Samsung Electronics overtook its rival Apple in operating profit share in the world mobile market, according to leading research institute Strategy Analytics, Monday. Despite shipping the largest volume of handsets in the world market, Samsung has been behind Apple in terms of operating profits. Samsung sells a wide range of mobile products from high to low-end, while Apple had mainly focused on a premium strategy until the California-based firm unveiled the low-budget iPhone 5C last month. Sams

In the race to develop compact batteries for next-generation smart devices, LG Chem appears to be in the lead ― a fact that its main rival Samsung SDI is refusing to accept.Batteries are critical for creating smartphones and tablets that can be curved or bent. Unless the battery moves the way the device does, there simply can’t be flexible devices. Despite claims from its CEO that the company already has all of the technology that LG has officially put forth, Samsung SDI has been slow to showcas

Foreign and information technology ministers from around the world agreed to cooperate in securing online safety and freedom as an international conference on cyberspace finished its two-day run in Seoul on Friday.Wrapping up the conference, called the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013, participating foreign and information technology ministers made commitments that were laid out in the chair's summary, released under the name of South Korean Minister Yun Byung-se, along with two annexed docum

South Korea's two mobile carriers -- SK Telecom Co. and KT Corp. -- said Friday they have begun taking preorders for Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone models that are expected to hit the local market later this month.South Korean customers can preorder the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on the operators' websites. Preorders for the newest iPhone line-up can also be made at the mobile carriers' local retail stores.The 16-gigabyte iPhone 5s is priced at 814,000 won ($767), with the comparable figure for the iPh

Apple Inc. will update its lineup of iPads at an Oct. 22 event, a person with knowledge of the plans said, as the company works to remain ahead of rivals in the increasingly crowded tablet market.The Cupertino, California-based company will unveil a new version of the original 9.7-inch iPad as well as the smaller iPad mini, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made official. Apple also will show its new Mac personal-computer operating system, called Mave

A series of reports by international market research institutes showed that the Korean mobile device market is nearing saturation and is consequently in need of finding new growth momentum. “Seoul will be the first saturated device market,” said Flurry, a leading research institute based in San Francisco, on Monday after a study on smartphones and phablets in August. “Growth in the number of activated mobile devices in Korea appeared to be slowing down as it reaches saturation.” Phablets are a c

The Korean government signed an agreement with representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean to expand their ties in telecommunications and related areas, the two sides on Tuesday. The Science Ministry on the day held the first ICT ministerial level meeting with representatives from 11 nations in Central and South America. The two sides agreed to hold the summits every two years to discuss how to collectively advance toward creating universal and affordable broadband networks.“We agreed t

KT Corp., one of the nation’s leading telecom companies, on Tuesday said it signed a 15 billion won ($14 million) agreement with SBE and Stockbridge Capital Group to offer smart solutions for Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. SBE is a real estate developer while Stockbridge is an asset management firm, and both have stakes in the project.KT will be in charge of upgrading the overall systems and networks for the hotel, which is currently under renovation to reopen next year.Building energy ma