Samsung
Samsung could cut production at its biggest money-making business
Semiconductor Division of Samsung Electronics is known as its biggest money-making business, which could get a strategic production cut. However, the company is likely to post deficits of billions of won in the first quarter of this year amid weakening memory chip prices and higher inventories.
Follow our socials → Google News, Telegram, Twitter, Facebook
According to the regulatory filing to DART by Samsung, its inventory assets reached an all-time high of 52.2 trillion won ($39.9 billion) as of the fourth quarter of last year, compared with last year’s 41.4 trillion won.
The South Korean tech titan’s chip business division accounted for the lion’s share of the total figure, with 29.1 trillion won in the same year, up nearly 12.6 trillion won from the same period tallied in 2021, the data showed.
Pent-up demand during the pandemic for home appliances, including TVs, has lost momentum, and aggressive rate hikes in major economies have significantly weakened consumer spending power.
This situation, on top of the inventory surge, has resulted in a sharp drop in chip prices. Market watchers believe the prices of PC DRAM and NAND memory chips are reportedly getting closer to their costs.
- KB Securities forecast the prices of DRAM and NAND chips will drop by a further 19 percent and 18 percent, respectively, in the January-March 2023 period.
While falling chip prices and soaring inventories affect Samsung’s earnings, the company is expected to take a turn into the red in this first quarter, logging operating losses of between 1.91 trillion won and 4.47 trillion won, reports FnGuide.
Despite witnessing a sharp drop in chip profits, Samsung maintains it will not be “artificially” cutting output and will keep up investment in its chips business. However, it has hinted at the possibility of a “natural” reduction through process conversion.
At Wednesday’s shareholder’s meeting, the company shared a downbeat forecast for its chip business this year but said it will continue to invest to secure clean rooms and technology advances in its efforts to “turn misfortune into advantage.”
“We will be flexible in executing infrastructure investment given volatile market conditions. We’re also planning to enhance our investment efficiency and improve the corporate structure.” Said Lee Jung-bae, president of Samsung’s device solution division.
Samsung and SK Hynix might reduce their production further to prevent soaring inventory assets and boost semiconductor prices. Market watchers say that reducing supply is the way to accelerate rebound in their chip businesses.
Samsung has announced the One UI 6 Watch Beta 4 update for Wear OS smartwatches. This update is available for the Galaxy Watch 6, Galaxy Watch 5, and Galaxy Watch 4 series. It includes several improvements based on user feedback to make your watch perform better and more reliably.
One UI 6 Watch Beta 4 update brings new support and several enhancements. It improves the overall system stability and performance for smoother watch operations. Also, battery life has also been improved, so you can expect to get more use between charges.
Moreover, the performance of applications has been optimized for faster and more reliable operation. It also addresses network connectivity issues to make it easier for your watch to stay connected.
Furthermore, the update introduces Global Always-On Display (AOD) support to provide important information even when the screen is off.
The fourth beta update also contains a minor issue with the ‘Show last app’ setting. The default value has changed, which might affect users who previously set it to the ‘Not used’ or ‘Within 5 seconds’ option. If you notice that your setting isn’t being applied correctly, simply go to the Settings menu and select your preferred option to fix the problem.
Users of Galaxy Watch 6 series can verify the latest beta update through version ending with ZXG6, while Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 users are getting it with version ZXG7.
To install the update on your Galaxy Watch, go to Galaxy Wearable on your smartphone, then navigate to Galaxy Watch >> Watch settings >> Watch software update >> Download and install. This will allow you to install the latest beta version. Before updating, make sure to back up any important data on your watch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra users are getting a July 2024 security update in Canada. This update is already rolled out for users in Europe and the company will soon make it available in more countries.
The company is dispatching the latest software update with system security improvements to keep your files and data safe on your phone. It also optimizes system stability to offer you uninterrupted and seamless functionality on your device.
July 2024 update fixes over 55 issues including 4 critical and 21 high-level vulnerabilities in Android, contributing 33 SVEs related to components like One UI Home, System UI, Secure Folder, and more, further enhancing device security.
Users of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra in Canada can verify the July 2024 security update through the One UI build version ending with BXCG. The installation package size of this update is around 358.38MB.
You can check the update by navigating to the device’s Settings, then a Software update, and Download and Install. If you have received the update, install it now to get enhanced features.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 users will soon get One UI 6.1.1 update with a bunch of new features. Some of the highlighted features are Sketch to Image, AI Portrait Studio, Auto Zoom, enhanced Note Assist, Instant Full-screen translation, conversation mode for dual screen, Suggested replies, Photo Ambient, and more.
One UI 7 could bring new battery indicator to Samsung Galaxy
Samsung has confirmed that it will fix an issue with the Home Up Finder feature through a new software update. Some Galaxy users have been facing an issue where the Finder’s layout does not appear correctly on their screens.
According to the information, the Finder sometimes overlaps with the battery, network, sound, and clock icons at the top of the screen. This overlap can hide the search field or make it difficult to use.
Users have reported that this issue makes it hard to search for apps or use the Finder effectively. Samsung has recognized this issue and is working on a solution. The community moderator has announced that the company will release a software update to fix the layout of the Finder feature of the Home Up.
Moreover, Samsung has also apologized for the inconvenience the Home Up Finder issue may have caused and ensures users that the company will fix it. Users should keep their devices updated by checking for new software updates regularly.
Previously, the company added the long-awaited ‘Access Finder’ feature that makes it easier for users to find and open apps quickly. In addition, users now have a new ‘App Icon Setting’ for the customization of app icons.
Several Galaxy users are facing the issue after using the Finder feature of the Home Up Good Lock module. Fortunately, the company has confirmed to solve it with the upcoming software update.
However, Samsung has not provided a specific timeline for when this issue will be resolved. Users will need to wait for future software updates and official announcements from Samsung regarding the Finder bug.
