Samsung
Samsung fined over €39 million by Netherlands authority for illegally raising TV prices
According to the latest info, the South Korean company was guilty of influencing the prices of stores that cost Samsung TVs between 2013 and 2018, making customers pay more. Samsung carefully considered the online supply of its TVs and put online stores under pressure to raise prices, which is not allowed according to ACM (Authority for Consumers & Markets).
The ACM has fined Samsung Electronics more than €39 million following an investigation. But according to De Telegraaf, Korea’s largest technology company plans to take legal action against the ACM decision.
The ACM launched an investigation and found that Samsung was using illegal trading methods after some shop owners complained. It turns out that Samsung Electronics has been in contact with Dutch retailers via email and WhatsApp to control prices regularly.
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If the seller sells Samsung TV for less than the company demands, Samsung sends a message through the seller selling that the price should be increased.
As ACM investigated WhatsApp and email traffic between Samsung and retailers and determined that “Samsung’s behavior distorted competition at the retail level and led to higher consumer spending.” Samsung will continue to monitor its online TV list and press e-tailers to adjust their prices to meet the expectations of the Korean tech giant, so Samsung was able to protect its margins and those of its partner retailers at the expense of the consumer.
On the other hand, a Samsung spokesperson said the company had complied with the competition rules and was disappointed with the ACM decision. Samsung is reportedly going to take legal action to challenge the € 39 million fine.
Apart from issuing the fine, ACM has no authority to compel Samsung to compensate customers who bought the TV between 2013 and 2018 and may not feel harmed. Time will tell how the story unfolds, but perhaps the law firm will settle a case of the class action to represent consumers.
October 2024 started with the SDC24 event, where Samsung shared important updates about its software and products. One of the big announcements was the upcoming One UI 7 Beta update for developers, which will be released at the end of this year. While this is a change from last year, some users get disappointed by the timeline. However, Samsung never forgets to release its monthly update on time.
On the 5th day of this month, Samsung began releasing the October 2024 security patch for Galaxy devices to enhance security and stability. The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, launched in late September 2024, is the first smartphone to receive the October 2024 security update. Several more Galaxy devices will get this update in the coming days.
October 2024 security update fixes several vulnerabilities and boosts the overall security of the devices. Samsung will soon release the details and updated devices list on the scope page.
Below you can check a list of Galaxy devices that have received the October 2024 security update.
Image: Samsung
Samsung One UI October 2024 Updates List
05/09
- Samsung drops October 2024 security update, Galaxy S24 FE takes the lead.
*More devices will be added to this list as Samsung releases the update for them.
If you have a Samsung device from the list above and haven’t updated it yet, go ahead and do it now. If your device isn’t on the list, you can manually check for updates by going to Settings >> Software Update >> Download and Install. You can share software updates screenshots and details by tagging our social media accounts.
Samsung has delayed this year’s One UI Beta Program. The One UI 7 Beta is scheduled to be launched by the end of this year; will Samsung be able to offer a bug-free experience to Galaxy smartphone users?
One UI 6 Beta launched in August last year. The Galaxy S23 series was the first to join the Beta testing activity. Later, the company expanded the Beta Program to many older Galaxy devices including phones and foldables.
The last year’s Beta Program lasted nearly 3 months. The Korean tech giant released 9 major Beta updates to the Galaxy S23 series. The initial builds were filled with a lot of bugs as well as completely conflicted animations.
Judging from the current situation, a short Beta Program is inevitable this year. All the recent developments indicate a seamless Beta activity, covering “developers” only, as confirmed by Samsung at SDC24.
Samsung teased One UI 7 features Simple, Impactful, and Emotive design components. The company is exploring a fresh new design across the interface. There could be many new ways for personalization in your Galaxy device.
In a dramatic move, Samsung announced final One UI 7 will launch with the Galaxy S25 series next year. The recently released One UI 6.1.1 features enhance the user experience, but the major update will remain awaited till the first quarter.
It also remains to be seen whether Samsung will launch Android 15-based One UI 7 Beta in 7 markets or alter availability. The market count might decrease to the Watch Beta or go global for select newer Galaxy models.
Will One UI 7 Beta be bug-free?#Samsung #OneUI7 #Android15
— Sammy Fans – We ♥ Samsung! (@thesammyfans) October 5, 2024
Google has started rolling out new Theft Protection features for Android devices including Samsung Galaxy devices running version 10 and above. Announced at the I/O 2024 event in May, these new features help to keep your personal information safe if your phone gets stolen.
The trio of Theft Protection features are now becoming available to Android users including those with devices from brands like Pixel and Samsung. You can start seeing these new features if you’re part of the Google Play services beta (version 24.40.33) program.
Google Theft Protection
The Theft Protection is a new privacy and device safety feature added under Google Services. It helps to keep your personal data safe if your device is stolen.
To access the new theft protection features, check the Theft protection in your device’s Settings app. You can also go to the Google Services page and find it under the All Services tab. This feature includes three main options, they are:
1.) Theft Detection Lock
This feature uses your device’s sensors, Wi-Fi, and smart device connections to detect if someone suddenly grabs your phone while you’re using it. If this happens, your phone will automatically lock its screen to unauthorized access to your personal data.
2.) Offline Device Lock
This feature starts its work if someone steals your phone and turns off the internet to stop tracking. For that, Google mentions two conditions – you need to be using your phone while it’s unlocked, and you can only lock the screen up to twice a day.
3.) Remote Lock
If your phone is stolen, you can go to android.com/lock to lock it remotely. You’ll need to confirm your identity with a phone number and answer a security question. This is faster than the Find My Device method.
With these features, Google aims to enhance your security and protect your personal information. The company will soon make these features available to all Android users through a stable update.