2017 tech report card: Samsung

2017 tech report card: Samsung

2017 tech report card: Samsung

2017 tech report card: Samsung

Let us begin with the good news: no Samsung telephones caught fire or increased this year.

Samsung joined 2017 on their pumps, coming down the awkward debacle of the Universe Observe 7, a telephone that was valued not one time but twice in 2016, for having a tendency to automatically catch fire. And therefore, Samsung started out the year by apologizing for what occurred and vowing that it might do things greater in the future. 

The mea culpa and apology truly served Samsung repair their name, but it's what came after that really turned things around for the company. Beginning with the release of the Universe S8 and S8 Plus in April, Samsung regained their position as a number one smartphone machine in 2017. 

The Universe S8 easily built everybody just forget about what occurred with the Observe 7. Its design, efficiency, screen, and reliably excellent camera easily put it at the top of the bunch among Android telephones and kept it there all year. Other telephones might beat the S8 (and by extension, the S8 Plus) in a single particular region or still another, but if you are seeking for the best over all Android phone, the S8 could be the one. 

Then, in June, Samsung launched the ill-fated Observe 7's correct successor, the Universe Observe 8. Significantly just like the Universe S8, the Observe 8 proved to be a fantastic device. In place of trying to appeal to a broad smartphone buyer, Samsung doubled down on what makes a Observe a Observe: it's big, costly, and unapologetic. The Observe 8 also presented Samsung's accept a dual-camera process, which lets it record portrait-mode photos like the larger iPhone models. 

2017 tech report card: Samsung

BIXBY WAS BY FAR SAMSUNG'S BIGGEST PRODUCT BLUNDER 

Samsung's greatest item blunder in 2010 was not related to equipment at all: it was the Bixby virtual associate, which first debuted on the S8 and also was conspicuously highlighted on the Observe 8. Samsung thought in Bixby therefore much that it set a dedicated key on the side of the telephones that was reserved for just launching Bixby. Unfortuitously, it turned out that Bixby was no further useful compared to Google Secretary also entirely on Samsung's telephones (and in many ways, Bixby's worse), and Samsung ultimately included the capability to disable the key on the phones. But it's however difficult to reprogram the key to do something different more useful, that will be frustrating. 

Outside cellular, Samsung's PC and TV efforts are less interesting — it's however driving their “QLED” technology, that will be poor (yet deliberately likewise named) to the OLED tech LG offers in their TVs. 

Nevertheless Samsung had a solid item showing in 2010, their position as a business leaves a great deal to be desired. The vice chairman of Samsung Technology and effective mind of the whole conglomerate, Jay Y. Lee, was embroiled in a crime scandal that included illegal horse trading, conspiracy methods, and ultimately contributed to the impeachment of South Korea's president. 

Lee used a lot of the year in custody, and was convicted of perjury, embezzlement, and bribery in August. He was sentenced to five years in jail for his crimes. Four different Samsung professionals have already been accused of giving bribes to deposed President Park Geun-hye and an relate of hers. 

Despite his certainty, Lee options to appeal, and history is on his area for a excuse: South Korea features a long history of pardoning chaebol chairmen, including Lee's possess dad, who was simply pardoned not after, but twice, for duty evasion and bribery. 

Crime scandals did nothing to temper Samsung's financials, nevertheless, as the business noted record profitsin the September to September quarter. Furthermore, it features a new suite of leaders to transport the business in to 2018: Kim Ki-nam (components), Kim Hyun-suk (HS Kim) (consumer electronics), and Koh Dong-jin (DJ Koh) (mobile and IT) are working as CEOs of each of their sections, replacing former Samsung Technology CEO Kwon Oh-hyun. 

And therefore, it's onward and upward for Samsung moving past their scandals and mishaps. Rumors are actually swirling that Samsung may release the Universe S9 in March of next year, therefore Samsung supporters probably will not have long to attend for something new from the company.