Samsung Electronics’ latest flagship smartphone Galaxy S7 is enjoying strong sales since its launch on March 11. The company is not revealing sales figures, but industry watchers say the phone could become the best-selling Galaxy phone ever. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Studio in Guangzhou, China, is packed with visitors. The company operates the pop-up space to experience the latest Galaxy phone in major cities such as London and Hong Kong. (Samsung Electronics)In Korea, more than 100,000 units were sol

Industry leaders face oversupply, shrinking demand, China competition

Smart card chip solution developer Kona I said Thursday that it has signed a supply deal with Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran, the largest telecommunications firm in Iran.The Seoul-headquartered firm said that it will supply some 10 million USIM chips to the Iranian company, which currently takes up around 70 percent of the Iranian telecom market.Kona I’s integrated circuit card. (Yonhap)Kona I was able to ink the deal after beating Gemalto, the world’s leading USIM chip maker, in a yea

Network operator SK Telecom released Albert School, a toy robot for computer coding education, on Wednesday.The robot is the latest version of the company’s toy robot Albert and is specifically designed to help software education at schools.  Students attend a computer-coding class run by mobile network firm SK Telecom. (SKT)The previous Albert models can be only controlled by mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs, but students can write computer codes with PCs to control the new Alb

SKT OFFERS FREE MOBILE DATA FOR TOURISTS -- SK Telecom said Wednesday it would start a marketing campaign in which it provides up to 5-gigabyte mobile data for foreign tourists every week. The program, which will be run together with Samsung Electronics and Korean Tourism Organization, picks 250 tourists every week. For more information visit the website of the program: emk.visitkorea.or.kr (SKT)

LG RELEASES ULTRAWIDE SINAGE DISPLAY -- A model poses with LG Electronics’ 86-inch digital signage display with a 58:9 aspect ratio in Seoul on Wednesday. (LGE)

KOREAN SILICON VALLEY – President Park Geun-hye (left) tries out a virtual reality device along with KT chairman Hwang Chang-kyu at the opening ceremony of the nation’s new start-up accelerating complex, called “Start-up Campus,” in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. Dubbed “Korean version of Silicon Valley,” the campus aims to nurture more than 1,000 start-ups in the next 10 years. (Yonhap)

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest TV maker, said Tuesday it plans to launch a total of 14 SUHD TV models this year, renewing its commitment to liquid-crystal display in the premium TV market. Amid fierce competition with Chinese rivals, Samsung has poured resources to produce more lucrative high-end TVs, including the latest ones that use quantum dot technology.  Samsung Electronics president and TV chief Kim Hyun-seok poses with the company’s latest quantum dot TVs at a launch event in S

Samsung Electronics will unveil a new vision called “Start-up Samsung” this week in a move to learn from start-ups and improve its rigid top-down corporate culture. The company is expected to reduce emphasis on job titles and give more authority to team leaders.Detailed plans are expected to be announced Thursday, but industry watchers are already paying keen attention to the winds of change blowing at the nation’s largest company. Samsung Group office in Seoul. (Yonhap)Korean companies, especia

Shenzhen-based components supply platform helps IoT start-ups join China’s manufacturing supply chain

LG NO. 1 PROJECTOR MAKER -- LG Electronics said Monday it has maintained the No. 1 position in the global LED projector market for five consecutive years, with a 13.9 percent market share last year. LG Mini Beam, a small portable projector, has sold more than 600,000 units since its debut in 2008. (LG Electronics)

LG Electronics has teamed up with Danish luxury audio and TV maker Bang & Olufsen to develop new organic light-emitting diode TVs, with the first set to be launched next year.The Korean tech giant said Sunday that the strategic partnership will take effect from next year and last for five years. The deal comes at a crucial time for both companies which are struggling to gain traction amid sluggish sales.  LG is making an all-out effort to elevate OLED TV sales. The company has poured resources i

LG G5 EXPERIENCE ZONE -- KT will operate customer experience zones for LG Electronics’ latest flagship smartphone G5 at its retail stores nationwide from Monday before its official launch later this month. The world’s first modular phone has an accessory slot on the bottom for users to swap different modules for better camera and sound functions. (LG Electronics)

Chinese Premier Li Kequiang (center) visits the GCCEI in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, in November. (Yonhap)“Wait a minute. I have a question. What is in it for the big companies? What do they get from this collaboration? Do they participate in this for CSR (corporate social responsibility)?” The session was not meant to be a debate, and yet it happened to become one in a very spontaneous manner. A minister of a country said he would stay in our center for 40 minutes, but he stayed for 1 hour and 4