Samsung is reportedly looking at splitting off its chip fabrication business from the design aspects, to try and gain traction for the division after Apple abandoned it in the iPhone 7, and possible the future, in favor of TSMC.
Verizon won't be joining other U.S. carriers in pushing out a "kill" update for the fire-prone and now defunct Samsung Galaxy Note 7, according to an announcement. In the meantime, Apple has allegedly rejected a "Samsung Pay Mini" app at the iOS App Store, possibly deflecting competition for Apple Pay.
Samsung is reportedly adopting even harsher methods to prevent people from using the few remaining Galaxy Note 7s in the wild, planning an imminent U.S. software update that will render them useless.
Potentially beating Apple to the punch in some regards, Samsung's next flagship — the Galaxy S8 — will allegedly have an edge-to-edge, bezel-free display in all forms, and omit a physical home button in favor of a "virtual" one embedded in the glass.
Apple chip manufacturing partner TSMC is in the early stages of planning a $15.7 billion microchip fabrication plant, in an effort to glean more business from from Apple and other companies needing advanced chip designs.
A new research study has determined that not only did Apple garner nearly half of the online revenue generated, but that number has grown significantly since the last holiday season, at the expense of its rivals Fitbit, Samsung, and Garmin.
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of Samsung in a long-running dispute with Apple, arguing that design patents can only cover components of a smartphone, and not the entire product. [Updated with Apple statement]
The next flagship phone line coming from Samsung in 2017, expected to be called the "Galaxy S8," will likely omit the headphone jack in favor of a single USB-C port for charging and headphone use.
An independent analysis of the Galaxy Note 7 suggests that Samsung engineered the device too tightly, and failed to give the battery any buffer between it and the surrounding metal of the case, which lead to the conflagrations experienced by more than 100 users in the summer and early fall.
The U.S. Court of Appeals has denied Samsung's bid for a second re-hearing of the storied 2014 patent trial with apple, covering auto-correct, quick links, and slide-to-unlock, and is now on the hook for the $119.6 million ruling.
Apple crushed Samsung in the emerging market for premium smartphones in India during October, taking a leading 66 percent share of sales. Samsung's second place accounted for 23 percent of sales from Galaxy S7 and similar phones, while Google—which has made the subcontinent a focus—took 10 percent of sales. Only 1 percent was attributed to other makers.
Apple is said to be exploring more than 10 potential prototype models in anticipation of next year's 10th anniversary of the iPhone, with the company eyeing an OLED-display curved "iPhone 8" for launch in 2017.
Reports from China suggest that the major chip fabricators are all readying mass production of 10nm process processors, including Apple's manufacturing partner TSMC for multiple companies.
As it did with gold and rose gold handsets before, Samsung is said to be preparing to launch a glossy black version of the Galaxy S7, mimicking the Jet Black color available for Apple's iPhone 7.
Although the short-lived Galaxy Note 7 was plagued by battery fires, the Galaxy S7 line should be safe — despite some rare incidents caused by damage, Samsung said in an unusual press release.
Chief Apple rival Samsung Electronics on Monday announced plans to buy Harman International Industries for $8 billion, in a move that could signal its intention to compete against Apple and Google in smartcar technology.
South Korean prosecutors raided the headquarters of Apple rival Samsung on Tuesday, looking for evidence that the company might have illegally offered gifts to Choi Soon-sil, a woman accused of exploiting her connections to President Park Geun-hye.
Attempting to put the Galaxy Note 7 debacle behind it, Samsung has paid for a full-page apology to consumers that appeared on Tuesday in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.
Samsung on Monday confirmed plans to include a new AI assistant with its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone, which should make use of the technology it acquired from Viv — a firm founded by some of the people behind Apple's Siri.
Even with iPad shipments and the market as a whole shrinking year-over-year, Apple still managed to grow its share of the tablet industry in the September quarter, according to research data published on Monday.
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Mike Wuerthele
Roger Fingas
Daniel Eran Dilger
Neil Hughes
