LG's smartphone exit: who stands to gain?

LG Electronics' move to exit its loss-making mobile business is expected to create more opportunities for Samsung than its other rivals in the lucrative North American smartphone market, analysts said.

LG's US market share currently stands at about 10 percent, research firms Gartner and Counterpoint estimated, adding it was stronger in markets where it partnered with telecom companies to include its devices as part of a mobile plan.

"Apple tends to cater to the higher end of the (US) market; so it might grab a small portion of LG's sales," Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen said. "It's more likely that Samsung inherits a lot of it because both vendors compete across similar markets."

Globally, LG's market share shrank to 2 percent in 2020, a massive drop from its status as the world's third-largest smartphone maker behind Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc during its peak in 2013.

The company shipped 23 million phones last year, compared with Samsung's 256 million, according to Counterpoint.

Counterpoint analyst Tarun Pathak said LG was mostly competing in the mid-tier, as its flagship phones received tepid market response.

"So it will be mostly the Chinese and mid-tier brands benefiting through the LG exit. In its key market like USA – Samsung, Motorola, HMD mostly (ZTE, Alcatel to a lesser extent) will benefit, while Xiaomi, Motorola will benefit in LATAM and Samsung in Korea," Pathak added.

Tech enthusiasts on Twitter lamented the exit of the once ubiquitous name in the smartphone industry, with many crediting LG for pioneering the now-familiar features such as ultra-wide angle camera and capacitive touchscreen in mobile devices.

"They didn't always ace every phone, but losing them means losing a competitor that was willing to try new things, even when they didn't work," popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) said in a tweet.

-reuters-

Samsung, LG unveil new devices in bid for smartphone recovery

BARCELONA - Smartphone rivals Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and LG Electronics Inc. unveiled their latest flagship devices on Sunday, seeking to revive sales momentum and buck slowing industry growth.

Phone makers face another tough year in 2016 as subdued global growth and persisting currency weakness in key emerging markets sap consumers' spending power. A push by Chinese manufacturers to expand overseas amid slowing growth in their domestic market may also undercut margins further.

In a bid to recapture market share, Samsung launched two new versions of its Galaxy S smartphones and brought in Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg for a surprise appearance to tout the potential of virtual reality, prompting hundreds of people to rush to the stage to record the moment.

LG, which lost money from its mobile business last year as its flagship products struggled, introduced a modular design to its new G5 smartphones that allows users to replace or upgrade functions such as camera and audio independently.

It also launched a virtual reality headset and accessories including a drone controller to pair with the G5.

Analysts and investors cheered LG's features, which they said were different enough to possibly revive sales, but were lukewarm about Samsung's offerings, saying they only featured incremental upgrades.

"I think it's possible for LG's mobile business to recover on its new product launch, since they delivered significant changes with the G5," said Seoul-based HDC Asset Management fund manager Park Jung-hoon.

"The Galaxy S7, however, doesn't seem to be creating as much buzz," Park said.

Samsung shares were down 1.3 percent as of 0212 GMT, underperforming a 0.2 percent fall for the broader market, while LG shares were up 3 percent.

Revamps could prove key to smartphone makers as 2016 shapes up to be another tough year: researcher TrendForce expects the smartphone market growth to slow to 8.1 percent from 10.3 percent a year earlier.

Margin pressures are also expected to intensify for the industry as Chinese manufacturers seek to expand overseas to counter slowing domestic demand.

Samsung on Saturday said its mobile payments service, Samsung Pay, will launch in China in March, a month after Apple launched its Apple Pay service in the world's biggest smartphone market.

The company fell out of the top five in the world's top smartphone market last year but hopes that its easy-to-use payments service will help it regain sales momentum.

"The challenge you have got in the smartphone market is breaking through all that sameness. From a design and functionality perspective, everything looks and feels the same," said Bob O'Donnell, president of Technalysis Research.

"So the challenge is finding things that stick out."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LG introduces Dual Door-in-Door Refrigerator

Earlier this year, LG Electronics introduced the Dual Door-in-Door Refrigerator, the very first of its kind in the market.

Unlike conventional side-by-side refrigerators, the Dual Door-in-Door puts your fridge up top and the freezer at the bottom, which means spacious compartments for long and bulky items.

ANC Cityscape

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LG G4 unveiled in Singapore

SINGAPORE — Earlier this week, the mobile world has been ablaze with rumors about LG Electronic’s new offering, the highly anticipated LG G4 smartphone, which was finally unveiled Wednesday at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore.

Launched simultaneously in New York, London, Paris, and Istanbul, the successor to the LG G3 features innovations in its physical design, user interface, battery, and camera.

Chris Yi, regional CEO of LG Electronics Asia Pacific, introduced the G4 to a group of journalists from all over Asia Pacific including Australia and Kazakhstan; while Bang Youn Hwang, MC Marketing Communications at LG Electronics in Singapore, discussed the features of the phone and emphasized its human-centric interface.

Elegant design in crafted leather

The LG G4 is available in handcrafted, full-grain leather in six colors, bringing to mind fine craftsmanship of leather designers. This vegetable leather is not only environment-friendly but likewise offers a luxurious touch.

 Other material options for the G4 rear cover include a pure ceramic white with 3D pattern back, an artisan-forged metallic gray, and a shiny gold option.

Elegant to the touch, the phone’s profile is defined by the Slim Arc, a feature that runs along its entire body, apart from its display that has a subtle curvature. The Slim Arc offers additional durability than a flat phone in cases of face-down drops, while giving it a more comfortable and secure feel in the hand.

16-megapixel camera with manual function

Apart from these design features, the phone has integrated a 16-mexapixel camera with an industry-first F1.8 aperture lens that allows 80 percent more light to reach the sensor. A further improvement is the OIS 2.0, which doubles the performance of the OIS+ by expanding the range of image stabilization.

It also features a "manual mode" to allow for greater range in taking photographs. This gives direct control on the focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, and white balance — much like a DSLR. In fact, advanced photographers can save their photos in RAW format, in addition to the standard JPEG format, for precise photo editing.

Display and user interface

Another new feature is the IPS Quantum Display that offers 20% greater color reproduction, 25% improvement in brightness, and 50% greater contrast. This new display is calibrated for Digital Cinema Initiatives, a color standard used by top Hollywood studios.

Best of all, the new great visual experience doesn’t come at the expense of battery life, as it comes with a 3,000mAh removable battery, which makes use of the energy-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor.

As for the user experience, tweaks in the interface and applications have made daily processes more convenient. These include the timeline design of the Gallery, the Smart Bulletin, the Calendar which gathers images under an entry by just dragging and clicking, an intuitive Smart Notice app that acts as a knowledgeable concierge, and built-in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. In fact, LG has partnered with Google to give free 100 GB of space for two years for every phone purchased.

The presentation ended with a reiteration of LG Electronic’s philosophy: That technology should respect lifestyle and that innovations should aim for making life better.

The LG G4 starts its global roll-out Wednesday in South Korea, and will be available on pre-order in the Philippines by May in LG stores.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LG exec denies sabotaging Samsung washing machines

SEOUL - A senior LG Electronics executive facing trial for allegedly sabotaging rival Samsung washing machines at a trade fair vowed to prove his innocence Monday.

"I will reveal the truth in court," Jo Seong-Jin, the president of LG's home appliance division, said in a statement.

The two South Korean tech giants have been fierce competitors for years, but the washing machine spat, which has been on a slow spin cycle for months, has made things personal.

Samsung claims surveillance video footage from the fair in Germany in September showed several men -- whom they later identified as LG executives -- destroying door hinges on the washing machines.

It filed a lawsuit accusing the LG executives of property damage and obstruction of business, and accused LG of making defamatory claims that its washing machines were defective. The trial date has not yet been set.

LG has counter-sued Samsung for defamation and forging evidence.

In his statement, Jo denied the video footage showed him pressing down on the doors of the machines until they would not close properly.

"Samsung employees would not have stood still with their hands free if I had intentionally damaged the washing machines," he said.

Samsung produces a range of electronic products and leads the global markets for mobile phones and flat-screen TVs.

Its smaller rival LG is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines.

The two have locked horns for years over patent issues and PR campaigns that include ads denigrating each other's products.

Last week prosecutors indicted four Samsung Display officials on charges of stealing LG Display's technology.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LG unveils mid-priced phones for youth market

MANILA -- South Korean tech giant LG Electronics on Saturday launched the third generation of its well-received L Series — the L80, L70 and L40.

“LG L Series III caters to the upwardly mobile youth market, so this L Park was designed to let them unlock the fun, knock to their own style and live the LG life and style,” Lawrence Kim, vice president for LG Mobile Philippines, said at the launch.

“Likewise, the L80, L70 and the L40 are the perfect companions of today’s generation because of their user-friendly and uniquely smart features ideal for young people on the go,” he added.

Kim said the L80, L70 and the L40 are the first mid-priced units to feature the advanced Android KitKat operating software in the Philippines, which promises a more polished interface and a more seamless user experience.

“The L Series III continues the improvements on the design of the L Series heritage. Users will notice the distinctive comfortable grip, the smooth contours and the unique unibody look of the L Series’ third generation,” explained Kim.

LG provides more captivating images and videos, and stunning display with its own IPS technology at 5 inches for L80, 4.5 inches for the L70 and 3.5 inches for the L40.

All units are powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor which is suited for process-intensive applications or games, fast web surfing or seamless connectivity.

Furthermore, the three models carry LG’s unlocking system innovation — the Knock Code — which is an upgrade from LG’s well-loved KnockON feature previously only available on LG’s premium phones.

Knock Code enables users to develop a unique and personalized two to eight knock pattern for single-handed usage, enhanced security and easier accessibility, conveniently bypassing the lock screen altogether. It wakes the phone and unlocks it at the same time.

“While other sophisticated unlocking methods are only available on premium models, LG is making Knock Code available to a wider audience. Even mid-tier models like the L Series III will come equipped with the Knock Code,” Kim said.

“LG is really working to make smartphones more responsive and intuitive, solving security issues while still retaining the well-loved knocking gesture of the KnockON. It’s convenient, secured and fun to use.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LG goes artsy with Gallery OLED TV

MANILA -- In a bid to maintain a strong edge in the television premium market, LG Electronics Philippines on Wednesday launched the LG Gallery OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV −- a 55-inch unit meant to be mounted onto the wall.

Hoony Bae, vice president of home entertainment division of LG Philippines, said the release of the Gallery OLED is proof that the company wants to be consistent in introducing premium quality television products in the country.

“We can’t compete with the cheaper brands in the market. If we did, we can’t deliver value products to the Filipino consumers,” Bae said.

“LG wants to be the brand associated with quality TV in the Philippines,” he added.

Aside from its slim design, Bae said the Gallery OLED boasts high-quality pictures with its four-color pixel technology, which adds a white sub-pixel to the RGB colors to enhance both color range and accuracy.

Bae also noted the LG Canvas Speaker, located behind the canvas cover of the TV frame, which promise to deliver "refined sound" from two sets of speakers and two woofers.

For fast-moving scenes, the OLED TV is equipped with Absolute Motion Clarity technology, which has a response speed of over 1,000 times faster than a LED TV. Bae explained that this enables viewers to experience fast, blur-free and crystal-clear pictures.

Meanwhile, the TV also has a "perfect angle viewing" function that allows zero distortion when viewed at any angle.

To project its artistic, minimalist design, LG partnered with National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, more known as Bencab. Throughout the duration of the partnership, buyers of the OLED TV will be able to enjoy these paintings embedded in the TV and access them through the Gallery Mode, an app that converts the TV into something like a painting featuring works of greats such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Pierre-August Renoir.

“With the newly launched LG Gallery OLED TV, the rapid evolution of TV is complemented with art, a field that can stand the test of time and is appreciated by people of different ages and preferences,” Jillian Lichauco, LG Electronics Philippines marketing and public relations manager, said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A look at LG's curved-screen smartphone

SEOUL - LG Electronics unveiled Monday a curved-screen smartphone, taking on rival Samsung in a niche market seen as a first step on the road to fully flexible products.

Despite its name, the "G-Flex" does not bend, but uses flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) to produce a curved six-inch display.

The model is "the best representation yet of how a smartphone should be curved," the president of LG's mobile unit Park Jong-Seok said, in a clear dig at Samsung.

Earlier this month, Samsung started retailing its "Galaxy Round" -- a 5.7-inch (14.5 centimetre) handset with a display that curves from side-to-side to fit the contour of the hand.

The "G-Flex" is curved on the vertical axis in order to, the company said, "follow the contour of the face".

Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions offered by both Samsung and LG.

The displays are supposed to offer a more immersive viewing experience but are significantly more expensive than standard screens.

The Galaxy Round is currently only available in South Korea and retails at 1.08 million won ($1,000).

Curved screens are still at a nascent stage in display technology, which is shifting towards flexible panels that are bendable or can even be rolled or folded.

LG said the G-Flex would be available to South Korean consumers from November, but did not provide a price estimate.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com