iPhone 5 launch doesn't slow down Galaxy S III sales

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If you thought that sales of the Samsung Galaxy S III would suffer once the iPhone 5 was announced, then, well, you were wrong. A survey carried out by Localytics shows that the flagship smartphone from the Korean manufacturer is still going strong.

According to the survey, Localytics state, “Yesterday Samsung added the iPhone 5 to its patent lawsuit against Apple and other manufacturers. This comes after Apple was awarded $1 billion for Samsung’s infringements. But sales of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III haven’t been hurt and appear to have been helped by the news. The powerhouse Android device saw average growth of 9% in new devices each week since August 1st, with huge spikes in Galaxy S III adoption occurring after the Apple lawsuit verdict and after the iPhone 5 announcement.”

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The image shows exactly when the spike in sales took place and it was around the same time the iPhone 5 was announced with the Samsung Galaxy S III recording a 15 percent growth in sales. Commenting on this, the website notes, “The second spike started the week of September 12, when Apple announced the new iPhone 5. Apple’s announcement was quickly followed by hundreds of stories comparing the two phones, most of which again suggested they were similarly capable. That combined with the slowdown in new Galaxy S3 growth seen leading up to Apple’s announcement (week-over-week new devices were the same as the previous week, resulting in 0% growth) suggest that many consumers were waiting to hear about the new iPhone before making a decision.”

The survey concludes with Localytics stating that the average week-over-week growth of 9% means that every week 9% more Galaxy S3 handsets were added than the week before. They end by stating, “This also means that the growth effects are cumulative, so while the Samsung device’s weekly new device growth slowed some weeks, it is still adding handsets at a remarkable rate.”

For those who are interested in purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S III here in India, the handset is now available at a price of Rs. 34,900 for the 16GB version. The much talked about smartphone that was earlier priced at Rs 41,700 comes at a 16 percent reduction in price.

The Galaxy S III has been one of Samsung’s most ambitious offerings till date, and at the time of its launch, the phone was one of the most anticipated smartphones. In a detailed review of the Galaxy S III, we found it to be blazing fast in every single aspect. Manoeuvring through the various menus, home screens as well as multitasking is an absolute breeze. Beneath the glossiness that Samsung has given it, lies a stark and glum feel that could definitely do with better colour schemes.

The Galaxy S III is equipped with some of the latest mobile technologies. With a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 1GB RAM, Android v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), flaunting the latest edition of Samsung TouchWiz UI, and NFC support, the device is quite feature packed. Its 2100mAh battery provides users with a good battery life as well.

Here’s a closer look at some of the other specs of the Samsung Galaxy S III:

• 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with, DLNA support
• GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS,
• USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0
• 8MP camera with AF, LED flash, BSI sensor and 1080p HD video recording
• 1.9MP front facing camera with a resolution of 720p for video chat
• 16/32/64GB Internal memory, expandable up to 64GB
• HDMI out

Report by: Aaron Almeida

Relief for Samsung as US court lifts ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1

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A US court removed a sales ban against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 won by Apple Inc in a patent dispute, allowing the South Korean electronics maker to sell the product in the United States.

The injunction had been put in place ahead of a month-long trial that pitted iPhone maker Apple against Samsung in a closely watched legal battle that ended with a resounding victory for Apple on many of its patent violation claims.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 Reuters

However, the jury found that Samsung had not violated the patent that was the basis for the tablet injunction and Samsung argued the sales ban should be lifted.

While the Galaxy 10.1 is an older model, the lifting of the ban could still help Samsung in the run-up to the pivotal holiday shopping season.

“We are pleased with the court’s action today, which vindicates our position that there was no infringement of Apple’s design patent and that an injunction was not called for,” Samsung said in a statement.

Separately, Samsung filed a motion against Apple saying the iPhone 5 had infringed on some of the company’s patents.

The world’s top two smartphone makers are locked in patent disputes in 10 countries as they vie to dominate the lucrative market.

The legal fight began last year when Apple sued Samsung in multiple countries, and Samsung countersued.

The injunction on the Galaxy tablet had been put in place ahead of a month-long trial that pitted the iPhone maker against Samsung in a closely watched legal battle that ended in August with a victory for Apple on many of its patent violation claims.

However, the jury found that Samsung had not violated the patent that was the basis for the tablet injunction and Samsung argued the sales ban should be lifted.

The sole basis for the preliminary injunction no longer exists since the jury found that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab had not violated Apple’s D’889 patent.

“The court does not agree with Apple that Samsung’s motion for dissolution of the June 26 preliminary injunction cannot be fairly decided without resolving Apple’s post-trial motions,” Judge Lucy Koh said in her ruling.

Apple could not immediately be reached for comment outside regular US business hours.

The case in US District Court, Northern District of California, is Apple Inc v Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, No. 11-1846.

Report by: Reuters

Asians leading users of smartphones in the US: Survey

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NEW YORK: Sixty six per cent of Asian community in the US owns smartphones, making them the leading users of such devices in the country, according to the findings of a new survey.

As many as sixty-six per cent of Asians, 56 per cent of Hispanics and 55 per cent of African-Americans use smartphones to check e-mails, play games and surf the Web, the Neilson study found.

Sixty six per cent of Asian community in the US owns smartphones, making them the leading users of such devices in the country, according to the findings of a new survey.

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Around 55.5 per cent of Americans are now owners of smartphones, but for white people, the numbers makes up just 45 per cent, the lowest of any ethnic group, the 'New York Post' reported.

The report seems surprising in light of data showing a widening economic gap between whites and minorities.

One explanation for the higher smartphone penetration among minorities can be attributed to age, the report said.

More young people buy smartphones than older people, with 66 per cent of those aged 18 to 29 owning them, compared with just 11 per cent of those over 65, the report noted.

The need to own a smartphone among young people, dubbed digital natives, is so great that even the majority of those making less than 15,000 dollars a year have one, according to the report.

"It's become as necessary to your life as owning a car used to be," said Thelma Young, a graduate student.

"A lot of minorities can't afford Internet in their home. Since they're already paying a phone bill, they rely heavily on their smartphones to jump over the digital divide," she said.

In 2011, sixty six per cent of white American adults had a high-speed broadband connection at home, compared with 51 per cent of Hispanics and 49 per cent of blacks, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

A soaring 80 per cent of Asian-Americans, who have the highest income of any ethnic group in the country, had broadband at home

Report by: ET