Samsung records 17 percent rise in Q4 profits (South Korea)
South Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics has reported fourth quarter profits amounting to US$ 3.6 billion, representing a 17 percent increase from US$ 3.04 billion, a year earlier. The rise in demand for Galaxy smartphones helped Samsung surpass Apple as the leading handset manufacturer for 2011.
According to reports, the success of the Galaxy SII has been instrumental in Samsung selling almost 300 million handsets in the past year. Other devices such as the Galaxy Note and tablet computers launched by the company are expected to further strengthen its position in the smartphone market.
Further, apart from the high-end phones such as the SII and the Note, Samsung also offers a variety of affordable smartphones with an impressive design, thereby increasing its reach across the market. As per sources, industry analysts estimate that Samsung may succeed Apple in 2012, as mobile operators recognize Samsung as a strong competitor to Apple devices.
Apple passes Exxon as the most valuable firm (USA)
US giant Apple Inc has reportedly emerged as the most valuable US company surpassing Exxon once again. According to reports, the market capitalization of Apple was at $ 418.5 on Wednesday, while Exxon had a mobile capitalization of $ 413 billion. However, Exxon regained its position at the end of the day.
Apple recently reported its first quarter financial results, where in the company posted record quarterly revenue of $46.33 billion and record quarterly net profit of $13.06 billion, against a revenue of $26.74 billion and net quarterly profit of $6 billion, for the same quarter in the past year.
As per the company report, Tim Cook, CEO, Apple has said that they are thrilled with their outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs. He added that Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and they have some amazing new products in the pipeline.
Samsung wins legal case against Apple in Netherlands (Europe)
South Korean handset maker Samsun has emerged victorious once again after a Dutch court rejected rival Apple Inc’s plea from banning the distribution of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the Netherlands. According to reports, the court has ruled in favour of Samsung, citing that the Galaxy Tab had some similarities to the design registered in 2004 but not to Apple’s iPad released in 2010.
As per sources, Apple had filed a legal suit against Samsung claiming patent infringement on its design, hardware and user interface among others. However, the ruling enables the Korean firm to sell its tablet computer in the Netherlands and throughout the European Union.
Reports reveal that the US giant had said that it was no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. Further, this kind of blatant copying is wrong and they need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal their ideas.
Free Mobile launches mobile services (France)
Mobile subscribers in France now have a fourth operator to choose from as Iliad’s Free Mobile launched its voice and data services in the country this week. As per reports, Free Mobile will offer users unlimited calls, SMS and MMS along with free internet access up to 3 GB for US$ 25.5 per month.
The operator has launched these highly competitive price plans in a bid to compete with its rivals and invite more subscribers. Xavier Niel, Chief Strategy Officer, Iliad has reportedly said that they aim to provide users with complete access to the internet including peer-to-peer access and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) among others.
Further, according to sources Free Mobile has signed an agreement with U.S. handset maker Apple and will offer customers Apple handsets with multiple payback schemes.
iPhone 4S users demand twice as much data as iPhone 4 users
The launch of the Apple iPhone 4S has enhanced data download by 2.76 times as compared with the iPhone 3G, according to network management firm Arieso.
According to company reports, Dr. Michael Flanagan, CTO, Arieso, has said that the introduction of increasingly sophisticated devices, coupled with growing consumer demand, is creating unrelenting pressure on mobile networks. Further, the capacity crunch is still a very real threat for mobile operators, and it looks set to only get harder in 2012. He added that the mobile industry needs new investment and new approaches to boost network performance and manage the customer experience.
As per the report, the company states that iPhone 4S users lead the way in terms of data demand followed by users of the iPhone 4. However, Google Nexus users were found to use more data than iPhone 3G users. Flanagan said that this report helps an operator to understand the amount of data consumption brought in by each different smartphone. This can enable them to manage their network traffic, as per trends, so as to avoid congestion and meet user requirements.
Apple to launch two new iPad devices in 2012 (USA)
U.S. device manufacturer Apple Inc. may launch two new iPad devices in the coming year. According to reports, the new iPad models are expected to be priced higher than the iPad 2, and will cover the medium and high range segments.
As per industry sources, a major highlight of the new iPad models is going to be an extended battery life, which is rumoured to be more than double of the iPad 2. Further, rumours suggest that Apple has approached Korean giant Samsung to supply the iPad maker with new quad-core A6 processors to be embedded in the new iPads along with a 5 megapixel camera for the medium range iPad. Sources claim that Sony Ericsson will be supplying Apple with an 8 megapixel camera for its second iPad model which is expected to be targeted at the high end segment.
Apple wins patent battle against HTC (USA, Taiwan)
Apple Inc has emerged victorious in its patent lawsuit against handset manufacturer HTC, as the International Trade Commission has reportedly ruled that HTC has infringed on one patent held by the iPhone maker. As per reports, any of HTC’s phones using the technology which has been infringed will be banned from sales in the USA from 19 April, 2012.
According to reports, industry analysts believe that the ruling is not expected to have a major impact on the company’s sales as the ruling gives them enough time to come up with another feature to compensate for the infringed feature.
As per sources, HTC has said that the feature in question is a common user-interface function which enables smartphone users to access information such as contact numbers and e-mail addresses from apps and other sources, and use them by simply tapping on the text.
The victory will be well received by Apple, after losing out to Korean giant Samsung, on a similar patent infringement case in Australia last month.
iPhone sales help AT&T achieve record sales (USA)
U.S. based mobile operator AT&T is hopeful of achieving record smartphone sales in the fourth quarter with Apple’s latest iPhone 4S leading the way.According to reports, the company almost equaled its sales of 6.1 million in Q3 of last year, within the first two months of the same period this year. Further, with the festive season coming up, the company is expected to see a significant rise in its sales.
Apart from offering the iPhone 4S, AT&T is also giving users the iPhone 3GS free with a contract of two years, enabling many more users with different budget levels to own an iPhone. The operator also offers Samsung smartphones powered by Google’s Android software along with handsets from Motorola.
HTC reports 20 percent decline in sales (Taiwan)
Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC Corp. has reported a 20 percent decline in its consolidated sales in November this year as compared to the previous year, causing its share price to drop significantly. According to reports, the stock price fell to US$ 14.1 (TW$ 428) the lowest price this year.
Increasing competition from global players like Apple and Samsung has led to decreasing profit margins for the company. Further, industry analysts reportedly claim with these manufacturers gaining a larger customer base with each product launch, the market share of HTC may decline in the next few quarters.
As per sources, HTC Corp.’s consolidated revenue declined to US$ 1.02 billion in November this year.
Samsung wins appeal against Apple in Australia (South Korea, USA)
Samsung Electronics emerged victorious against rival Apple Inc., as the federal court reversed its decision to ban the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tabs in Australia. According to reports, the court had granted Apple an injunction against Samsung in October, preventing any sale of the Galaxy 10.1 tab in Australia, over a patent infringement dispute.
Apple had alleged that Samsung’s Tab had infringed on its patents regarding touch screen technology and design imitation. Following this, Samsung had counter-sued the iPhone maker claiming patent infringement on wireless transmission in multiple devices.
As per sources, analysts believe that the decision has come at a right time, enabling Samsung to take advantage of the festive season; however, it is still not certain as to how soon Samsung can resume sales. Further, it has been reported that Apple will have to approach the High Court should it choose to extend the injunction.
