Showing posts with label Samsung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samsung. Show all posts

Samsung Galaxy S4's new ad labels iPhone as old

The Samsung launch party seems incomplete without Apple bashing ads and it came as a bit of a surprise that Samsung had not launched any such combative television commercials for Samsung Galaxy S4. Until now.

The Korean smartphone maker has launched a new television commercial that talks about the new features in the Galaxy S4 and mocks Apple iPhone 5. The ad even goes on to state some smartphones (read Galaxy S4) are smarter than others (iPhone 5).

The ad begins with a graduation party taking place and people seem to be enjoying food and jumping into the pool - kids being kids. In the party, the students are shown using the Samsung Galaxy S4, while their parents and teachers (the older lot) are shown using the iPhone.

The television unfolds to demonstrate the Air Gesture feature as the person eating a juicy piece of ribs is able to answer the call by merely waving at the device. Also the pictures clicked at the graduation party are shared between devices using the S Bean functionality of the Samsung Galaxy S4. It further goes on to how the Samsung Galaxy S4 can control an HDTV and recommend TV shows to you.

Samsung has also released a 30 second video that continues with the graduation theme to showcase the eraser shot feature of Samsung Galaxy S4. In this short television commercial, Samsung does not make fun of Apple's iPhone.

Mocking competitive products in a television commercial is not a new concept in the smartphone space. A few days ago, Microsoft has rolled out a new television commercial for Nokia Lumia 920. In this ad, Microsoft seems to be mocking the rivalry between Apple and Samsung to drive home the "Switch to Lumia" message.

However, the current Samsung Galaxy S4 is not as quirky and quick-paced as the Microsoft one.
Report by : Surbhi Chawla

Judge Lucy Koh sets November date for renewed Apple vs Samsung patent battle

A federal judge has set new trial dates in November to decide whether $450.5 million of damages awarded by a jury to Apple in a patent dispute with Samsung should stand, according to a court filing.

In March, Apple had a major setback in its ongoing mobile patents battle with Samsung when Judge Lucy Koh slashed a $1.05 billion jury award by more than 40 percent and set a new trial to determine damages. Koh ordered on Monday that the new trial on damages should take place between November 12 and 18.

The court will not permit Apple and Samsung to expand the scope of the damages trial by relying upon new sales data, new products and new methodologies or theories, the order said.

Back in the courts

Koh had previously said the jury had incorrectly calculated part of the damages and that a new trial was needed to determine the actual, final dollar amount. That could end up less than or more than the original $450.5 million set by the jury.

Koh, rejecting Apple's motion for an increase in the jury's damages award, ordered a new trial on damages for 14 devices, which include Samsung's Galaxy SII. The jury's award to Apple for 14 other products, totalling almost $599 million, was maintained. The court also reinstated the jury award of $40.5 million relating to one Samsung phone, the Galaxy SII AT&T, which will not be included in the new trial on damages.

The case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is Apple Inc. vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846

Report by : Reuters

Samsung explains why Galaxy S4 doesn't come with FM radio

Samsung Galaxy S4 was unveiled by the company on 14 March. While the phone boasts high-end specs like a 5-inch full-HD screen with 441 pixels per inch, a 1.6GHz Exynos octa-core processor in some regions and a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor in others, and 2GB of RAM, it received criticism in some quarters for missing out on a rather basic feature: FM radio.

The omission of FM was indeed a strange one from Samsung. While Apple has never shipped an iPhone with built-in FM radio - despite receiving its share of criticism - Samsung's first three flagship devices, and indeed, most other phones, come with FM radio. In that sense, Samsung customers are used to enjoying the feature. There have been complaints since the omission was confirmed after Galaxy S4 was officially unveiled but Samsung was mum on the subject - until now.

Samsung's Facebook page in Russia has made the following announcement on the subject, which was picked up by GSM Arena via Hi-Tech.Mail.Ru.

Our studies show a trend shift of interest to digital broadcasting, specifically - focus on listening to music content in social networks or on the channel YouTube. The flagship model of our products are focused on customers who use digital content, which use modern formats and channels of information consumption. (translated from Russian).
While Samsung may be right in believing that flagship customers tend to be focused on digital content, the fact is, if you take something away from people after they become used to it (in other Galaxy flagships), they are far more likely to complain, than if they never enjoyed the feature in the first place.

Something tells us we haven't heard the last on the Samsung Galaxy S4 FM radio debate. What do you think us of Samsung's decision? Will your decision to buy the Galaxy S4 be impacted by it? Let us know via the comments.

Samsung Galaxy S4 key specifications

  • 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920) Super AMOLED display (441 ppi)
  • 1.9GHz quad-core processor/ 1.6GHz octa-core processor (Depending upon region)
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16/32/64 GB Storage (expandable by 64GB via microSD slot)
  • 13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, IR LED, MHL 2.0
  • Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
  • 2,600 mAh battery
  • 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm
  • 130 grams
Report by : NDTV Correspondent

iOS vs Android Part 2: iOS is making money hand over fist

With Android taking the crown for market share, let's take a look at the numbers from Tech Time's compilation for the apps on both devices, along with which operating system makes more money.

The first question is which company makes the most amount of money from selling smartphones. According to Canaccord Genuity, Apple is far ahead in the race with 72 percent of the profit in the last quarter of 2012. Samsung is second with 29 percent. All the other companies either broke even or lost money, which resulted in Apple and Samsung's numbers accounting for more than 100 percent.

Another major source of arguments with regards to both operating systems is the apps. Numbers-wise, there's no winner, since both Android and iOS have more than 800,000 third party apps. Quality-wise, however, when it comes to quality of apps, uTest's Applause service shows that iOS apps are generally given a higher rating at 68.5 percent, compared to 63.3 percent for Android apps.

When it comes to money, iOS reigns supreme

App downloads is an area where Android comes up ahead with Canalys' numbers showing that 51 percent of the apps downloaded in the first quarter of this year were for Android. iOS was second at 41 percent and other OSes constituted 9 percent. Be that as it may, data also shows that iOS users spend more money on apps than Android users. Seventy four percent of the money spent on apps for the first quarter of this year was for iOS apps, with Android coming in a distant second at 20 percent and other OSes scoring 6 percent.

According to NetMarketShare's monthly stats on which browsers and operating systems are being used on the Internet, iOS is far ahead of Android. According to the numbers from March 2013, 61.4 percent of the devices browsing the web were running on iOS. Android was second with 24.9 percent and other OSes were at 13.7 percent.

On the other hand, numbers from StatCounter say completely different things. According to StatCounter, Android leads in net usage with 37.2 percent, followed by iOS with 27.1 percent and other OSes scoring 35.6 percent.

The most widely used platform in businesses, according to Citrix's report from the fourth quarter of 2012, is iOS with 62 percent of the share. Android is a distant second with 35 percent of the share and other OSes score 3 percent.

Going by the numbers, Apple seems to be the winner here. Despite Android having just as large of an app library as iOS, the latter's apps are generally found to be rated higher than the former. iOS also manages to make much more money than Android, in part because of Apple's tremendous profit margin from selling iOS devices, and in part because iOS users seem to be more likely to spend money on apps than Android users.

Report by : Shunal Doke

Samsung alleged to have hired students to criticise HTC online

Taiwanese authorities said Monday they had launched an investigation into allegations that South Korean tech giant Samsung hired students to post malicious comments about local rival HTC online.

"The case was set up last week after we received complaints," Fair Trade Commission spokesman Sun Lih-chyun told AFP.

He said the probe would look into allegations that Samsung engaged in false advertising and that if the allegations were upheld, Samsung and its local advertising agent could face a fine of up to Tw$25 million ($835,000).

Complaints emerged this month, with Internet users alleging that Samsung, through its local agent, had hired students to write online articles attacking HTC and recommending Samsung cellphones, the United Evening News said.

When asked about the allegations, an official at Samsung Taiwan said the company had not been informed of the investigation by the Fair Trade Commission.

But in a statement on its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SamsungTaiwan, Samsung Taiwan said it regretted "any inconvenience and confusion from the Internet event".

"Samsung Taiwan has halted all Internet marketing such as posting articles on websites," it said.

Samsung was fined Tw$300,000 by the commission earlier this year for a misleading advertisement about the camera functions on Samsung's Galaxy Y Duos GT-S6102, according to Taiwan's state Central News Agency.

According to research firm IDC, Samsung held a 30.3 percent share of the global smartphone market in 2012, while Apple had 19.1 percent and HTC 4.6 percent.

Blockbuster: Why Indians like the Samsung Galaxy Grand

The Samsung Galaxy Grand smartphone is easily one of the more attractive offerings from the company in recent times. And why not? The smartphone is by and large seen as a low-cost alternative to the pricey Galaxy Note II and features pretty much everything that consumers expect out of a high-end phone – a large display, dual-core processor and an 8 megapixel camera.

That said, we were a little more than curious to know about how well the smartphone was faring in the market. We did a little sniffing around for you, and here's what we found.

We reached out to The Mobile Store, a popular destination for smartphone in the city. The representative at one of the outlets told us that they are selling the Galaxy Grand smartphone for Rs 21,500, and added that it is popular among buyers. “At our store alone, we sell around 4-5 units of the smartphone.” He added that on the occasion of Gudi Padva, the store had the smartphone on sale for Rs 20,900. He went on to mention the popular offers that are currently applicable on the phone.

A large display gives it a premium look and feel

We didn’t hear any different from a Vijay Sales representative who, while did not give the exact numbers, said that they are currently selling more units of the Grand than any other smartphone. The Galaxy Grand smartphone is available for Rs 21,500 at the store.

What’s also doing the trick is the recent massive front page ad that Samsung put up in a leading Indian daily. The Korean company’s ad offers a big "cash back" percentage (up to Rs 5,668) till April 30. The offer also gives potential customers attractive options for any of the several high-end and mid-range Samsung smartphones, including the Galaxy Note 800 and the Galaxy Camera, on EMI schemes.

Our source in the grey market took no time in telling us that the handset was doing very well and has in fact outshone the Galaxy Note II in terms of sales in his store since the past few days. As for the preference in colours, we were told that both Elegant White and Metallic Blue have been equally popular. While one grey market store said that they were selling an average of two units per day, the other put that number to three.

So, what’s strengthening the chemistry between the Galaxy Grand and the regular Indian smartphone buyer? Of what we know at the moment, the fact that such specs are being made available at this price is attracting customers. The Vijay Sales representative we spoke to only confirmed this for us. The large display on the smartphone too lends it a look and feel that is akin to the high-end phones in the market; only this doesn’t cost as much.

Looks grand in white

For those still clueless, here's what the Galaxy Grand is made up of:

  • Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor.
  • 5-inch WVGA TFT LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
  • 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi capabilities for net access
  • A-GPS Glonass
  • Bluetooth
  • 8MP camera
  • 8GB + microSD expandable up to 64GB
Report by : Anuradha Shetty

Samsung announces Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8 phablets

Samsung lifted the covers of the Galaxy Mega dup – the 6.3" and 5.8" Android phablets. The smartphones borrow some of the features from the Galaxy S4 flagships but offer much larger screens and aim for the mid-range segment as a more affordable alternative to the high-end Note phablet.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 packs a 6.3" LCD of 720p resolution and is powered by a an Exynos 5250 chipset with a dual-core Cortex-A15 CPU clocked at 1.7GHz and 1.5GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.2 with Sasmung’s TouchWiz modifications like Multi-window (split-screen multitasking) and Air View (detecting your finger an inch from the screen). There's no S Pen though.

The main camera is an 8MP shooter and there’s a 1.9MP front-facing camera. On the connectivity side the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 enjoys LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, NFC and packs an IR emitter so it can work as a remote control. It can also connect to Galaxy S4s and Grands with Group Play.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 next to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note II
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is not a small device, but it's fairly thin measuring 167.6 x 88 x 8.0 mm and weighing 199g. The battery has 3,200mAh capacity. Internal storage is 8GB/16GB and there’s a microSD card slot if you need more.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 sized up against the Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8
The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a smaller Mega phablet and packs a more modest specs sheet. The LCD screen resolution is jsut qHD and the CPU clock speed has been reduced to 1.4GHz. The high-speed connectivity (LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac) is also gone as well as the NFC and an IR emitter.

Other things that have changed are the size (obviously) - the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 measures 162.6 x 82.4 x 9.0 mm, weighs 182g and has a 2,600 mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega duo will be available worldwide with the rollout starting from Europe and Russia in May. We still have no info on the price.

Report by :

Miami judge accuses Samsung, Apple of using the courts 'as a business strategy'

Miami U.S. District Judge Robert Scola had choice words for Apple and Samsung during one of the pair's many patent disputes, accusing the two of of having "no interest in efficiently and expeditiously resolving this dispute" and instead using such proceedings "as a business strategy." The Florida case began in 2010 and has since swelled to over 180 claims, causing the pair to ask the court to reduce the scope of the case. That caused Judge Scola to rail against the combatants, saying "without a hint of irony, the parties now ask the court to mop up a mess that they made," adding that he would "decline this invitation." Instead, he gave them four months to streamline the case themselves, less it be placed on hold until all the nearly 100 terms in dispute are defined to everyone's satisfaction -- and we know how that's gone so far.

Report by : Steve Dent

Apple cutting Samsung out of any role in A7 chip development: Report

Samsung is said to be playing no role in the development of Apple's forthcoming A7 chip as the iPhone-maker looks to reduce its dependence on the Korean company.

Mac Rumours reports via The Korean Times that Apple is going ahead with its plans of developing the next generation chip with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). This development would represent a new level of cooperation between the two companies after earlier reports suggested that the Taiwanese company had been contracted to manufacture the A6X chip, which drives Apple's 4th generation iPad.

"Apple is sharing confidential data for its next A7 System-on-Chip (SoC) with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC has begun ordering its contractors to supply equipment to produce Apple's next processors using a finer 20-nanometer level processing technology," an executive at one of Samsung's local partners told The Korea Times.

Samsung has been one of Apple's key suppliers over the years, but the rise of the Korean company as the biggest smartphone maker in the world, and the subsequent legal battle between the two in various countries across the world seems to have forced an Apple rethink. Any move to alternative suppliers will not only reduce Apple's dependence on a company that is now clearly a major rival, it will also make a dent in Samsung's revenues.

Samsung, on its part, is said to be looking for other clients as well. Nvidia may be one such client as Samsung hopes to play a bigger role in manufacturing graphic chips for the American company. However some warn that if Apple leaves, it will be too big a gap to fill.

"If Samsung fails to win Apple orders for A7 chips, then some of Samsung's system chip-manufacturing lines will be stopped. That's a scenario Samsung really doesn't want to see," an official of another Samsung supplier told The Korean Times.

Report by : Kunal Dua

Samsung Galaxy S4 to hit grey markets around April 22 for Rs 60000

It’s Galaxy S4 season. After the news that the smartphone will be landing in India on April 27, we have word from our sources in the grey market that it could arrive up to a week before the official launch. Hold on to your horses, though. The early birds will have to shell out Rs 60,000 or more for the phone—depending on the amount of stock and the consumer demand.

Like any other Samsung flagship, we expect the Galaxy S4 to be in high demand in the days leading up to its launch, and our sources told us the phone would be available as early as April 22. However, we were also warned that the date is tentative, as shipments could arrive early and the phone could be available even before April 22.

Will you pay a premium to become one of the first Galaxy S4 owners?

As is generally the case, grey market prices are initially high and steadily fall to around the official price. We suggest buyers to wait till the device launches officially, as Samsung probably won't be pricing it as high as Rs 60,000. However, we expect the initial hype surrounding the device to translate into hot sales in the grey market.

The Galaxy S4 is also available on pre-order at one online retailer. Its official price is expected to be around Rs 42,000, which means an MOP of Rs 40,000 or less, which would make it a very tempting proposition. Currently, the Galaxy S4’s direct competitors, the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z, are retailing between Rs 37,000 and Rs 42,000. The launch of the Galaxy S4 for less than Rs 40,000 could lead to sharp price drops as Sony and HTC look to loosen Samsung’s stranglehold on the market.

Announced on March 14 at a swanky function in New York, the Galaxy S4 brings ultra-modern hardware, paired with some key improvements and changes in the TouchWiz software experience. The Galaxy S4 brings a 5-inch Full-HD display. The Super AMOLED display has deep blacks and saturated colours, but Samsung has packaged colour calibration software to allow users to fine-tune it. The phone has 16GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 64GB. 32GB and 64GB versions are also expected to launch soon. All three models have 2GB of RAM. The Galaxy S4 ships with the latest version of Android, i.e. 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, but Samsung’s customisations and features are particularly interesting.

Here are the key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S4:
  • 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi
  • HSPA+, LTE, GPRS/EDGE
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR and A2DP
  • GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
  • NFC
  • MicroUSB 2.0 with MHL, USB On-the-go, USB Host
  • 13-megapixel primary camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 16/32/64GB internal storage with microSD card for expansion up to 64 GB

ITC judge says Samsung infringes key part of Apple patent

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd infringed a key portion of an Apple Inc patent by including a text-selection feature in its smartphones and tablets, an International Trade Commission judge said in a preliminary decision.

South Korean-based Samsung did not infringe portions of a second Apple patent that allows a device to detect if a microphone or other device is plugged into its microphone jack, the judge said in a decision that was issued on March 26 but kept confidential until late Thursday to allow the companies to redact sensitive business information.

The full commission must now decide if they will uphold it or overturn the judge's decision. A final decision is expected in August.

If it is upheld, the ITC can order any infringing device to be barred from importation into the United States. Apple has alleged that Samsung's Galaxy, Transform and Nexus devices, among others, were among those made with the infringing technology.

Apple had filed a complaint in mid-2011, accusing Samsung of infringing its patents in making a wide range of smartphones and tablet.

ITC Judge Thomas Pender said in a preliminary decision in October that Samsung infringed four Apple patents but did not violate two others listed in the complaint. There had been seven listed initially, but one was dropped during litigation.

The full commission then said it wanted the agency's judge to take a second look at portions of two patents where he had found that Samsung infringed. That remanded decision, issued in late March, was unsealed on Thursday.

Samsung is the world's largest smartphone maker, while Apple is in second place, according to Gartner Inc, a technology research firm.

Apple is waging war on several fronts against Google Inc, whose Android software powers many Samsung devices. The legal battles between Apple and Samsung have taken place in some 10 countries as they vie for market share in the booming mobile industry.

Google's Android software, which Apple's late founder Steve Jobs denounced as a "stolen product," has become the world's No. 1 smartphone operating system. Apple's battle against Google's Android software has dragged in hardware vendors that use it, including Samsung and HTC.

Samsung is also a parts supplier to Apple, producing micro processors, flat screens and memory chips for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. Apple has reduced orders from Samsung for chips and screens.

The case at the International Trade Commission is No. 337-796.

Report by : Reuters

Apple Inc. (AAPL): Samsung Turns Up the Heat

Samsung has been the only real threat to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s iPhone empire over the last few years. Where other smartphones running Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Android rely on wireless providers to compete with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s 400 brick-and-mortar retail locations, Samsung recently announced that it will be opening mini-stores within Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) locations across the U.S. Beyond the direct threat posed to smartphone and tablet sales, the move has the potential to give Samsung a far more significant footprint in the ecosystem space, and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shareholders should pay attention.

The Samsung way

Just as 2012 saw Samsung outspend Apple on advertising to the tune of $400 million to $333 million, the Galaxy manufacturer is entering this fight with a roar, not a whisper. Five hundred Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) stores will soon surrender roughly 500 square feet of prime real estate to the effort in which the full range of Samsung products will be displayed, explained, touted, and supported; 1,000 smaller locations will follow by late June. Given the location of these mini-stores, consumers on their way to make an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook purchase will necessarily pass by the new retail locations, giving the dedicated Samsung sales force the opportunity to steal sales.

While no financial terms between Samsung and Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) were revealed, the move is likely a win-win. as the struggling retailer gains a strategic driver of traffic through its doors and the Korean concern gets to boast roughly 100 more retail locations than Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) without breaking a sweat (counting just the initial larger mini-stores). Given the importance of the move for Samsung, investors should also look to see if Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Motorola responds in any meaningful way; Samsung's importance within the Android world has been of increasing concern to Google. If the mini-stores are well received, they have the potential to shake things up on multiple fronts.

Ecosystem genius

An easily overlooked advantage of the move for Samsung is the opportunity it gives the company to extol the interoperability of its various products -- to push the burgeoning Samsung ecosystem with the Samsung MediaHub and growing number of native apps at its center. While Samsung laptops, smartphones, tablets, and televisions are each gaining an increasing level of ecosystem interdependence, thus far there is no real distribution channel for this idea. Wireless providers can mention to Galaxy buyers that it is an option, but by bringing all of the devices into one location, the true power can be demonstrated and touted. At present, only Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has this feature in its physical locations.

By giving consumers a place to be educated on this functionality, Samsung has the potential to see an exponential return on its investment because the ecosystem model is inherently sticky. Furthermore, by launching the concept within the embattled Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) chain, Samsung is likely able to mitigate a huge portion of its risk and move quickly to market. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) investors should pay heed to this move because Samsung has already demonstrated that it knows how to successfully attack Cupertino.

Report by : THE MOTLEY FOOL

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Obtains on Samsung Galaxy S3 with Windows Phone Ad

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) adds to the list of firms that has in use a dig at Samsung about the release of its Galaxy S4, even though the makers of Windows Phone are not attractive a dig at the newest version, other than the Galaxy S3 in its place.

Microsoft is carrying its famed Smoked by Windows Phone campaign to American television, in a opportune move. The campaign rotated about a series of defies that the Microsoft team discarded to people using other smartphones on the roads and Microsoft retail stores.

The firm ran over 50,000 challenges in 54 countries. Microsoft prepared users of competitor operating systems hole in the ground their phones aligned with a Windows Phone. The users were requested to whip out their mobile phones and carry out tasks like removal the weather in two different cities earlier than Rudoplh on a Windows Phone to win the challenge. The exercise had its possess share of arguments with the challenged asserting that they had really won. Certainly, Microsoft made the rules of this game.

Coming to the stock performance in last Session Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in last trading session end up at $28.32 by rising up 0.50% with traded volume of 35.45 million shares which is down the average volume of 41.92 million shares.

The stock price saw week’s volatility of 0.99% and month’s volatility is 1.31%, while the stock price of the company is moving up from its 20 days moving average with 1.45% and isolated positively from 50 days moving average with 2.98%.

Looking at Analytic Ratios; the price to sales ratio of MSFT in past twelve months was calculated as 3.25 and price to cash ratio as 3.47. Company return on equity ratio is recorded as 22.62% and its return on assets is 12.83%.

MSFT belongs to Technology sector. Yesterday Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index (STC) was at 759.72 with 0.53% change.

Report by : David Graves

Apple Award Cut With New Trial for Some Samsung Products


Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s $1.05 billion victory against Samsung Electronics (005930) Co. in a patent infringement case was cut about 45 percent by a judge who ordered a new trial on damages for some Samsung products after finding the jury erred.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, today reduced the jury’s damages award by $450.5 million. The jury based its award for 14 Samsung products on an incorrect legal theory, Koh ruled, saying the companies should consider appealing her ruling before any trial begins.

A witness for Apple whose testimony the jury relied on “presented a theory that the court had ruled legally impermissible,” Koh said in her ruling. The judge said that despite her explicit instruction that the theory couldn’t be used, “the amount of the award made plain that the jury had applied the impermissible theory anyway.”

Koh, who had previously rejected Apple’s bid to ban U.S. sales on 26 of the Galaxy maker’s devices, also denied the iPhone maker’s request to enhance the jury’s award, saying the amount Samsung owed was heavily disputed and the jury wasn’t bound to accept either side’s damages estimate. The jury’s award for 14 other products stands at $598.9 million, she said.

“This is an extremely careful and thorough opinion on a very difficult and interrelated set of issues,” Stanford Law School professor Mark A. Lemley said in an e-mail. “Samsung will get some reduction in the award, but almost certainly less than $450 million -- we’ll need a new trial to figure that out.”

‘Delayed’ Trial

The two companies have shown “no sign of giving an inch, and I’m not sure that will change now,” Lemley added. “My guess is that you’ll see appeals that will clarify some things, but that just means the trial will be delayed for a while.”

Samsung and Apple, the world’s two biggest smartphone makers, have each scored victories in patent disputes fought over four continents since Apple accused Asia’s biggest electronics maker of “slavishly copying” its devices. The companies, competing for dominance of a global mobile-device market estimated by researcher Yankee Group at $346 billion in 2012, are fighting over patents even as Apple remains one of Samsung’s biggest customers.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, is entitled to additional damages for sales of infringing products that weren’t considered by the jury, Koh ruled, saying she intends to calculate the amount beginning on Aug. 25, the day after the jury reached its verdict. As the case has been appealed, Koh said she would delay considering evidence of actual post-verdict sales and pre-judgment interest until the appeals are completed.

Jury Erred

The jury appears to have erred by awarding damages on Samsung profit for products that infringed only utility patents, which isn’t legally permitted, Koh said. In addition, portions of the damages awarded for patent infringement were excessive because they may have included compensation for infringement before Samsung was on notice that Apple owned the intellectual property, Koh said.

The 14 products requiring a new damages trial are: the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT&T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish and Transform, according to the ruling.

Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple, said the company had no comment on the ruling.

Adam Yates, a spokesman for Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the ruling.

The case is Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., 11- cv-01846, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose).

Samsung hires judge who upheld anti-Apple verdict: Report


Remember the Samsung vs Apple UK case that saw one of the most bizarre court rulings you'll ever come across? That's right, we're talking about the infamous case that concluded with Apple being ordered to run "Samsung didn't copy iPad" ads.

The original case was supervised by Judge Colin Birss who heard Apple's petition alleging that Samsung's Galaxy tablets had infringed its design. Judge Birss first ruled that Samsung couldn't have copied the iPad because its products were "not as cool" as Apple's. Later, the same judge ordered Apple to run "Samsung didn't copy iPad" ads on its website and various popular publications.

Apple appealed this decision but the original ruling was upheld by a bench comprising Sir Robin Jacob and two other judges. Sir Jacob, a retired judge who was invited to sit on the bench for the case, gave the first opinion for the court, dismissing Apple's appeal.

Apple complied with the order, issuing what many termed as a half-hearted "apology" on its website. The bench promptly asked Apple to follow its order strictly, and rewrite the notice on its website. Judge Jacob went on to question Apple's integrity, noting in his concluding remarks, "I hope that the lack of integrity involved in this incident is entirely atypical of Apple."

The same Sir Robin Jacob is now listed as one of nine experts "working on behalf of Respondents Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Samsung Electronics America, Inc., and Samsung Telecommunications America LLC" in Samsung's reply to US International Trade Commission's investigation in to a patent infringement complaint filed by Ericsson against Samsung on November 30, 2012. This development was first reported by fosspatents.com.

As the original report notes, this may no doubt be within the letter of the law, but it's sure to raise a few eyebrows over at Cupertino.

Report by : NDTV Correspondent

Samsung announces its Smart Evolution Kit in India

Samsung first unveiled the Evolution Kit even before CES this year, and has now finally launched it in India. The Evolution Kit gives Samsung's 2012 Smart TV models the same capabilities as the company's newer 2013 models. The company hasn't announced the price or the availability for the device yet.

The Evolution Kit does this through enhancements in the CPU, memory and GPU, which give you faster speeds for browsing the Internet and let you multitask better when watching TV. In addition, Samsung’s Smart Interaction features such as voice control and motion control are enhanced, and once the Evolution Kit is attached to the slot, you get the 2013 version of the 2012 Smart Hub.

The Samsung launches its Evolution Kit for 2012 Smart TV models
Speaking at the official launch of the Evolution Kit, Robert King, Vice President Consumer Electronics, Samsung UK and Ireland, said, “The Evolution Kit is a truly innovative concept from Samsung that allows consumers to enjoy the latest features and services every year without having to purchase a brand new TV.”

The Smart TVs compatible with the Evolution Kit include Samsung's 7000, 8000, and 9000 models. These include some of the TVs the company launched during CES this year, including the F7500 LED 3D TV, the F8500 series plasma, and the F9500 OLED TV.

Each of these comes with a Smart Evolution slot that allows you to update the hardware and software. Adding the Evolution Kit to the 2012 Smart TVs will show a redesigned Smart Hub, enhanced Voice Interaction and Motion Control as well as add a quad-core chipset for increased processing power.

The Samsung Smart Hub design too has received an update and is said to have become more intuitive. Content has been categorised into five sections that can all be navigated on one screen:
  • ‘On TV’ for Live TV
  • ‘Movies & TV Show’ for VOD contents
  • ‘Apps’ for various Applications
  • ‘Social’ for SNS contents sharing function
  • 'Photos, Videos, & Music’ for personal content.
Report by : Shunal Doke

Samsung takes on Apple’s Passbook with new Wallet app

Samsung has taken direct aim at Apple’s iOS and its Passbook app with the announcement of its new Samsung Wallet app during a developer conference at the Mobile World Congress

Wallet app lets users store things such as event tickets, boarding passes, membership cards and coupons in one central location, which is pretty much exactly what Apple’s Passbook does. And what Samsung has done with the icon of the app, many will consider to be a form of trolling. The icon shares many similarities with Apple’s Passbook icon, even down to the colours used on the cards.

Samsung Wallet app was showed off at the developer conference at MWC (image credit: Steve Stroughton Smith / Twitter)
There are more common features too. Passbook and Wallet both offer time and location-based push notifications to alert users when their stored passes can be used. The Wallet app also provides real-time updates for things such as points on your member cards and changes on boarding passes or event tickets. The passes stored within the app have bar codes that can be scanned at payment or check-in terminals. Samsung has also invited third-party developers to make apps that integrate with Wallet to add to the passes and tickets arsenal.

During the dev conference, the Korean electronics giant unveiled a few features of the new app during the keynote. Currently, the app is not out on the Google Play Store, but developers can preview it by downloading the SDK and API guides. Samsung said the final app will be available in the near future.

The company has tied up with several partners who will support the Wallet passes. Among them are Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Lufthansa, who will support the passes when the app launches. However, surprisingly, Samsung has not integrated any NFC payment features into Wallet. Over the past year or so, Samsung has given a big push to the NFC support on its top-end phones. And despite the company’s new partnership with Visa's PayWave service to bring NFC-enabled payments. The partnership is part of the "Visa Ready Program", which allows all sorts of companies including manufacturers and carriers to connect to Visa's payment systems. Visa says that future Samsung customers will be able to connect any Visa credit or debit card to the secure NFC element in the smartphones to make payments on the go.

Samsung has not gone with NFC-based payments as their research shows retailers prefer barcodes over that particular technology. This is due to various reasons, chief among which is that retailers don't have to install any new infrastructure to support it.

Samsung has already confirmed an event for March 14, where the company is expected to announce the new Galaxy S4. It is widely believed that the S4 will be one of the first phones to feature Wallet, among other new features.

Study Shows iPhone More Reliable Than Samsung Smartphones


A new report from product Q & A site FixYa found that the iPhone was more reliable than smartphones made by Motorola, Samsung and Nokia.

The study looked at data from 722,558 problem reports listed on the site, and combined that information with market share data from StatCounter to create an ultimate reliability score for each smartphone manufacturer.

Apple scored a 3.47 on FixYa’s Reliability Reporter — 187% more reliable than Samsung’s 1.21 — and 25 times more than Motorola.


“Smartphones are consistently being compared on a case-by-case basis, but no one has looked at the overall trends across a manufacturer's entire smartphone line,” said FixYa CEO and founder Yaniv Bensadon in a press release announcing the results of the study.

“Our newest FixYa report looks at lines like the iPhone, Galaxy, or Lumia, and through a careful analysis of issues versus market share, we’ve been able to directly compare manufacturers using a reliability score. The result is an accurate and fair method of a scaled approach to fairly compare these top companies to truly see who is the most reliable, and who is barely even competing.”

Deeper than just comparing one model of phone to another, FixYa’s report looks at the brands' product lines as a whole, noting common complaints for each one.

Apple users, for instance, complain about the device’s battery life, lack of new features and customizability, and issues connecting to Wi-Fi.

Samsung smartphone users have entirely different problems, with issues surrounding the microphone and speaker on the phones as well as battery life. Samsung customers also complain that their device gets hot.

Device temperature was also an issue for Nokia customers, who complained about not only the device getting hot, but also laggy response time, a poor app ecosystem and poor battery life.

Motorola owners, who ranked the least satisfied with their handsets, were the only ones who didn’t complain about battery life (perhaps due to the fantastic battery on the Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx). Instead they had issues with the device’s camera and speaker quality, as well as problems with the touchscreen. Motorola owners were most dissatisfied with the apps that came preinstalled on their devices.

You can check out FixYa’s complete report now on its website.

Note: FixYa originally claimed the iPhone was 300% more reliable than Samsung smartphones, a number which was inaccurate and not representational of its study. We have corrected this post to reflect the actual study percentage.

Report by : Emily Price

Former Apple Ad Guru Thinks Samsung Is Gaining in Marketing War


The man who coined the name "iMac" and created Apple's "Think Different" ad campaign believes Samsung is gaining momentum in the ad war against Apple.

"While you can still argue that Macs and i-devices have a ton of appeal, you can’t argue that Apple is still untouchable when it comes to advertising," Ken Segall, a former creative director at TBWA/Chiat/Day who worked with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for more than a decade, wrote on his blog Monday. "The fact is, it is being touched — often and effectively — by none other than Samsung."

Samsung, as Segall points out in his post, spends significantly more on advertising than Apple and has proven to be quite successful at shaping the public's perception through a mix of creative and aggressive ads, many of which criticize Apple's products directly. Apple, meanwhile, has yet to really change up its own advertising strategy to adapt to Samsung's growing marketing success.

In an interview with Mashable, Segall expanded on this point by noting that Apple seems to be suffering from the "if it's not broke don't fix it" mentality that affects many businesses. Ever since the iPhone came out, the company has mainly relied on simple ads that demonstrate a product's features, rather than the kind of elaborate plot or character-driven spots that Samsung uses. "They were selling so many iPhones and I think Steve was happy with the ads and the results, so why change really?" Segall told Mashable.

"I think Apple has this sense of simplicity and elegance that has gotten them to where they are and it's kind of hard for them to move away from that."

It wasn't always this way. Apple unabashedly went after Microsoft and PC makers with its clever, character-driven Mac vs. PC ads and found great success doing so, but as Segall points out, Apple chose to be aggressive in part because it was the underdog in the PC market at the time.

"When Apple attacked Microsoft in Mac vs. PC, they were the underdog and having fun with it — just like Samsung is now," he said. Given that Apple is still ahead of Samsung in the tablet and smartphone markets (at least in the U.S.), it's unlikely that Apple will choose to attack Samsung in the same way. "When you attack someone, you acknowledge them and give them more publicity than they should have," he says. "Apple is still king of the hill when it comes to that stuff so attacking Samsung wouldn't be right."

Rather than attack Samsung directly, Segall believes Apple's ad team needs to focus once again on producing the kind of creative commercials that become fodder for watercooler talk and shape the conversation around the product and the company.

"Just becoming part of the converation is a victory. Samsung has successfuly done that: they are getting talked about and getting compared [to Apple], which in many ways isn't fair because Apple created this category [of products]," Segall says. "But, very quickly, people forget and an average shopper walks into Best Buy and doesn't care about who invented what."

Segall believes the Genius commercials that aired during the summer Olympics last year were meant to be a step in this direction of moving beyond the product itself to "create a lovable character" that would get the product talked about. "They thought they were onto something there," he says. Unfortunately, the execution wasn't great and the ads were quickly pulled.

Even so, the status quo is no longer the best option for Apple's marketing efforts, not just because of Samsung's success, but because of a larger shift in the public's perception. "Somehow the momentum has switched and people are criticizing Apple for things that they shouldn't be — that they aren't innovating anymore," he says. "It's a perception thing, but perception becomes reality if you don't do anything about it."

Segall, for his part, believes Apple is well aware of the situation and planning what to do next. "I suspect... that they are monitoring the situation and gauging what they need to do. They may well have something up their sleeve," he says. "They can't just have quiet advertising when Samsung is bashing them away."

Report by : Seth Fiegerman

Riding on Google's Android Samsung retains smartphone crown, Apple comes in second

San Francisco: Smartphone shipments rose 36 per cent worldwide in the fourth quarter as the sleek devices supplanted personal computers and other gadgets on holiday shopping lists, according to a report released on Friday.

The findings from the research firm International Data Corp. are the latest sign of the technology upheaval being wrought by the growing popularity of smartphones that can perform a wide variety of tasks, including surfing the Web and taking high-quality photos. Companies whose fortunes are tied to the PC industry have been particularly hard hit by the shift to smartphones and tablet computers.

While some smartphone models were in short supply during the holiday season, fourth-quarter PC shipments fell by 6 per cent from the previous year, according to another IDC report released earlier this month.

Samsung shipped nearly 64 million devices for a 29 per cent share of the global market.

IDC estimates 219 million smartphones were shipped during the final three months of last year. That compares with nearly 161 million in the same 2011 period. Smartphones accounted for about 45 per cent of all mobile phone shipments in the fourth quarter, the highest percentage recorded by IDC.

Samsung Electronics retained its bragging rights as the smartphone leader, shipping nearly 64 million devices for a 29 per cent share of the global market. Apple ranked second with nearly 48 million iPhones shipped during the fourth quarter, translating into a market share of 22 per cent.

For all of 2012, IDC estimated nearly 713 million smartphones were shipped worldwide, a 44 per cent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, annual PC shipments fell 3 per cent from 2011, IDC said. It was the first annual decline since 2001.

Entering 2012, Apple held a slight edge over Samsung in the smartphone market. But Samsung sprinted past Apple during the year as it introduced an array of models, most of which run on Google's free Android software. Samsung's top-selling line, the Galaxy, boasts larger display screens than the iPhone and other features.

Apple alleges Samsung's devices illegally ripped off the iPhone's innovations. After a high-profile trial in federal court, a jury in San Jose, California sided with some of the patent infringement claims last August and decided Samsung should pay more than $1 billion in damages. Samsung has been trying to overturn the verdict.

Lower-priced smartphones from Samsung and other device makers also have hurt Apple, whose slowing iPhone growth has contributed to a $250 billion decline in its market value since its stock price peaked in late September.

IDC says Huawei Technologies's emphasis on less expensive handsets helped it become the third largest smartphone maker with a market share of 5 per cent at the end of the fourth quarter.

Report by : AP

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