Samsung, LG to show off at IFA

By Kim Yoo-chul

Consumer electronics shows have been regarded as the right forum for firms around the world to appeal to existing and future customers with updated strategies by announcing cutting-edge technologies.

Korea’s two electronics giants ― Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics ― are hoping to cash in on the upcoming IFA trade show as a bridge to bolster their international presence.

IFA is Europe’s annual biggest consumer electronics and home appliances exhibition. The event, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, will run from Sept. 3 to 8 at the ``Berlin Exhibition Grounds’’ in Berlin, Germany.

The show, which is also compared to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the

United States, offers a good indication of the upcoming consumer electronics trends and provides a glimpse at future technologies.

On Monday, Samsung Electronics said it will create a separate booth devoted to home appliances at the event. The stand will display 140 sets of what the company claims are premium products with three themes ― eco-friendliness, eco-bubble and digital & convergence.

The Suwon, Gyeonggi Province-based company is ready to drive up its marketing campaigns by exhibiting 65-inch 3D LED-backlit LCD TVs, tablet PCs, smart televisions and other 3D tech-embedded portable electronic devices, a company spokesman, Kim Se-hun said.

``Samsung’s top priority at the show is to root out the corporate image as the leader in 3D-embedded products into the minds of European consumers,’’ Kim said.

Samsung’s key decision makers including chief executive Choi Gee-sung followed by TV chief Yoon Boo-keun and mobile head Shin Jong-kyun will meet the media during the show.

LG's OLED TV

LG Electronics is also planning to show off its 3D-related technology in Germany, including its 3D organic LED (OLED) TV.

In a separate statement, LG Electronics said it will introduce its 31-inch OLED TV with a thickness of 0.29 centimeters _ the slimmest OLED TV on the planet _ at the trade fair.

OLED TV is better than LCD and plasma televisions in terms of brightness, though higher premiums are regarded as the biggest drawback for an early market penetration.

LG added the world’s second-biggest TV maker will release 3D plasma multi vision models in a bid to fully enjoy the first mover advantage in the highly-lucrative market.

``With the sets, LG will release a string of other advanced televisions including the prototype of smart TVs. Europe is our critical market alongside the United States,’’ said a company spokesman, Choi Joon-hyuck.

LG’s television business head Kang Shin-ik will hold a press conference for the Korean media, while its home appliances unit president Lee Young-ha will hold a global press conference, according to Choi.

IFA is expected to see press conferences from Miele, Bosch, Panasonic, Sony, Electrolux, Loewe, Sharp, Philips, Toshiba, Dolby, as well as Samsung and LG.