Hot spokeswoman: Alessandra Ambrosio, a world-famous model known mostly for her Victoria’s Secret endorsements, gestures to Korean photojournalists after arriving in Seoul, Thursday, following her sponsorship agreement with LG Electronics to promote the company’s ``Nano’’ series of light-emitting diode (LED) backlit flat-screen televisions. / Courtesy of LG Electronics
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Samsung, LG presents new lineup of intelligent products, Sony adds oomph to 3D competition
By Kim Yoo-chul
BERLIN _ Korean technology giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are expecting to compete ferociously in the rapidly growing market for intelligent, data-enabled products both in consumer electronics and mobile devices.
The companies were seen liberally using phrases such as ``smart life,’’ ``intelligence,’’ and ``sophistication’’ in presenting their new products and business strategies at the IFA technology fair here.
Of course, the remaining economic uncertainties fuel skepticism on whether consumers will be willing to splurge on these futuristic but unproven products, but the companies that tout them insist that they are about to revolutionize the life of the average couch potato.
The advancement in digital technologies continues to blur the lines between hardware, software, and content, and this is resulting in an expanding trend of collaboration between device makers and content providers, such as major movie studios, in an attempt to deliver consumers an ``all-in-one’’ gadget.
Under the slogan ``A new dimension of experience,’’ Samsung has been displaying its newest lineup of three-dimensional (3D), light-emitting diode (LED)backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions at the IFA trade show and also a variety of Internet-enabled portable devices that the company is expected to bank its reputation on.
Garnering most attention was ``Galaxy Tab,’’ Samsung’s first tablet-style personal computer and its initial attack at the supremacy of Apple’s iPad. Galaxy Tab runs on the Google-backed Android operating system, powered by a 1 gigahertz processor and features a 7-inch screen.
As with smartphones, the delivery of content is expected to be crucial in the tablet fight, and Samsung officials say that Galaxy Tab users will be pleasantly surprised by the package of applications the device will bring right out of the box.
The company will hold a news conference here Sept. 3, where Shin Jong-kyun, the head of its telecommunications product division, will talk about the company’s detailed plans and sales targets for tablet computers as well as moves to increase its wealth of applications.
Lee Young-ha, the head of LG Electronics’ home appliance division, reacts to media members before a news conference at the IFA technology fair in Berlin, Thursday (KST), where he highlighted the company’s new business strategies in consumer electronics. /Courtesy of LG Electronics
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In the past months, Samsung has been moving to create a developers’ network for smartphones and Web-enabled televisions, highlighted by its attempt to develop its own content platform dubbed ``Bada.’’
Network connectivity is also a focus of Samsung in home appliances, said company officials, who say that data ability and power efficiency are the two major priorities for Samsung in developing new consumer electronics products.
``Samsung Electronics will inject more resources to boost competitiveness in software, which will be critical for providing customers with the products that allow them to enjoy a smarter life. Smart is Samsung’s key word at this IFA fair,’’ said Yoon Boo-keun, president of Samsung’s visual display division.
Rebuilding plans taking shape for LG, Sony
LG is currently in a neck-and-neck fight with Japanese heavyweight Sony in the consumer electronics market, although both are struggling to compete with Samsung, whose global lead in flat-screen televisions now appears to be cemented.
Lee Young-ha, the head of LG’s home appliance division, said it was crucial for the company to impress consumers both aesthetically and technologically as it competes with its rivals in intelligent devices and appliances.
Lee stressed that LG’s four core technologies in consumer electronics _ the ``inverter direct drive’’ for washing machines, ``linear compressor’’ for refrigerators, ``kompressor’’ dust compression technology for vacuum cleaners and its wave technologies for microwave ovens _ will continue to allow the company to produce smarter, low-power products for households.
Also at IFA, LG is featuring its direct lit-type LED-backlit LCD television, equipped with the company’s advanced ``nano-lighting’’ technology, and its first ``smart’’ television based on its own ``NetCast 2.0’’ platform. LG’s ultra-thin 31-inch organic LED (OLED)-backlit television and 3D-enabled Blu-Ray home-theater systems are also being presented to visitors in Berlin.
Kang Shin-ik, the head of LG’s television unit, will hold a news conference with Korean reporters on Sept. 4, where he is expected to take questions about the company’s collaboration with Google and plans for producing its own line of ``Google TVs,’’ which are rumored to be available from early next year.
Sony has been heavily touting 3D televisions here, stressing that it has no intention of lagging behind its Korean rivals in the market for Web-enabled televisions.
Sony boss Howard Stringer told reporters that the company’s Internet television will make a revolutionary impact on the global flat-screen television industry. The company’s first models will debut in the United States this fall, Stringer said.
Sony also confirmed its plans to launch ``Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity,’’ _ the cloud-based digital music service which will be available by the end of the year.
The service, which is targeting heavy entertainment users, will give Sony users access to ``millions of songs and Hollywood movies’’ in the cloud system, helping them explore latest music and personalize channels across devices.
``Qriocity is expected to revolutionize the way that users play, listen, watch, share, communicate, learn, discover and create their digital entertainment content,’’ said Kazuo Hirai, president of Sony’s networked products.
The show will run through September 8.
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[단독] 르노삼성, 본사 모델로 한국 공략
