlus 6 can be traced to the intelligent brand strategy of packing the best specs at competitive price points, contributing to the emergence of a new 'budget premium' smartphone segment under sub-Rs 30,000," added Ram.
During the first half of 2018, OnePlus introduced its "OnePlus Experience Stores" and is planning to embrace offline in a big way, to complement its strong online presence.
The iPhone-maker suffered a decline in demand for its iPhones due to pricing challenges on account of post-duty increase.
"Apple is reworking its India strategy for the all-important second half of 2018, with new retail partnerships, first-party stores and service overhauling with India-focused apps and services, including refreshed Apple Maps," said Narinder Kumar, Lead Analyst-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.
Earlier, three market research firms -- Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, Singapore-based Canalys and Gurugram-based CyberMedia Research (CMR) -- gave Samsung bigger or almost identical market share with Xiaomi in the Q2 2018.
According to IDC's latest "Quarterly Smartphone Tracker", approximately one out of three smartphones sold in India was a Xiaomi device in Q2 2018.
Xiaomi continued to be the number one smartphone vendor in the online smartphone market with 55.6 per cent market share, for the seventh consecutive quarter, said the report.
"Our mission to deliver amazing products at honest pricing has changed people's lives and started a new chapter in the mobile Internet era in India and I believe we will become an even bigger part of people's lives," reacted Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India.
However, in late July, Counterpoint Research said South Korean firm Samsung reclaimed the top spot in the second quarter in India with 29 per cent share against Xiaomi's 28 per cent.
According to Canalys, Samsung shipped 9.9 million smartphones in India in the second quarter of 2018, registering almost a 50 per cent annual growth rate -- its best since the fourth quarter of 2015.
Chinese handset maker Xiaomi also shipped 9.9 million smartphones and this is the best quarter either vendor has had in the country, said the report, adding that Samsung "J2 Pro" was the top model in the second quarter, with 2.3 million units shipped in India.
On August 2, CMR reported that Samsung garnered 29.9 per cent market share while Xiaomi was second at 29.6 per cent market share.
According to IDC's latest report, in the online segment, Huawei with strong shipments of its Honor branded phones climbed to second position with an all-time high of 8 per cent share in online segment in 2Q 2018.
"The market, however, is seeing rapid consolidation at the top end, as the top 5 vendors made up 79 per cent of the smartphone market in 2Q18, marginalising smaller brands," said Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India.
According to a report in Korean publication The Bell, the tech giant is already developing parts for the upcoming Galaxy S10 smartphone but has no plans to include an iris scanning module like in previous Galaxy devices.
The South Korean tech giant may consider adding an in-display fingerprint reader as an alternate authentication method.
"The highlight of the Galaxy S10 will indeed be the biggest feature cut from the Galaxy Note 9 -- an in-display fingerprint reader," the report added.
The physical form sizes of both smartphones is expected to reduce slightly as the company would cut down its already slim top and bottom bezels.
Cupertino-headquartered Apple was recently lauded for the accuracy of Face ID but criticised for removing the Touch ID fingerprint sensor altogether.
If Samsung can match the former while delivering the in-display reader many wanted on the iPhone X, then the Galaxy S10 should be a big hit, according to Forbes.
Even before Facebook apps were widely available on smartphones, Facebook had data-sharing partnerships with the device makers, the report said citing company officials, adding that most of the deals remain in effect.
Facebook said that the partners signed agreements that prevented people's information from being used for any other purpose than to recreate Facebook-like experiences.
"Partners could not integrate the user's Facebook features with their devices without the user's permission," Ime Archibong, Facebook's Vice President of Product Partnerships, said in a statement on Sunday.
Archibong said that in the early days of mobile, the demand for Facebook outpaced the company's ability to build versions of the product that worked on every phone or operating system.
"It's hard to remember now but back then there were no app stores. So companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter and YouTube had to work directly with operating system and device manufacturers to get their products into people's hands," Archibong said.
"This took a lot of time -- and Facebook was not able to get to everyone. To bridge this gap, we built a set of device-integrated APIs that allowed companies to recreate Facebook-like experiences for their individual devices or operating systems," Archibong added.
Facebook launched the device-integrated APIs about a decade ago and said that all these partnerships were built on a common interest -- the desire for people to be able to use Facebook whatever their device or operating system.
"Given that these APIs enabled other companies to recreate the Facebook experience, we controlled them tightly from the get-go," Archibong said.
The New York Times report claimed that the deals raise concerns about the company's privacy protections and compliance with a 2011 consent decree with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Facebook, which is already under scrutiny for misuse of millions of its users' data after the Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal became public, reportedly allowed the device companies access to the data of users' friends without their explicit consent, even after declaring that it would no longer share such information with outsiders.
Some device-makers could retrieve personal information even from users' friends who believed they had barred any sharing, The New York Times found.
Facebook's leaders said that the kind of access exploited by the political consulting firm in 2014 was cut off by the next year as it prohibited developers from collecting information from users' friends.
But the company officials did not disclose that such restrictions were not applicable to makers of cellphones, tablets and other hardware, the report said.
Facebook responded by saying that contrary to claims by The New York Times, friends' information, like photos, was only accessible on devices when people made a decision to share their information with those friends.
"We are not aware of any abuse by these companies," Archibong said, adding that the device partnerships very different from the public APIs used by third-party developers who used the Facebook information people shared with them to build completely new experiences.
Facebook said that it had already ended 22 of the device partnerships.
"Now that iOS and Android are so popular, fewer people rely on these APIs to create bespoke Facebook experiences. It's why we announced in April that we're winding down access to them. We've already ended 22 of these partnerships," Archibong sa
The Bloomberg report report on Monday said Apple was making "a significant investment" in the development of MicroLED display.
"MicroLED screens use different light-emitting compounds than the current OLED displays and promise to make future gadgets slimmer, brighter and less power-hungry," it said.
The 62,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is located in Santa Clara, California.
The news of Apple -- that rely on display panels supply for its iPhone X and Watches from Samsung and LG - entering the device display segment led to shares of Samsung, LG Display and Sharp go down in early trade on Monday.
Currently, Apple Watch screen is made by LG Display. The iPhone X which is Apple's first OLED phone uses Samsung display units.
"MicroLED" technology is still in early stages but Samsung will release "The Wall" later this year which is a massive modular TV with this technology.
According to earlier reports, Samsung may soon not be the only supplier of OLED displays for Apple.
The iPhone maker is reportedly finalising talks with LG on an OLED supply deal which could see the latter provide its panels for this year's iPhone with edge-to-edge display.
Samsung currently dominates supply of OLED displays for Apple's flagship iPhone X. It is believed that Apple will switch to OLED displays for all of its iPhone releasing in 2019.
The "first look" event is slated to take place at the American Stock Exchange in New York on Tuesday, Samsung said in a statement.
"Throughout the continuous evolution of its technology, Samsung always designs its products around the lifestyles of its customers. The new QLED TVs will do this in brand new ways for 2018," the company said.
In an earlier blog in January, Samsung had mentioned the arrival of its digital assistant "Bixby" on QLED TVs.
"Samsung's AI, Bixby, will be integrated into this year's QLED TVs so that you can use your voice to control. With the click of a button, call on Bixby to help you find the content you love," the blog read.
Samsung generally launches its new TV line-up at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January but this year, the South Korean giant unveiled a micro LED TV at the CES.
QLED stands for Quantum dot Light Emitting Diode and is the next step after organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs.
Samsung is the only manufacturer currently selling QLED TVs.
The AC provides ideal condition to room temperature with the help of 21,000 micro air holes, without the discomfort of direct airflow and also reduces energy consumption by up to 72 per cent, the company said in a statement.
"In the air conditioning segment, direct cold air dispersion and sky-rocketing electricity bills are two problems. The world's first 'Wind-Free' AC from Samsung addresses both of these issues together, providing unparalleled cooling comfort, while guaranteeing optimum energy efficiency," said Alok Pathak, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.
A two-step cooling system first lowers temperatures in 'Fast Cooling Mode' and then automatically switches to 'Wind-Free Cooling Mode', creating 'still air' once the desired temperature is achieved.
The AC packs in the world's first "8 Pole series" and anti-corrosion "Durafin" condenser especially designed for India's harsh climatic conditions, said the company.
The smartphone will be launched at an event called "Unpacked" which will take place a day before Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 kicks off.
"We knew Samsung was saving the reveal of its next flagship smartphone for the MWC conference in Spain which officially runs from February 26 to March 1," The Vague reported on Thursday.
The South Korean tech giant has also posted a short teaser video on Twitter which focuses on the upcoming device's camera.
Following the company's tradition of launching two Galaxy S series flagships together, Samsung Galaxy S9 is expected to launch alongside a slightly larger model -- Galaxy S9+.
The smartphones are expected to look very similar to their immensely successful predecessors, the S8 and S8+ which came out in 2017.
A noticeable design change will be a redesign of the fingerprint scanner which was awkwardly positioned on Galaxy S8.
Samsung is reportedly shifting it to a more central position on the smartphone's rear side, which should make it easier to access.
Galaxy A8+ is Samsung's first smartphone to sport a dual-front camera and will be available on Amazon.in.
"This device will play in the 30-40k price segment allowing us to enter that market in a big way. Galaxy A8+ inherits some features from our other flagship devices Samsung S8, S8 Plus and Note 8," said Aditya Babbar, General Manager, Mobile Business, Samsung India.
"It has a dual-front camera setup -- offered for the first time by Samsung, 6GB RAM, 64GB internal memory, a large Infinity Display and stunning ergonomic design that draws on Samsung's flagship design heritage and experience," he added.
Asked about the features of the device that differentiates it from other smartphones in the segment, Babbar said Samsung was committed to meaningful innovation which can empower consumers to do more with a device.
"With Galaxy A8+, we are bringing our customers' favourite features from our flagship smartphones, such as first dual-front camera with Live Focus. We are launching the device with metal and glass built in a segment that primarily features metal-built smartphones. Hence the big difference," he said.
"IP68 is not available in this segment. The device will also have features like Samsung Pay. This is what the consumer was demanding and with Samsung A8+ we are giving them what they desired," Babbar added.
Galaxy A8+'s large screen is supported with ergonomic curved glass on the back and front. The 6-inch Full-HD Super AMOLED Infinity Display goes beyond the bezel with an immersive 18.5:9 display ratio.
Galaxy's A8+'s 16MP+8MP F1.9 dual-front camera setup allows consumers to take portrait shots. With the advanced Live Focus feature, one can easily adjust the bokeh effect before or after they take the picture to create high-quality images.
The 16MP F1.7 rear camera snaps bright, clear pictures even in low-light conditions. The new device also allows consumers to customise their photos with fun options.
Galaxy A8+ comes with the Always On Display, allowing users to get information at a glance without unlocking their phone. It also has virtual assistant Bixby.
Galaxy A8+ is also equipped with Samsung Pay, allowing users to transact virtually anywhere they tap or swipe their card. The Galaxy A8+ comes with IP68 certification, making it water and dust resistance. It is also the first in the A series to support Samsung's Gear VR.
Available in black and gold colours, the device sports Octa-Core Processor, Bluetooth v5.0 and 3,500 mAh battery.