samsung

Microsoft poaches Samsung VP to lead Windows Phone 7 team

November 7, 2011 | By Surur

designer

Samsung has been killing it in the last few years, and Microsoft is hoping some of that goodness rubs off by acquiring their VP of of consumer and enterprise services Gavin Kim to head the Windows Phone as General Manager.

His remit: “I will be responsible to help set the future direction for the Windows Phone platform and to accelerate Microsoft’s trajectory to win the hearts and minds of consumers, carriers, device manufacturers, developers and partners,”

“In my experience, there is an already fervent base of Windows Phone supporters out there and they all get it. They are passionate, and already very vocal about it … so, it is really my new job to make sure we reflect that message clearly in our product and marketing collaborations with all of our partners to create more Windows Phone believers.”

Kim will work to make Windows Phone a top choice among consumers.

“Each time a consumer goes to buy a smartphone from a carrier or retail store, Windows Phone has to be on their short list. And, with the Windows Phone 7.5 release, I think Microsoft is closing the gap rapidly and removing all doubt about their place in mobile.”

Hopefully this will also involve some more goodies from the Samsung smartphone stable running Windows Phone.

“Samsung has a very bright future ahead of itself,” Kim said. “They have brought to market fantastic products, have a coveted technology innovation pipeline, and are committed to bringing these innovations to consumers across a vast consumer electronics portfolio. There is a tremendous amount of synergy between Microsoft and Samsung and the relationship between the companies will only continue to grow stronger and more collaborative over time.”

“I see this as an amazing opportunity to work with industry talents like Andy Lees, Chris Capossela, Terry Myerson, Joe Belfiore, Achim Berg, and others, to build on their incredible successes and continue to move the ball forward here in the US and globally,” he explained. “I anticipate I’m going to learn a lot from them, and I hope to equally contribute my experience back.”

“The fact that I’ve chosen to join the team means we get along well, we believe in each other’s capabilities, and we share a common vision, attitude, and belief about the products and partnerships that the team is creating. And, probably most importantly, we all want to win.”

Read the full interview at BGR here.

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Samsung Focus S Only For US And Samsung Omnia W Coming To Europe In December

October 31, 2011 | By Pradeep

Samsung Belgium has tweeted in reply the question on whether Focus S will come to Belgium(is in Europe) that Samsung Focus S is launched only in US. So probably we won’t see Samsung Focus S in Europe anytime soon. They also said that Samsung Omnia W device is coming to Europe in December. This may be a disappointing news for some Windows Phone fans who are waiting for this 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus device in Europe. I guess Nokia Lumia 800 may win some of them ! !

Source: Michael

Thanks Michael for the heads up.

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Samsung Focus S and Flash official product pages live, reveals that Flash is identical to Omnia W

October 27, 2011 | By andrewbares

The Official Samsung website was updated recently to include the Focus S and Focus Flash, two new upcoming Windows Phones.

Nothing extremely new is revealed from their website other than the complete dimmensions info and weight info for the two phones. However, the dimmensions for the Focus Flash match exactly with the Omnia W, which tells us that Samsung will finally be releasing the same device in both United States and Europe, rather than what they did with the original Focus and Omnia, where there were two different designs.

The Samsung website also has a new image gallery featuring the front, sides, and back of the phone. Visit Samsung’s Focus S or Focus Flash page to view the new images.

The Samsung Focus S is an upcoming Windows Phone with a 4.3” S-AMOLED Plus screen, HSPA+ data speeds, and a 1.4 GHz single-core processor. The phone has an 8-megapixel rear camera, a front-facing camera, gyro sensor, and is only 8.5 mm thick. Storage size and release date is currently unknown, but the phone will definitely be coming to the United States through AT&T. The Focus S currently does not have an Omnia sibling. Full specs…

The Samsung Focus Flash is an upcoming Windows Phone with a 3.7” S-AMOLED screen, HSPA+ data speeds, and a 1.4 GHz single-core processor. The phone has a 5-megapixel rear camera, a front-facing camera, gyro sensor, and 8 GB of storage. Release date is currently unknown, but the phone will definitely be coming to the United States through AT&T. The Focus Flash will be released as the “Omnia W” in other countries. Full specs…

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Samsung’s video call app can call other standard 3G video phones

September 29, 2011 | By Reloaded

Long before the iPhone 4 came out with video calling and changed the world again, forever, there were in fact phones that could make video calls, and their solution was completely cross-platform, using a certified standard.

Harkening back to those days, Samsung’s video calling app in fact uses the same 3G video calling standards as those days of old.

This is both good and bad. Good because you can call any 3G dumb phone which can make video calls, something the iPhone cant. Its however bad, as those calls tend to be charged more expensively, but prices have come down significantly over the last 5 years.

The app only works on Samsung’s new devices with front facing cameras.

Microsoft signs Samsung up as Android licensee, wins closer collaboration on Windows Phone

September 28, 2011 | By Surur

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, has just tweeted the above rather celebratory message. It appears Microsoft has been successful in its patent negotiations with Samsung, which was rumoured to involve a license fee between $5 and $15 per Android handset.

Brad clearly sees this as the start of a chain reaction, tweeting:

Under today’s agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties for Samsung’s mobile phones and tablets running Android. Today’s agreement demonstrates we now have a clear path forward for resolving the industry’s mobile patent issues. #clearpathforward. While we haven’t yet reached the beginning of the end of mobile patent issues, perhaps we have now reached the end of the beginning.

With the largest Android OEMS, HTC and Samsung, both licensing Android, the rest of the industry, excluding Motorola, are very likely to fall in line, resulting in a handy revenue stream for Microsoft and an increased incentive for OEMs to user Windows Phone 7.

The interesting part of course is how this will affect the Samsung/Apple litigation, but Apple’s aggressive moves against Samsung were likely critical in giving the giant OEM the the final push to signing up.

It seems also this would put the nail in the coffin of the rumours that Samsung was ending Windows Phone 7 development (possibly spread by Samsung themselves as a negotiating tactic) and we can look forward to some great thin and light Windows Phones from the company in the future.

Update: See the official press release after the break:

Continue reading →

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Samsung on a roll, releases 2 new apps into Samsung Marketplace

September 24, 2011 | By Surur

Samsung’s software division seems to have gone into high gear, releasing even more apps. After releasing a DLNA app and GLONASS GPS enhancement for their Windows Phones, they have now also released 2 new apps.

The first, above, MiniDiary, is a GPS photo-tagging app, much like HTC Location, where users can keep an annotated photo diary of locations they have visited. The app also accepts handwritten notes and voice annotations, and allows one to search by location or date. Snippets can be shared via email, Facebook or MMS.

The next, Funshot, allows one to apply filters to pictures and share them on Flickr, Picassa, Facebook and MySpace.

The apps are free and can be found in Samsung Zone or from the links above.

Via ProfesseurThibault.fr

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Samsung rumoured to be stepping away from Windows Phone 7

September 11, 2011 | By Surur

SamFirmware is claiming that Samsung is in the process of distancing itself from Windows Phone 7 and increasing its emphasis on Android and especially its own home-grown Bada OS.

SamFirmware often have early access to leaked Samsung ROMs, which gives there statement some amount of credibility.

While Windows Phone 7 is seen by most as a natural counterbalance to dependence on Google’s Android SamFirmware claims Samsung is still confident in their relationship with Google, despite its Motorola purchase, saying:

”Google will not use Motorola that much… Google wants Samsung as his real partner”

Seems like Google can’t without Samsung Mobile.

Samsung’s CEO Choi Sung has also made it clear that Bada is more important to them than most people think, saying Samsung is working "harder than people on the outside think" on the OS.

An update, Bada 2.0, has released recently by the company.

Further support for the rumour can be found in both a leaked roadmap which shows only a poorly specified follow-up for the Samsung Omnia 7 in Europe, the Samsung Omnia W, with a small screen and low resolution camera, and a recent FCC disclose of a mildly updated Samsung Omnia 7 with a front-facing camera running Mango, both not demonstrating much effort or emphasis on the OS by Samsung.

While the end of 2012 is still a long way off, now would be about the time when OEMs start proposing or even starting development on new devices, and if true it may mean the strategic landscape is changing once again for Windows Phone 7.

Maybe Microsoft needs to be buying Nokia and RIM after all…

Via 1800pocketpc.com

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Unofficial New Firmware For Samsung Windows Phone Devices Released

September 4, 2011 | By Pradeep

Samfirmware has released two versions of new firmware for Samsung Windows Phone devices. One version for NoDo devices and another for Mango devices. You may lose your warranty for trying this out but still if you are interested, you may try them out.

Firmware details,

Firmware: I8700XXKD1. (NoDo)
Filesize: 196+/- MB (.rar file)
XX = Europe
K = 2011
D = April
1 = Version

Firmware: I8700XXKH2. (Mango)
Filesize: 355+/- MB (.rar file)
XX = Europe
K = 2011
H = August
2 = Version

More details here.

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Samsung scrambles to remove their Galaxy Tab 7.7, maybe should have considered showing some Windows Phones

September 3, 2011 | By Surur

Samsung has “voluntarily” withdrawn any sign or mention of their Android-powered Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet, announced with much fanfare a few days ago.

Their Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet is currently subject to an impeding ban starting in October, and it seems the company have thought it wise to remove another potentially infringing device. In the past devices have been confiscated from IFA booths if found to infringe importation regulations, something Samsung may be trying to avoid.

Our correspondent on the ground noted that Samsung had made absolutely no mention of Windows Phone 7 so far, and is currently trying to fill the gap in their displays be spreading their other Android and Wave models around.

Maybe if the company announced some new Windows Phones they would be scrambling slightly less now.

Via insomnia.gr.

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Samsung hires HP exec, possibly interested in webOS?

August 30, 2011 | By l3v5y

The news is full of Hewlett-Packard’s recent canning of webOS, with the expectation that in the increasingly competitive and vicious mobile world its complete failure on tablets would see the end of it as a player. Microsoft are already wooing webOS developers on the expectation that the system is no longer going to be supported. However, TechCrunch speculates – via a rumour in Digitimes – that webOS may still be relevant; Samsung are rumoured to be considering buying it as well as hiring one of HP’s ex-vice presidents (apparently to work on marketing PCs, so there may be no link.)

All rumour and speculation, so take with a double pinch of salt; and of course, as with Google’s purchasing of Motorola, the purchase may be more important for the enormous patent war chest that comes with webOS than for actually using it (a mark of how litigious the smartphone world has recently become.) However, it’s an interesting development, and as TechCrunch rightly point out:

Apple has iOS. HTC has its massive supply chain. Nokia will have Windows Phone 7 Mango. And Motorola will, of course, have Android. That leaves Samsung, who is a notably strong competitor among these big five device makers, without something special to set it apart.

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Samsung not that happy with Goo-Moto after all, wants to “boost software competitiveness”

August 17, 2011 | By Surur

When Google announced its purchase of Motorola Samsung was ready with a pretty supportive statement, saying “We welcome the news of today’s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.”

Behind the scenes however Samsung’s Chairman Lee Kun-hee appears quite shaken, telling South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. "We must pay attention to the fact that IT power is moving away from hardware companies such as Samsung to software companies."

Given the commoditization of hardware and the fall of giants like Nokia to traditional software companies like Google and Apple, he may be right to be worried.

Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee continued:

"(The company) must strengthen the competitiveness of its information technology, secure more human resources and also more actively seek mergers and acquisitions,"

Kim Soon-taek, head of the Samsung Group office, told local reporters, "Chairman Lee told top managers to come up with various measures including M&As to enhance software competitiveness,"

The biggest problem with this strategy is that the there are not many more software assets ripe for the picking. Palm has already been scooped up, and of course no-one is going to purchase Microsoft.

Samsung’s angst about the Google deal may however prompt Samsung to work more closely with Microsoft, in the same way Nokia, a hardware company decided to align itself with Redmond, an outcome which many analysts are predicting after the Google announcement.

Following Nokia, Now Samsung Simplifies Its Product Naming Strategy

August 14, 2011 | By Pradeep

Few weeks before, Nokia announced its new simplifies naming strategy. Any Nokia device can be identified by three digit number which also tells us what class it belongs to. Recently Samsung has also detailed their simplified product classification. They are divided into 5 major categories, ‘S’, ‘R’, ‘W’, ‘M’, ‘Y’. ‘S’ class devices will be the best or flagship device of a category as Samsung had Galaxy S and the recently updated Galaxy S II.

After ‘S’ class, The ‘R’ class device prices will be in the range of between €300 and €400. They are dubbed Royal/Refined. The ‘W’ class device price falls between €200 and €300. Then ‘M’ class devices between €130 and €200 and the ‘Y’ class devices are the entry level smartphones starting at the €130. Again there will be some iterative models such as ‘Pro’ which has qwerty keyboard or ‘LTE’ which has LTE support, etc.

I’m expecting a S class and couple of R class devices based on Windows Phone Mango from Samsung. May be W class devices too, to counter Nokia in producing mass market Windows Phones ! !

Check source link for more details.

Update: A Lithuanian WMPU reader Edd has pointed out that the source article says,

“Telefonai su „Windows Phone“ OS, kuri? linija vadinasi „Omnia“, tur?s „W“, „M“ ir „Y“ klases.”

It means there will be Windows Phones under W, M, Y classes of Samsung’s new product classification. Lets see how that plays out.

Thanks to Edd for the tip.

Source: mobili.lt (Bing Translated) via: GSM Arena

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Phew! ‘Pathetic’ Samsung Omnia W not real

August 12, 2011 | By Surur

Hopefully the rest of Samsung’s WP7 smartphones will measure up to the Samsung SGH-i937.

In what seems a day for debunking rumours, Samsung have denied that their recently leaked product roadmap is real or accurate.

Posting on the official Samsung Tomorrow blog they state:

Some media have been reporting that Samsung is preparing to launch nine new smartphones and two new tablet devices. While Samsung is continuously working on new devices for our customers, the details being cited are not accurate in this case.

We appreciate the interest in our upcoming mobile devices and will share more information once its available.

The Samsung Omnia W was claimed to be a new Windows Phone 7.5 handset released in October with a 3.7 inch TFT screen and 5 megapixel camera who’s specs reeked more of 2009 than 2011.

We hope to see more devices of the quality of the already exposed Samsung i937 released. That device has a 4.3 inch AMOLED screen, 8 megapixel rear camera and also a front-facing camera and is extremely thin and light. Here’s hoping.

Via TNW

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