12/04, 5:06pm
Samsung's next flagship may have appeared in benchmarks
The newest version of Samsung's Galaxy S line of flagship devices may well have appeared in online benchmark tests. Fone Arena on Wednesday pointed to new results from GFXBench, showing an as-yet-unannounced Samsung device with the model number SM-G900S. If the device shown off were to prove to be Samsung's next flagship handset, it would signal a huge push on the part of the manufacturer to differentiate its gadgets, as the handset in the benchmarks appears to sport a 2K resolution screen.
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12/03, 6:04pm
Taiwan's Catcher said to sculpt metal Galaxy S5
Samsung's follow-up to the Galaxy S4 may finally adopt a metal chassis, and the latest rumor has Samsung relying on the company responsible for the body of both the iPad mini and HTC's One to make it. PhoneArena reported Tuesday on a new rumor out of Taiwan that Samsung is looking to metal chassis producer Catcher to begin production of the Galaxy S5's body some time in December. Reportedly, the South Korean tech giant has called on the Taiwanese casing maker to produce between 10 and 30 million units for the forthcoming flagship.
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12/02, 11:13am
Demographic skews older, and with more buyers under median income
"Almost half" of the people who bought the iPhone 5c in September and October were people switching from Android phones, particularly ones by Samsung and LG, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. By comparison, some 80 percent of iPhone 5s purchases were by people upgrading from a previous iPhone. Kantar also notes that over 40 percent of 5c buyers were earning less than $49,000 per year, versus roughly 20 percent for the 5s. 5c buyers also tended to skew older, with an average age of 38 instead of the 5s' 34.
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12/02, 6:57am
Camera sensor arms race continues with claimed 20MP component
Samsung is reportedly working on a new camera module capable of taking 20-megapixel photographs. The company's Advanced Development Team is apparently hoping to get the high-resolution component ready for shipping in the second half of 2014, something which could coincide with a future major smartphone release, such as a successor to the Galaxy Note 3.
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12/01, 7:43pm
Third in Galaxy Grand range launch expected before Mobile World Congress
Samsung is not content with releasing an update to the Galaxy Grand, as the phone producer is working towards yet another version, according to a rumor. The Galaxy Grand Lite is said to be a mix between the original and the Galaxy Grand 2, launched earlier this week, and though it will have relatively similar specifications, the major change will be a 5-megapixel camera instead of the 8-megapixel version used previously.
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11/30, 6:17pm
Samsung discussing 'crisis awareness' in big management gathering
South Korean tech giant Samsung will gather the heads of its assorted management teams at its Giheung Nano Campus in order to discuss the best ways to maintain its lead in the tech sector. This according to ZDNet Korea, which reported this week that the tech conglomerate will hold a massive management meeting between the 17th and 19th of next month. In attendance will be both Samsung Electronics vice president Ohhyun Kwon and Samsung Display president Ginam Kim.
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11/29, 5:16am
Pebble cuts price of smart watch from $150 to $130 for Black Friday
Pebble has reduced the cost of its smart watch by $20 on its website for Black Friday, bringing the price down from $150 to $130, and effectively counters most of the cost of a delivery upgrade to 3-5 days instead of weeks. The grey model of the Kickstarter-funded wristwear is backordered, though the jet black, cherry red, orange, and arctic white versions are still available.
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11/26, 12:26pm
Inflated scores removed from benchmark listings after cheating discovered
Benchmark scores for smartphones and tablets from Samsung and HTC have been removed from one ranking site, after it was discovered that they were manipulated for a higher mark. Futuremark has delisted smartphones caught cheating its benchmarking app, including the HTC One and One Mini, and both processor variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Note III.
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11/26, 10:51am
Android KitKat heads to Google Play editions of Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One
Updates for Android KitKat are heading to the Google Play editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. The two devices, running on stock Android instead of the Sense or TouchWiz versions provided by HTC and Samsung respectively, will start receiving over-the-air updates from today onwards, upgrading the devices to Android version 4.4.
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11/26, 4:31am
Infringing competitior questioned validity of key patent-in-suit
A last-minute move during the damages retrial by Samsung has failed to stop Judge Lucy Koh from moving forward with the trial's results, where once again the Korean company was found guilty of infringing on several Apple patents, but ordered to pay $112 million dollars less to Apple in damages than the first jury's just over $1 billion dollar initial judgement. Samsung had attempted to stop the proceedings on the grounds that a key patent-in-suit during the retrial might be found invalid.
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11/25, 5:37am
Samsung shaves close to 1mm off thickness for upgraded Galaxy Grand
Samsung has unveiled an update to its Galaxy Grand, one which increases the size and the resolution of the original. The Galaxy Grand 2 sports a 5.25-inch display instead of a five-inch version, with the predecessor's 800x480 resolution enlarged to 720x1280, along with considerably upgraded internal specifications and a body that has gone from a thickness of 9.6mm (0.38 inches) to 8.9mm (0.35 inches).
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11/24, 5:15pm
Samsung's market share continues to decline in Japan
Samsung may sell the most smartphones in the world overall, but the South Korean tech giant is struggling in Japan even as its chief rival, Apple, achieves greater heights. Sunday brought word from The Korea Herald that Samsung's share in the Japanese smartphone market dropped again last quarter, making for four straight quarterly declines. Last quarter, Samsung moved just one million units in Japan, only about one-fourth the total that Apple sold.
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11/23, 12:19am
Case against Apple suspended while validity of Samsung patent decided
Just hours after a US jury restored more than half of the set-aside portion of damages from the first Apple vs Samsung trial, a separate case in Germany has been suspended because the court believes that the patent Samsung is attempting to sue Apple over is invalid. The matter will be put on hold until the Federal Patent Court of Germany can determine it. Even if the patent is eventually found valid, Apple will face no injunction over its use, since it is a standards-essential patent (SEP).
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11/22, 11:01am
Sum below Apple's original demand
Two of the jurors in the Apple v. Samsung damages retrial are crediting an accountant witness, Julie Davis, for the $290 million verdict in Apple's favor. Jury forewoman Colleen Allen tells Bloomberg that Davis was a "superstar" who stayed steady even when she was being cross-examined. Allen's opinion is backed by juror Barry Goldman-Hall, who says it was Davis' testimony that helped the jury come to a precise figure. There were eight people on the jury in all, consisting of two men and six women.
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11/20, 3:49pm
Previously attempted Samsung tactic tried again as USPTO hearings continue
In a last-ditch effort to stop the jury deliberation of the now concluded Apple versus Samsung damages retrial, Samsung has made an emergency filing based on a comment from the US Patent and Trademark Office, which said that an Apple patent may not be valid. According to the filing, the USPTO questions if Apple's "pinch to zoom" patent, a key patent used in the retrial, is valid. Samsung believes that "this PTO decision calls into question the entire jury verdict in this trial."
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11/19, 3:44pm
Damages award now in the hands of the jury, time to decision unknown
Apple and Samsung are wrapping up the retrial of the vacated damages from the first omnibus smartphone patent trial from 2012. In closing arguments, Apple is arguing that Samsung cannot refute that it had improperly used iPhone related patents, and did so willingly, in its design process of more than a dozen devices. Samsung doesn't deny infringement, but believes that Apple is overstating how important the patents at stake actually are, and is asking far too much money to compensate for the unlicensed use.
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11/19, 3:24pm
Apple positioned as biggest computer maker
Samsung continues to hold top place in RescueCom ranking of the most reliable computer brands. The firm's scores are determined by balancing each company's US marketshare versus the number of repair calls handled by Level 3 RescueCom technicians. In Q3 figures, Samsung holds a score of 694; coming in a distant second is Apple at 259, which RescueCom notes is less than half of what it managed in Q2.
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11/19, 1:55pm
Tizen push to begin early next year
Samsung will launch a smart refrigerator running its Tizen operating system at CES next year, sources tell Ubergizmo. January's Consumer Electronics Show will see the unveiling of Samsung's second Tizen-powered product, with the first being a digital camera that shipped earlier this year. The appearance of a smart refrigerator supports prior indications that Tizen was an eminently scalable platform that Samsung would push onto appliances as well as mobile devices.
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11/19, 12:45pm
Company claims documents, absence of Samsung execs aid case
Apple today made its closing arguments in the Apple v. Samsung damages retrial. A lawyer for the company, Bill Lee, argued earlier on Tuesday that documents were Apple's best evidence. Presenting to the court, Lee once again referred to images of Samsung devices pre- and post-iPhone, as well as internal Samsung communications. "In some ways our best witness is Samsung," he claimed.
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11/19, 10:03am
May be supported by recent rumors
A "first-tier display supplier" is working on 12.9-inch Retina displays for an iPad due to launch in early 2014, claims the Korea Times. The publication cites an official at one of Apple's Korean suppliers. Based on Apple's known partners in the region, that implies either LG Display or Samsung, either of whom would be large enough to support an iPad launch.
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11/19, 6:05am
Separate reports suggest lower sales, shipment figures
The Samsung Galaxy Gear has sold more than 800,000 units since its September launch, according to the company. The revealed sales figures comes after recent reports claiming that the number of Galaxy Gear devices being used by consumers is closer to 50,000 units, something that Samsung feels the need to correct.
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11/18, 9:28pm
Jury will re-decide what Samsung owes Apple for copying, infringement on 24 devices
The case between Samsung and Apple re-contesting the exact amount of damages owed to the iPhone maker by the Korean electronics giant is winding down, with testimony from expert witnesses having rounded out the day and final arguments in the case being heard tomorrow before the jury deliberates. The retrial, a branching-off from the main trial last year in which Samsung was fined just over $1 billion for infringing and copying Apple patents, is recalculating the awards for some products.
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11/18, 12:42pm
Potential ban likely to have minimal effect on Samsung
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has granted Apple another chance to impose a sales ban on patent-infringing Samsung phones, reports say. The court has vacated an earlier ruling by District Court judge Lucy Koh, who denied a ban Apple was seeking on 26 Samsung products. The Court of Appeals states that with respect to Apple's technical utility patents, Apple must now only show "some connection" between a patented feature and demand for a Samsung device, rather than illustrate a feature as a primary attraction, as Koh requested.
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11/16, 3:25pm
Buying Samsung phablet nets you Samsung tablet
UK retailer Phones 4U is now offering customers a free Samsung tablet along with the purchase of the company's newest Galaxy Note device. Customers buying the Galaxy Note 3 on a two-year contract will also receive Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 for free. The promotion runs through November 21.
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11/15, 7:22pm
Original jury had awarded Apple $114 million for the patents
Even as Apple senior executive Phil Schiller was telling the jury that Samsung's copying and infringement of Apple patents had hurt the reputation of the company, presiding US District Court Judge Lucy Koh ruled on Friday that Apple can't pursue damages due to lost profits on four of the five patents-in-suit. While "lost profits" is only a portion of the damages that can be awarded, the original jury in the first trial assigned around $114 million to Apple for the patents in question, leaving the company more likely to get less overall.
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11/15, 3:12pm
'Weakens the view that the world has for Apple'
Samsung infringement of Apple patents made it harder to sell the iPhone and iPad, Apple's head of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, claimed earlier today in a second day of testimony at the Apple v. Samsung damages retrial. Asked by an Apple attorney what he thought when he first saw the Samsung Galaxy S, Schiller said: "I was quite shocked. They went and copied the iPhone." He went on to suggest that Samsung's past copying "weakens the view that the world has for Apple," and has caused people to "question our innovation and design skills in a way that people never used to."
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11/15, 1:38pm
Samsung's smartwatch gets better notification display with update
Samsung on Friday released a software update for the Galaxy Gear Manager app on smartphones compatible with its smartwatch. The update allows the Gear to receive full notifications from non-Samsung apps, addressing a major complaint that appeared in many reviews of the device. The Gear Manager update follows shortly after Samsung issued a firmware update for the smartwatch itself, which improved stability and interoperation with a number of other Samsung smartphones.
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11/15, 1:17pm
TiVo ships Slide Pro Remote with concealed QWERTY keyboard
TiVo has put its new Slide Pro Remote on sale. Much like the original, the Slide Pro Remote resembles a normal TiVo remote, but conceals a backlit QWERTY keyboard in a second layer. This new version, which includes RF support, dedicated "Search" and "Back" buttons, and can play a tune when lost, will work with all TiVo Roamio DVRs, TiVo Premiere DVRs, and TiVo Minis with a dongle, and is priced at $50.
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11/14, 11:32pm
SVP of Marketing describes iPhone as a 'bet-the-company' product
With a jury seated, the retrial concerning damages related to Samsung's infringing of Apple patents got underway in earnest on Thursday, largely taken up with procedural matters but also featuring brief testimony from Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller. In his few minutes of testimony, he told the jury about the original development of the iPhone, describing it as a "bet-the-company" high-risk product that might not have succeeded, with "almost everyone" at Apple involved at some point.
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11/14, 3:06pm
Analysts estimate Samsung, Apple take more than all profits
Samsung and Apple together combine to take in 109 percent of profits in the smartphone sector, according to a new report. Cannacord Genuity released a report this week saying that the two tech giants take more than all of the profits in the segment, a figure they arrived at due to the continuing operating losses of their smartphone industry competitors. Previous studies by Cannacord had Samsung and Apple combining to take only 100 percent of the profits in the segment.
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11/14, 12:04pm
New Galaxy phones could use Youm technology
One of Samsung's high-end Galaxy devices may very well feature the company's Youm screen technology, which would allow the display to wrap around the sides of the handset. Sources familiar with the company's plans tell Bloomberg that either the successor to Samsung's Galaxy S4 or its Galaxy Note 3 may feature the three-sided display technology, but Samsung may also introduce another premium handset featuring the technology. The technology could prove to be a means of advancing the feature set of high-end smartphones, a product segment believed by some to have largely matured over the last 18 months.
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11/13, 6:52pm
A smartwatch unstuck in time
If the tech analysts and manufacturers are to be believed, we sit on the cusp of a boon in wearable technology. With its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Samsung has tried to get the jump on its competitors -- pushing out a powerful, feature-heavy smartphone companion while other devices focus on displaying notifications and showing what time it is. The Galaxy Gear has had a rough debut, but does the truth of the device lie somewhere between Samsung's marketing speak and the tech press' takes on it? Find out in our in-depth review.
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11/13, 5:07pm
Samsung says damages owed are far shorter
Apple has asked for $380 million in damages at the beginning of the Apple v. Samsung damages retrial, reports say. Harold McElhinny, an attorney representing Apple, explained in opening statements today that the company's calculations assume lost profits of $114 million, Samsung profits of $231 million, and royalties of $35 million. Apple claims it would have sold 360,000 devices if Samsung hadn't released ones infringing on its patents, and that Samsung sold 10.7 million infringing devices, pulling in $3.5 billion in revenue. To support his case, McElhinny suggested that an internal Samsung document was "conclusive evidence Apple lost sales because of Samsung."
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11/13, 12:56pm
Samsung Galaxy Core Plus launches quietly in Taiwan
Samsung has launched an updated version of an entry-level smartphone, one that has surfaced with little fanfare. The Galaxy Core Plus, launched in Taiwan, takes after the Galaxy Core by offering a 4.3-inch, 800x480-resolution display with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a five-megapixel camera, though some aspects have apparently been downgraded.
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11/12, 5:04pm
California jury to assess fate of $450M in damages
The jury selection process has begun for the retrial covering portions of the damages from last year's $1.05 billion verdict in the Apple-Samsung patent infringement case. Judge Lucy Koh, who initially vacated $450 million of the damages from Apple's landmark victory, is presiding over the proceedings once more. In the new case, the jury will decide a new dollar figure to cover the damages of Samsung's infringement for those products which fall under the purview of Koh's vacated $450 million.
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11/12, 2:48pm
27-inch Samsung monitor for $190 and more
Currently, Rakuten.com has the Samsung 27-inch LED monitor for the reduced price of $190 (price reflected when added to cart) which is $323.20 off the list price of $513.19, and the lowest total price we've seen on this monitor by about $60. Free US shipping is available, but sales tax applies for residents of New York and California. This monitor features adjustable height, 1080 resolution, LED backlight, DVI, VGA, and DisplayPort connectivity along with built-in USB hub. It is backed by a three-year limited warranty from Samsung.
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11/12, 10:00am
Samsung not being substituted
The involvement of GlobalFoundries in production of Apple's A-series chips likely has the company serving as "flex capacity" for Samsung, new sources affirm. Under that arrangement, Samsung is expected to pay for use of GlobalFoundries' Malta plant to boost A-series production when the Samsung facility in Austin, Texas is under strain. Although the Austin factory is dedicated mostly to Apple chips, it also helps produce chips for Samsung's own devices; there are, therefore, times when a second plant might be needed to satisfy dual demands.
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11/11, 7:42pm
The third Stylus-driven Galaxy is still of Note
It's no secret that we loved the Galaxy Note II, as Samsung's 2012 stylus-driven handset excelled in just about every area where it mattered. Now, the Note 3 has come along with a bigger screen, bigger battery, and some new features to boot. Is it worth picking up to replace your aging-but-still-capable Galaxy Note II? Read on to our full review in order to find out.
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11/11, 5:33pm
Improper use of trial-obtained data claimed by Apple
According to Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal of Federal Court of the Northern District of California, Samsung and its law firm Quinn Emanuel should face sanctions for their reveal of Apple confidential data following the landmark smartphone patent trial between the pair in 2012. The court order, filed Friday, is a significant change from the previous opinion by the judge, in which he claimed that "an abundance of caution" was needed before calling for sanctions. Yet another hearing on the matter is scheduled for December 9, after the completion of the damages retrial on select devices from the first trial.
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11/11, 3:35pm
Samsung will allegedly help start production
GlobalFoundries is preparing to manufacture Apple A-series processors at its "Fab 8" plant in Malta, New York, a source tells local publication the Times Union. At present, every A-series chip is produced by Samsung at a factory in Austin, Texas. The source indicates that Samsung will help GlobalFoundries get started with the new project, but it's unknown if GlobalFoundries is being contracted by Samsung or directly by Apple.
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11/11, 6:09am
First Tizen-based device from Samsung has already shipped
The first device from Samsung running the Tizen operating system may be a camera that has already shipped, rather than a smartphone. The NX300M, revealed one month ago, is being touted as the first using the operating system, with the company also advising that the first Tizen-based smartphone release will not take place this year.
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11/10, 5:48pm
Even larger Note tablet gets FCC approval
The long-rumored Galaxy Note 12.2 from Samsung has gained approval from the FCC, signaling that its release, or at least its announcement, may be imminent. TechnoBuffalo noted the device's appearance in regulatory documents on Sunday, and the design appears to match that of a larger Galaxy Note 10.1, with slot on the side of the device wherein the S Pen stylus could be inserted. The device has been rumored since before the introduction of the Note 3 and Note 10.1, but Samsung did not unveil it alongside its other stylus-enabled devices.
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11/09, 9:31pm
Galaxy Note II set to receive first major update
Owners of Samsung's Galaxy Note II will likely be receiving an update to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean in the very near future. A screenshot showed up on the Twitter account @bhanusoi, clearly displaying that the device in question was running Android 4.3. Observers have noted that the Android build is likely already in the hands of Samsung's service centers, and it may be rolling out to assorted carriers in a short period.
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11/08, 1:17pm
Phones 4u promotion gives away Galaxy Gear with Note 3
UK Samsung fans can get their hands on Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch for free if they are willing to pick up the Galaxy Note 3 as well. Phones 4u has announced a weeklong promotion, beginning today, in which the retailer will give away the £299 Galaxy Gear to customers buying the Note 3 on contract. The promotion requires that customers pick up the devices in physical stores.
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11/08, 9:38am
Apple allegedly turning to Samsung for help
Anticipated shortages of the Retina iPad Mini are linked to burn-in problems Sharp is having with its IGZO LCD panels, an industry source claims. The burn-in is thought to be caused by malfunctions in thin-film transistors. The source notes that while the burn-in is invisible to the eye, it still doesn't meet Apple's quality standards.
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11/07, 5:08pm
Samsung offering Google Play credit, Hulu Plus as perks
Samsung is offering a range of digital perks to entice consumers into picking up its newest Android tablets, with owners of qualifying devices being able to cash in on up to $600 worth of incentives. The South Korean tech giant has posted a page detailing potential bonuses available to users registering a new Samsung tablet. All of the tablets and devices eligible for the promotion were released over the course of 2013.
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11/07, 2:17pm
Apple beats out Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Google
Apple's ongoing sales successes have propelled the iPhone and iPad maker to a third straight year at the top of Forbes' list of the World's Most Valuable Brands. The mobile device maker's brand was valued at $104.3 billion, nearly twice the value of the second-place finisher, Microsoft. Rounding out the top five were Coca-Cola, IBM, and Google.
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11/06, 10:14am
Curved displays to be followed by bendable, foldable versions
Samsung is planning to bring out devices with foldable displays sometime in 2015, according to announcements made at the Samsung Analyst Day in Korea. Buoyed by the launch of the curved Galaxy Round smartphone, Samsung will look towards building bendable displays sometime in 2014, before moving to foldable versions towards the end of the following year.
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11/05, 9:06pm
Agrees mostly with Apple's summaries, rejects most Samsung proposal
Federal Circuit Court Judge Lucy Koh has entered orders for the limited damages retrial between Apple and Samsung that begins next week, and has largely favored Apple's interpretation of how the jury should understand and award monetary damages or other penalties for the contested patents. Apple won a judgement of over $1 billion against Samsung in the original trial, but approximately 40 percent of that award was held back for re-examination.
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11/05, 5:00pm
Samsung, Apple continue to dominate growing market
Samsung and Apple retained their spots atop the worldwide smartphone shipment charts in the third quarter, according to new figures from industry analysis firm Canalys. Canalys' new numbers showed up on Tuesday, revealing that the two tech giants together accounted for just under 50 percent of all smartphones shipped in the three months ending September 30. Huawei, Lenovo, and LG were the three closest competitors.
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