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India exposes Google was guilty of crushing competition by promoting GMS and its own services
India is one of the most important markets for Google with Android phones enjoying more than 95% of the market share in the country. It’s not just about the OS though. All Android phones come with a Google suite of pre-installed apps which means there are millions of users using Google services automatically.
It could be Chrome Browsing, Gmail for Email, or the Google Play Store for Applications. As a result of this rule, the Indian Competition Commission (CCI) has launched an investigation back in 2019 to find out Google’s role in blocking competitors. Two years later, we now have the findings of an investigation.
According to an investigation report reviewed by The Times of India, CCI said Google was guilty of using anti-competitive, unfair, and restrictive trading methods in connection with its smartphone OS and other related activities. Investigations have found that Google is guilty of pressuring competition in the Indian market by pressing its services and applications to capture a large user base.
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With its popular services like Search, YouTube, Chrome, Google Play Store, etc., Google wanted to find a powerful place for what people are doing online in the country.
By forcing OEMs to first install these apps on all Android smartphones, Google wanted to ensure that users who bought a new smartphone would only use their apps and services automatically, which is why it created an environment that was not competitive and unfair to stakeholders.
The investigation also alleges that Google has imposed side-by-side contracts on both device makers and app developers who have denied market access to competitors. Google’s GMS Background is an integral part of all Android devices and this package includes a few Google apps that are the first to be installed when you buy a new Android phone. Google mandates OEMs to install this on all Android devices.
Google has even provided incentives to smartphone manufacturers by replacing the Google Dialer app with messages as default apps instead of the custom apps we’ve received before on most phones with a custom UI. The report also suggests how Google automatically integrates a search bar into the home screen as a widget, encouraging more people to use their search engine.
Note that this is only a finding of the report submitted to the CCI for consideration. The opposition party, South Africa, will be given the opportunity to present their side of the story and defend their practices before a decision is made. If found guilty, Google will have to pay a fine or stop these wrong practices, or both.
During Unbox & Discover, an event in which Samsung’s new 2023 TV portfolio was presented and held this week in São Paulo, Samsung revealed its unprecedented partnership with LOUD, one of the largest electronic sports and content organizations from Brazil.
Founded in 2019, LOUD accumulates titles in successful game championships such as League of Legends and Valorant, in addition to working with a select group of influencers in segments such as lifestyle and digital entertainment.
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With the aim of getting even closer to the gaming community and publicizing the TVs and monitors of the gamer line, Samsung formed with LOUD two squads of athletes who will participate in events, championships, internet content, and special actions representing Neo QLED televisions. and Odyssey monitors.
The Neo QLED Gaming TV squad will be formed by the specialized athletes from the Valorant team, in addition to influencers Coringa, Coreano, Voltan, and oCastrin, who will also be part of the new Neo QLED Gaming TV campaign that will be launched soon.
The Odyssey team will be formed by the League of Legends team and influencers Yayah and Robo. Starting this partnership, Loud’s squad will be the protagonists of the campaign to launch the new Neo QLED Gaming TV, which is being developed by DRUID Creative Gaming.
Another novelty announced during Unbox & Discover was the confirmation of Samsung’s participation in the Brasil Game Show 2023, which will feature the brand’s ecosystem, ranging from Odyssey monitors to Neo QLED Gaming TVs, smartphones such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra and more.
This year, the company’s stand will be twice the size of the last edition and will offer several attractions during the five days of the fair, which will take place between October 11th and 15th. The event will also feature the presence of LOUD squads in various activities and interactions with the public.
Samsung introduces the Gaming House in Surprise City, the famous Fortnite island of the RP (Role Playing) style, which recreates a life simulation on an open map with various possibilities. With this, Samsung Latin America has now expanded its presence in the gaming universe.
This is the third environment that Samsung has launched within the Metaverse, which already has another gameplay in Smart City, also in Fortnite, and the House of SAM coexistence space, in Decentraland. Samsung’s entry into Surprise City begins with a teleportation from his own island, Smart City.
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Smart City and Surprise City are now connected to increase Samsung’s presence in the game. At the month’s end, the Gaming House Samsung will be inaugurated, with several activations. This is the first time that the famous island of Surprise City from Fortnite has received a brand presence with Samsung.
The Samsung Gaming House building has three floors and features a variety of immersive activities.
On the first floor is the Meeting Lounge, an authentic area for conviviality in a pleasant and modern environment, made up of televisions, sofas, vending machines and much more.
On the second floor will be the eSports Hub, inspired by tournament arenas, which will bring a famous game mode connected with the concept of Samsung products.
On the third floor, the Rooftop, there will be an activation that will launch the players into the skies of Surprise City, creating a true aerial tour with the possibility of landing directly in the desired places.
Samsung plans to bring surprise activations to Surprise City in the coming months, as well as special and themed events. Fortnite is available on the following platforms: PCs, consoles, and Android smartphones. Access Samsung Gaming House inside Surprise City with the code: 9764-1282-3196.
In the last 12 months, Samsung Service Centers in India have saved over 17 million sheets of paper, thanks to its “Go Paper-free” Initiative. In the last two years since the launch of the initiative, more than 33 million sheets of paper have been saved till now.
The company’s service centers across the country had gone paperless as part of a global initiative to offer customers an eco-conscious alternative to paper documents. Samsung also boasted that India was one of the first countries to adopt the paper-free system with more than 11,000 service centers in 180 countries.
The pilot project that was kicked off in July 2021 across the country has given a sustainable solution to customers. Apart from the savings in paper usage, what this means for customers is faster transactions at the Samsung service centers and contact-less exchange between consumers and service executives.
“Our service centres across India have followed paperless operations that offer an eco-conscious alternative for two years now. This brings in a lot of convenience for customers as it reduces transaction time and they no longer need to take care of physical documents,” said Sunil Cutinha, Samsung India VP.
All documents previously issued to customers on paper are now being shared over email and WhatsApp, saving 1.5 million A4-sized sheets of paper a month. This also includes replacing internal office work documents at service centers with electronic documents.
Through the global campaign, Samsung expects that approximately 6 million liters of water, 1 will be saved each year. In addition, nearly 526 tons of carbon emissions will be reduced, which can be translated into the amount of carbon absorbed by 61,000 30-year-old pine trees in a year.
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