Samsung (and LG's) Relationship With Apple

The introduction of the Apple iPhone, followed by Android devices was a boon for South Korean electronics manufacturers, led by Samsung and LG.  However, as noted by an article in the Joongang Daily, the relationship with Apple poses somewhat of a dilemma for the Korean firms.  As Samsung and Apple products go toe to toe in the global market, the two companies are now more dependent upon each other than ever before.

Samsung has never specified which parts it supplies to Apple. But when consumers disassemble the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Samsung’s A4 central processing unit, NAND Flash, DRAM, and liquid crystal display panels are there in plain sight. Industry sources also say Samsung is in the running with LG to become the main display supplier for the second version of the iPad. Apple will place an order worth of $7.8 billion in parts for future productions.

As for the iPhone 4, Samsung parts account for 27.5 percent of the device, which amounts to $187.51 per iPhone, according to iSuppli, a research firm.

As shown in the accompanying graphic (click to see a full size version) Apple remains far ahead of Samsung in the global market.  With the growing strength of Android devices in the world market, it will be interesting indeed to watch the shifts taking place in market share.

Notes on Samsung's 9 Series Notebook

The first notebook computer I ever used was a bulky (by today's standards) Toshiba which, at the time seemed like a great upgrade from the IBM PC I was using in the office.  Over the years, notebook or "laptop" computers have gotten steadily smaller and sleeker.  About eight years ago I purchased a Samsung X-10 multimedia notebook and have been using Samsung notebooks ever since with few problems.  Consequently, I take note when Samsung comes out with a new series or model.

According to PCWorld, the new Samsung 9 Series Laptop "Out-Sleeks Apple's MacBook Air."  According to the article, it is slightly thinner and lighter than Apple's notebook (0.64 inches thick versus the MacBook Air's 0.68 inches; 2.89 pounds versus 2.9 pounds),has more memory (4GB versus 2GB), and is made of aircraft-grade Duralumin material (twice as strong as aluminum). It boots Windows in under 20 seconds, has 160-degree viewing angles, and otherwise seems tailored for premium laptop users who care about both form and function.

Sounds very nice and these new products will make the choice between a notebook and a notepad touchscreen device very interesting for many consumers in the months to come.

Korea Leads World in Mobile YouTube Viewing

As I predicted in a December 2009 post, viewership of Youtube video on mobile devices has skyrocketed in South Korea.  An article in the Joongang Daily notes that more Koreans now watch YouTube on mobile devices than do people in any other country around the world.  On the third anniversary of YouTube's launch in Korea an executive of that company noted that mobile views grew nine-fold last year.  He also noted that YouTube is now being used to deliver Korean content, including popular soap operas, to a global audience.  YouTube Korea has signed partnerships with Korea's top three talent agencies, under which the agencies provide premium content for YouTube, while YouTube provides them with useful information such as the number of viewer hits.