On January 13, Samsung US donated $315,000 to the inauguration committee of President Donald Trump. Newly released Federal Election Commission data revealed significant contributions from South Korean and global tech giants.

According to KoreaTimes, Samsung Electronics donated a huge $315,000 to the Trump inauguration committee through Samsung Electronics America. This followed a $100,000 contribution to Trump’s 2017 inauguration.

Amazon, Nvidia, Google, and Meta are each donating $1 million. AI companies like Perplexity AI and chipmakers Micron and Qualcomm matched this amount. Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI’s Sam Altman gave $1 million personally.

The record-breaking donations reflect efforts by global businesses to align with the new administration, especially amid Trump’s proposed tariff policies affecting industries like semiconductors and automotive.

Samsung launched refurbished Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra in the US. The company is bringing this flagship lineup to the country as part of the Certified Re-Newed Program.

The refurbished Galaxy S24 series is now available for purchase in the US through the official website. Do note that the company does not sell certified re-newed products offline or in retail stores.

The renewed S24 series is assembled by Samsung engineers and made with 100% genuine parts. The devices also pack new battery and are ensured by Samsung’s one-year manufacturer warranty.

Pricing of the Galaxy S24 series certified re-newed

• Galaxy S24 Ultra Certified Re-Newed comes in Titanium Black, starting at $1,019.99 for the 256GB storage variant, and $1,139.99 for the 512GB option.
• Galaxy S24+ Certified Re-Newed is available in Onyx Black starting at $799.99 for 256GB and $919.99 for the 512GB option.
• Galaxy S24 Certified Re-Newed also comes available in Onyx Black, starting at $619.99 for 128GB, and $669.99 for the 256GB option.

Source – Samsung Newsroom

Samsung Care+ is also available for Certified Re-Newed smartphones for an additional cost. It will cover your new Galaxy S24 device for accidents, breaks, or other damage.

Samsung is also offering a minimum $250 value toward the purchase of any Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, or Galaxy S22 series Certified Re-Newed smartphone when you trade in your qualifying device.

Samsung Taylor chip plant is near completion in the US. The company is gearing up to commence production at its new facility by the end of next year. Meanwhile, a new report raises concerns for Samsung given TSMC’s billion-dollar losses.

According to the report, TSMC’s Arizona subsidiary has reported cumulative losses of TWD 39.452 billion (approximately $1.21 billion) over the past four years, raising concerns for Samsung, which is building a foundry in Taylor, Texas, US.

The South Korean tech giant is reportedly hesitant to place equipment installation orders. While Samsung publicly maintains that the Taylor plant will begin operations in 2026, internal and external forecasts suggest low revenue.

Samsung Taylor Texas | Image: Samsung

The equipment installation may also face hurdles. The US government has announced a minimum 25% tariff on semiconductors. This increases the likelihood of high tariffs on semiconductor equipment, potentially exceeding 25%.

Samsung’s Korean foundry operations are already posting quarterly losses, and the situation would be even worse with its Taylor plant, where production and operating costs are higher, and Samsung has no major clients for contract production.

In the world of smartphone software, big changes and flashy new features often make the news. But for Samsung’s next big update, users should expect small improvements instead of big changes, according to trusted sources close to the company.

Our trusted Samsung insider, who previously told us about the release dates for upcoming One UI versions (which other news sites later confirmed), has shared exclusive details about Samsung’s plans for One UI 8, the next version of its Android software.

“One UI 8 won’t be what most would call a major update,” our source told us, asking to remain unnamed because they’re not allowed to talk about products that haven’t been released yet. “The team is focusing on making what’s already there better, not starting from scratch.”

This careful approach is a change for Samsung, which usually uses its yearly updates to bring big visual and feature changes. Instead, the upcoming One UI 8 will focus on making small improvements, better performance, and slight tweaks to features you already use.

“So far, we haven’t seen anything like the big jump users got with One UI 7,” our source confirmed. “The changes are smaller – things users will like when using their phone every day”

This isn’t bad news for Samsung users. The current One UI 7 has been liked by many for its good features and performance. By focusing on making things better rather than changing everything, Samsung seems to be listening to users who want reliable phones more than they want brand-new features.

This makes sense, as phones have improved over the years. Big changes to how phones work aren’t as needed now that people are used to how their devices work. For everyday Samsung users, this means switching to One UI 8 will probably feel easier than past updates. Features you’re used to should stay mostly the same, just faster and smoother.

This fits with Samsung’s recent push to support its phones with software for a longer time. Since people are keeping their phones longer before buying new ones, small, steady improvements might be better than big redesigns that force users to learn new ways of doing things.

Our source couldn’t tell us exactly what new features will come with One UI 8, saying that work is still happening and plans might change before release. But they did say that making phones run faster and improving battery life are still big priorities for the team.

Samsung usually shows off new One UI updates when they release new flagship phones or soon after, so we’ll probably get our first real look at One UI 8 later this year, most likely with the Galaxy Z Fold7 devices. Until then, Samsung users can relax knowing their next big update probably won’t be hard to get used to.

What’s the bottom line? Samsung seems to be following the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” idea for One UI 8, choosing to make small improvements rather than big changes.

Samsung is expanding its AI home appliance care to provide real-time phone alerts and auto repair booking. The company today announced that it is enhancing the home appliance subscription care business with the “AI Proactive Care Notification” service.

The new talk of the town, the AI Proactive Care Notification service, aims to notify customers by phone when anomalies are detected in subscribed Samsung home appliance products and arrange on-site repair bookings.

Samsung’s AI Proactive Care Notification service leverages AI to analyze data collected by the remote diagnostics system. It then sends push notifications to users when anomalies are detected, followed by a phone call to explain the diagnosis.

The “AI Proactive Care Notification,” handled by Samsung Service’s dedicated consultants, provides:

• Explanation of AI diagnosis results
• Device status checks
• On-site repair scheduling

Samsung has introduced this service for 10 subscribed product categories: ACs, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, kimchi refrigerators, dishwashers, induction cooktops, ovens, robot vacuums, and air dressers.

It can diagnose 24 different symptoms, including:

• Predicted low refrigerant in air conditioners
• Abnormal high temperatures in refrigerator compartments
• Inspection of washing machine communication modules

Interestingly, the company offers the “AI Proactive Care Notification” service to subscription care customers at no additional cost, with plans to expand the range of supported products and detectable symptoms in the future.

“AI Subscription Club” customers also receive a “Monthly Care Report” once a month, detailing:

• Device diagnosis results
• Usage patterns
• Energy consumption