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Samsung replaces its smartphone chief
Samsung Mobile's top execs held on for a while during the company's troubled time with smartphones, but it's apparently been long enough. JK Shin, in addition to another co-CEO, (Samsung's exec lineup is a... multi-layered one), will withdraw from daily operations, replaced by DJ Koh, a mobile exec who previously oversaw Samsung's barely-nascent Tizen mobile OS and Samsung Pay -- neither of which are international success stories (yet?). At the same time, Samsung's head of TVs and home appliances, BK Yoon, is being moved on to focus on "long-term strategy".
Samsung sold over 40 million Galaxy S 4s in six months
T Sure, Samsung's sold more than 38 million Galaxy Notes since late 2011, but its latest flagship puts that number to shame. According to a Korean publication, the company has sold 40 million Galaxy S 4 units worldwide, just six months after the device hit the market. It's a hearty milestone, although it's not a particularly surprising one -- the phone moved more than 10 million units in its first month alone. Samsung's JK Shin didn't give inews24 specifics on how the sales broke down between the device's assorted models, but we're betting that the golden S4 didn't take the lion's share.
Samsung says its next-gen smartphones will have 64-bit processors too
Samsung's mobile business head JK Shin has said that the company's next smartphones will feature a 64-bit CPU, according to the Korea Times. The remarks follows Apple's launch of the iPhone 5s, the first handset with the 64-bit, billion transistor A7 processor and 64-bit OS 7. Saying that Samsung is aware of Apple's ambitions in China, the exec added that a device with such a chip would come "not in the shortest time," but that "our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing capability." They could use the ARMv8 64-bit architecture that ARM has been promoting for quite awhile now, since Samsung is a prominent licensee. Does that mean a Galaxy S 5 flagship will become the Korean company's first to use the tech? Cue the rumors and speculation.
Samsung's 38 million Galaxy Note sales show that large phones are here to stay
Remember when Samsung's big-screened Galaxy Note line was considered niche? Those days are long gone. JK Shin now says that the company has sold more than 38 million Note smartphones since the original launched in late 2011. That's 28 million more than Samsung reported a year ago; for context, Nokia has sold a total of 27.3 million Lumia smartphones as of its latest earnings report. Not surprisingly, Shin sees a bright future ahead for the Galaxy Note 3. He expects Samsung to sell over 10 million units of the third-generation handset, and history suggests that the tech giant could easily reach that goal despite an abundance of competition.
Gregory Lee becomes President of Samsung's US mobile division, Dale Sohn to advise JK Shin
Samsung is shaking up its US mobile efforts: it just appointed Global Marketing Operations head Gregory Lee as the President of Samsung Telecommunications America, effective immediately. The company hasn't explained why it's making such an abrupt swap, but it's bringing outgoing President Dale Sohn back to South Korea as an Executive Advisor to mobile division CEO JK Shin. This may amount to a promotion -- when much of Samsung's recent success in smartphones is based on its American presence, Sohn's advice could carry a lot of weight.
Samsung CEO plans to sell the 'world's first' LTE-Advanced phone, a new Galaxy S 4 variant
Samsung's already doing a pretty good job selling its new flagship GS4, not to mention preparing a Google-fied stock version for the summer. There's another variant now confirmed, however, with Samsung's co-chief exec, JK Shin, telling Reuters today that a modified Galaxy S 4 will be the first smartphone to commercially launch on LTE-Advanced, the next step up from existing LTE. (Not forgetting that the new tech is already live in parts of Russia.) On the new radio technology, data speeds could theoretically double what you currently experience on a 4G signal. For Samsung's new smartphone, this will involve using Qualcomm chips compatible with the next-gen networks, notably sidestepping its homemade Exynos silicon. "As operators seek to provide more data-centric mobile services, I think this will become mainstream 4G technology globally in the coming years," Shin said, though he refused to name any specific networks that the new GS4 would eventually launch on.
Samsung chief alludes to 'mirrorless' Galaxy Camera sequel coming June 20th
We had a feeling the little Galaxy S4 Zoom wouldn't be the final word in Samsung's Android-powered camera lineup for 2013, and now it seems that a truer successor to the high-spec Galaxy Camera is indeed on its way. As quoted by the Korea Times, JK Shin has confirmed that a "mirrorless camera that runs on Google's Android software" will launch at the company's forthcoming event in London on June 20th, which will likely also show off other Galaxy-branded products. Assuming no mistranslations have gotten in the way, the reference to a "mirrorless" camera implies the existence of an interchangeable lens system, suggesting that the new Galaxy Camera might be more akin to Samsung's NX range of cameras than to its cheaper point-and-shoots. If that's the case, then this could be a significant upgrade in terms of sensor size and image quality, but at this point there's still very little we can say for sure.
Samsung's JK Shin: there's 'lackluster demand' for Windows-based phones, tablets
You don't need to be Captain Subtext to understand that a few manufacturers (and developers) aren't best pleased with Microsoft's latest mobile products. The latest to damn Redmond with faint praise is Samsung's newly-minted Co-CEO, JK Shin, who told The Wall Street Journal that demand for Windows-based phones and tablets isn't sending the company's accountants cross-eyed with glee. When asked about Samsung's relationship with Microsoft after the latter deepened its ties with Nokia, Shin said: "Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's Windows operating system aren't selling very well. There is a preference in the market for Android. In Europe, we're also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products." Which, naturally, has done nothing to scotch those persistent rumors of the ATIV Tab being axed in Europe as well as the US. The CEO added that we can expect to see a Tizen-based phone in the third quarter of the year, although Samsung will continue to flirt with every available OS for the needs of its customers.
Samsung elects two new co-CEOs to go along with the one it already had
Samsung Electronics just announced it's switching to a multiple-CEO system, pushing up Presidents Boo-keun Yoon and JK Shin (who we just saw on stage at the Galaxy S 4 press conference) in recognition of their strong performance. Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Board of Directors and current CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon isn't leaving the position he attained last summer however, and will continue to oversee the company's component business. Meanwhile, Yoon will continue his job overseeing the consumer electronics division that makes TVs and appliances, while Shin runs the IT and mobile phone business. Letting each run their own ship seems like an odd move, however we suppose when you're raking in $8 billion+ in profits in a quarter, you can afford to try a few different things, and they're still looking up to Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee. Still, there was a time when each unit operating so independently was seen as a problem.
Samsung exec confirms 8-inch Galaxy Note coming to MWC
The internet has been quietly discussing the possibility of an 8-inch Galaxy Note for a while now, but nothing appeared at CES. However, it might've just been waiting for the right event to make its entrance, and iNews24 is reporting that JK Shin himself has confirmed the Galaxy Note 8 will debut at MWC. Seeming as the Korean news outfit also got word on the S III mini from Samsung's mobile chief before anything was official, we've got no reason to doubt this scoop. If this addition to the Note range is the mysterious GT-N5100 we saw benchmarked recently, it could be packing a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, and fit 1,280 x 800 pixels in that 8-inch display (the same res as the Galaxy Note 10.1). As JK Shin shared nothing but the screen size for now, we'll just have to wait until MWC to get all the finer details.
Samsung chief: we're open to a cross-licensing deal with Apple, but 4G chip shortage might last until the fall
The at times very heated legal battle between Apple and Samsung might be softening just a bit ahead of truce talks on May 21st. Samsung's mobile head JK Shin just left Seoul for the mediated discussions saying there were still "several negotiation options" on tap, including the possibility of cross-licensing patents. He warned that there was still a "big gap" between the two sides, and we'd tend to agree -- neither Apple nor Samsung is exactly backing off just yet. However, it's a definite shift in language from March, when Shin was vowing "no compromise," and it parallels Apple CEO Tim Cook's own disdain for lawsuits. We just wouldn't bet money on the two singing "Kumbaya" this week. In same breath, Shin added that an ongoing 4G chipset shortage wasn't letting up: he didn't see things getting better until the start of the fourth quarter, or October for us common folk. That's a problem for Samsung's phones and tablets most of all, of course, and in a dire case could see LTE-packing American Galaxy S III variants rely on other vendors' chips to stay on the 4G bandwagon. There's also a chance of a ripple effect on other companies that want Samsung's parts, but short of getting a peek at Samsung's inner workings, we won't know the full impact for awhile yet.
Samsung teases 4G tablet for 2011, Galaxy S III in first half of 2012
Don't expect a lawsuit or two to keep a good chaebol down. Not if J.K. Shin has his way. The president of Samsung's mobile communication division is telling us to expect an "enhanced" LTE Galaxy Tab (without providing any detail) sometime later this year, following the launch of the company's 8.9-inch Tab this summer and 10.1-inch Tab next month -- the latter priced between $499 and $599. Shin said that Samsung is already in talks with US and South Korean carriers to launch the 4G tablet. He also teased a third version of the wildly popular Galaxy S handset series for the first half of 2012. A proclamation arriving on news that the delectable Galaxy S II has just set a record for the fastest selling smartphone in Korea after unloading one million handsets in the first month of domestic sales.Naturally, Shin also had a bit to say about Samsung's ongoing legal battle with Apple. "We didn't copy Apple's design," he said bluntly, adding that Apple's allegations "will not be legally problematic." Sure Sammy, tell it to the judge.Update: The Wall Street Journal updated its story calling for the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab to launch this summer, not in June as originally stated.
Samsung promises dual-core smartphones, new tablets for MWC 2011
CES isn't even over yet, but Samsung's already looking forward to its next big event: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. That show gets started on February 14th, but Sammy plans to get things going early with an announcement of dual-core smartphones and new tablets on February 13th. Such is the word straight from the company's mobile biz president, JK Shin, who says Samsung is "in a position to supply 4G smartphones and tablets to all the carriers in the US." Naturally, this 4G strategy will include both LTE and WiMAX, while another major prong of the company's future roadmap is to curtail its featurephone offering in favor of low-cost smartphone devices. Interesting times certainly lie ahead.
Samsung expects to sell a million Galaxy Tabs this year, 40 million smartphones next year
We've already heard Samsung boast that it expects to ship 10 million Galaxy Tabs by next year, and the company's now back at the prediction game yet again, with mobile biz president J.K. Shin saying he expects the company to sell a million of them this year alone -- given that the end of the year is fast approaching, that translates to a million sold in just under 60 days. As if that wasn't enough, Shin also told Nikkei that Samsung expects to sell 40 million smartphones in 2011, which is more than double its projection for this year -- of those, it obviously expects the majority to be Galaxy S phones, but it has quite a way to go from ten million it expects to sell this year. Incidentally, Shin also dropped another hint that Samsung would "soon" be releasing a 10-inch Galaxy Tab, but he doesn't seem to have provided any more details than we've heard before.
Live from CTIA 2010's day one keynote with Ralph de la Vega and J. K. Shin!
We've just been seated in an extraordinarily large keynote hall -- as big as anything you'll find even at CES -- for CTIA 2010's first day keynote session featuring AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega and J. K. Shin, president of Samsung's mobile business. It should be an interesting shindig, so keep it locked!
Samsung to announce Galaxy S smartphone, content initiatives this week
We've just received a veritable cornucopia of information around Samsung's supposed announcements out at CTIA this week -- and seeing how this is the biggest wireless show the US has to offer, you might imagine that the reveals are fairly US-focused while still hanging onto some global relevance. Here's what we know: The company's so-called "Smart Life" philosophy for smartphone design and differentiation -- something we've heard referred to as S Life in the past, including here at CTIA -- will be formally introduced. It won't so much be a product or a smartphone platform (as far as we can tell) so much as an overarching strategy. A 1GHz applications processor will be announced as the "new standard" in Sammy's premium smartphone segment for 2010; in all likelihood, this is the Cortex A8-based core announced in the middle of last year. A huge content push will be announced (US market mercifully included) with full-length movies and shows that are "optimized" to take advantage of the company's new Super AMOLED displays. You'll also see some book and magazine deals get struck for straight-to-mobile delivery, but it sounds like we won't get the straight dope on how it'll all work (and who's involved, exactly) this week. Kicking off S Life from the hardware side will be the Galaxy S, Samsung's big phone announcement for the week. As far as we can tell, it'll be an Android device taking advantage of Super AMOLED and the company's homegrown 1GHz core -- and it'll be available in the US this year. That's all we've got so far, but Sammy's mobile prez J.K. Shin has a keynote tomorrow morning along with an event immediately afterward, so we expect to get this fleshed out in the next day or so. Stay tuned!