Siti Syameen Md Khalili checks out Samsung’s latest offerings at the company’s Third Southeast Asia, Ocenia and Taiwan Forum in Bangkok
SAMSUNG’S aim to be the most inspirational brand in the world continues this year. Its mission is strengthened by breakthrough products ranging from Smart TVs with dual-core processors to the latest Galaxy Tab 2 tablets as previewed at its Samsung Third Southeast Asia, Ocenia and Taiwan Forum in Bangkok from March 14 to 19.
“The lifestyle and demands of the new age consumer is rapidly changing and the technological landscape is fast advancing. Consumers are looking for innovative products that enriches their lifestyles, be it for entertainment, personal or corporate needs, and this creates exciting growth opportunities for new markets, particularly in Asia. We want to excel in offering innovative products and excellent made-for-Asia content to consumers,” says Gregory Lee, president and chief executive officer of Samsung Asia.
According to Ambrish Jain, Samsung’s regional marketing director, last year the company made US$143 billion (RM436 bil) in sales, and the SEA, Ocenia and Taiwan region experienced 41 per cent sales growth. Samsung is also now the number one mobile brand for the first time, a feat largely driven by products such as the Samsung Galaxy SII, he adds.
FEATURES ON TV
The Samsung Smart TV range helped the brand grab 60 per cent of the local television market share, says Jain. Overall, its TV business grew by 25 per cent to maintain a global lead.
This year, consumers can expect the arrival of the ES7500 and ES8000 LED TV, both enhanced by tools such as AllShare Play and content from Viki Premiere that includes the latest award-winning independent films, Korean dramas and Japanese anime.
Razmig Hovaghimian, chief executive officer of Viki Premiere says: “The Viki Premier service is about bringing global content, global prime time, in your language.”
Viki is also the content partner for the KPop Service App, a collaboration between Samsung and major Korean record labels.
Apart from content, both new Smart TV ranges offer intelligent features such as face recognition and voice command. With a built-in camera onboard, the ES7500 and ES8000 series can recognise movement in the foreground while two microphones recognises voice input. Users can use sentences like “Hi TV, volume up,” or “Channel 27,” to interact with the TV via its voice command feature.
Alongside Smart TV series, Samsung also previews its Series 7 HDTV monitor that comes with built-in TV tuner and Mobile High Definition Link support.
CAMERAS WITH WIFI
In the imaging segment, Samsung brings WiFi enabled cameras which users can use to load photos and videos they take to Facebook, Picasa and YouTube, or simply email to a recipient. Models powered by Samsung’s Smart WiFi technology include 3View DV300F, WB850F, WB150F and ST200F.
Equipped with 21x optical zoom, Samsung WB850F features GPS and Live Landmark features for users to tag their photos while its Digital Compass function lets users know their location and give information such as the distance to the next landmark. Users may also download maps into the camera via the MapView function.
Meanwhile model DV300F comes with two LCD displays. Its frontal 1.5-inch display assists users in self-portrait photography.
Samsung also offers two camcorder models, Samsung Camcorder Q20 and QF20. The former offers 1080i Full HD video recording and 20x optical zoom while the latter also comes with Switch Grip 2 with Vertical Recording feature as well as WiFi support.
To further work with content, users can also look at Samsung’s new Notebook Series 9. Powered by Intel Core i7 processor and Samsung SSD for added portability, this new range offers fast boot up, Samsung’s proprietory MaxScreen technology, long battery life and flat, single-shell body.
A product of deep research and meticulous design process, the Series 9 features finely fitted hardware including LCD panel, keyboard, motherboard, cables, fan and battery. The top-end model features a 15-inch display onboard a 14-inch notebook formfactor while the 13-inch variation measures only 12.9mm in terms of thickness, weighing only 1.16kg.
Samsung completes its computing machines with peripherals including Samsung SCX-3405FW Multi-Function printer. This model offers a print speed of 20 pages per minute and churns out the first page within 8.5 seconds. With wireless connection support, users can simply pair the printer with their smartphone or tablet using Samsung’s MobilePrint application for a painless, wireless printing experience.
Its highlight product, the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0-inch) and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1-inch) both offer HSPA+ 21MBps or WiFi connectivity. Running on Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS, the two new tablets has the S Suggest app recommendation service preloaded to lead users to popular apps.
According to Lee Jui Siang, Mobile Phone director, Samsung Malaysia, Samsung’s mobile market in Malaysia grew 10-fold last year. With already 2 million units safe in the hands of consumers, Samsung expects to sell 10 million units of Galaxy Note by the end of 2012. “One of the selling feature on the Note is the S-Pen innovation, at the same time the device is also a good size for users who wants convenience in the tablet that they carry around,” says Lee.
“Samsung always believed in multi-platform strategy, so apart from Android you will also see Windows Phone and products running on our own Bada platform to be released in the second half of this year.”
INTELLIGENT HOME APPLIANCES
Samsung’s digital appliances line-up focuses on eco-friendly, stylish design and intelligent features to suit modern living. Refrigerators with bigger storage space, air-conditioners with WiFi and smartphone support, family-friendly washing machines and clever cleaning robots are set to woo smart consumers.
Highlight products from this segment include the Samsung Perfect Fit Bottom Mount Freezer Refrigerator, Samsung Eco Bubble washing machine and Samsung NaviBot S.