LG Electronics will release its new flagship smartphone Velvet on May 15 in the Korean market only, the company announced Tuesday. Nicknamed the “water droplet phone,” the LG Velvet marks a design departure for the firm. The triple camera module on the rear, including the 48 million-pixel lens, has been designed to resemble water droplets. The new device also features a 6.8-inch organic light-emitting diode display trademarked as FullVision with a 20.5:9 aspect ratio, Qualcomm&rs

Samsung Electronics has adopted Elsa, the main character from Disney’s hit “Frozen” movies, as the exterior design of its flagship wind-free air conditioners, the company said Monday. The “Frozen 2” edition, only for the wall-mounted type, offers two exterior panels including the one with Elsa on it and the original version, allowing customers to change the panel design as they wish. The collaboration has been announced ahead of the Children’s Day holiday

SK hynix pledged Friday it will support contractors by ensuring early payments to help minimize the negative impact of the novel coronavirus spread. The company unveiled its plan to utilize 130 billion won ($105 million) from its co-growth fund for those in financial difficulty in front of Fair Trade Commission Chairperson Joh Sung-wook who visited its corporate campus in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. SK hynix also highlighted that it is paying around 600 billion won to its contractors four t

LG Electronics said Friday it will hold an online launch event for its upcoming flagship Velvet smartphone on May 7. The South Korean tech giant released a video invitation on YouTube, which included the date, time and an online link. The 15-second clip highlighted the water drop design of the flagship model.  It shows water droplets in white, gray, green and red, to represent the product colors slated for the Velvet phone.  Putting much weight on the design factor, the phone l

SK hynix, the second-largest memory chipmaker in the world, announced an earnings surprise Thursday, with a 239 percent on-quarter increase in its operating profit in the first quarter. Despite concerns about a coronavirus downturn in the global economy, the South Korean chipmaker posted 7.19 trillion won ($6.4 billion) in sales and 800.3 billion own in operating profit during the January to March period, according to its regulatory filing. Its net profit stood at 649.1 billion won. Compar

The world’s major smartphone makers -- US-based Apple and South Korea’s Samsung and LG -- are seeking to restructure their product lineups, shifting from premium flagship models to midrange phones this year, following the global novel coronavirus pandemic, according to industry sources Wednesday. The market for less expensive and high-spec phones is growing worldwide amid slowing demand for new gadgets triggered by the outbreak. Market researcher Counterpoint said in a recent re

South Korea’s electronics industry is gearing up for a surge in demand in the post-coronavirus era, with some experts predicting it as early as the second half of this year, industry sources said Tuesday. Experts from the semiconductor, display, telecommunications and battery sectors gathered Tuesday at an event hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss how to prepare for a post-coronavirus market. Attendees agreed on the need for preemptive measures to respond

In tune with the extended use of smartphones and smartwatches, headphones have been going cordless, providing users with freedom and flexibility in daily activities. But some conservative consumers have shunned wireless earphones, as they tend to be wary of the battery lifespan and reluctant to learn how to connect the Bluetooth. But once you go cordless, it is hard to go back. Thanks to advancements in chip and battery technologies, these small earpieces are the epitome of cutting-edge aud

SK Energy on Sunday announced plans to accelerate its digital reform to innovate the conventional oil refinery business. The subsidiary of SK Innovation, South Korea’s leading energy firm, said it has finalized three directions for the digital transformation of its business model. The company is seeking digital operational excellency, accompanied by a green and next-generation platform. SK Energy has decided to expand the smart plant system that combines artificial intelligence and

Korean companies are making various donations to Indian organizations to help them fight the novel coronavirus as the country is under heavy lockdown, according to the industry on Wednesday. Although Korean businesses that have manufacturing facilities in India have suspended their operations upon state order since last month, the firms are coming up with measures to support local governments in the states where they are running the plants. Samsung Electronics said its India branch made a p

South Korean businesses are increasingly selling assets in a bid to secure liquidity by hoarding cash amid high uncertainty triggered by the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to industry sources Friday. Hyundai Steel, a steelmaking affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, has decided to sell one of its corporate buildings in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The building in Jamwon-dong, an affluent neighborhood in the area, has been used for the company’s sales operations. “It is hard t

Companies that fail to shift their paradigms in terms of safety will fall behind others in the long run, said an executive at SK Innovation, a leading oil refinery and battery maker in South Korea on Friday. Yoo Jae-young, head of safety, health and environment division at the company, said in an internal interview that SK Innovation has turned the latest coronavirus outbreak into an opportunity that has enhanced its workplace environment monitoring system. “The company has stepped up

Samsung Electronics has requested an external compliance monitoring committee to defer the timing of its heir’s public apology to next month, according to the committee Thursday. The committee led by former Chief Justice Kim Ji-hyung last month had urged Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to apologize to the public on the group’s past scheme to succeed leadership from Chairman Lee Kun-hee. The letter was sent to seven Samsung affiliates governed by Lee, offering 30 days of consid

LG Electronics on Thursday unveiled a render image of its upcoming flagship smartphone that is expected to be more focused on design, after more than a monthlong delay in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The released image highlights the design of the rear triple camera module that evokes the image of falling raindrops. The company has nicknamed it as “raindrop” camera, and will be released next month in South Korea. The main camera sits slightly above the surface while

South Korea has secured flexible displays that are durable enough for partial commercialization. But the current level of technologies can improve durability and expand diversity in display types by applying new cutting-edge materials, according to a top academic expert. “The weakness of up-to-date flexible displays is the lacking of durability and variety,” said Han Chang-soo, professor of mechanical engineering at Korea University, in a recent email interview with The Korea Hera