Tag Archives: Samsung

Samsung boss charged with bribery, embezzlement

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South Korean prosecutors charged Samsung Group [SARG.UL] chief Jay Y. Lee with bribery and embezzlement on Tuesday as the top conglomerate announced the dismantling of its corporate strategy office, the latest developments in a graft scandal that has rocked the country.

Jay Y. Lee, 48, was arrested on Feb. 17 over his alleged role in the corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye, dealing a fresh blow to the standard-bearer for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

The special prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday, the last day of its investigation, that it had charged Lee, third-generation leader of the tech giant “chaebol”, and four other executives with bribery and embezzlement.

The charges against Lee included pledging bribes to a company and organizations tied to Park’s confidant, Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of the scandal, to cement his control of the smartphones-to-biopharmaceuticals business empire.

“We apologize for the social controversy and distress we have caused,” Samsung Group Executive Vice President Lee June told reporters.

The charges came ahead of a Constitutional Court ruling on whether to uphold parliament’s December impeachment of Park.

That impeachment was triggered by accusations that she colluded with Choi to pressure big businesses, including Samsung, to donate to two foundations set up to back the president’s policy initiatives.

The 65-year-old daughter of a former military strongman has had her powers suspended. The Constitutional Court’s ruling is expected sometime in March.

Should it uphold the impeachment, Park would become the country’s first democratically elected president to be thrown out of office.

While a sitting president cannot be indicted, the special prosecutors nevertheless have classified her as a suspect.

They did not disclose specifics of the charges against Lee or other Samsung executives. Samsung Group, which has denied paying bribes to Park or seeking improper favors from her, declined to comment on the indictment.

Park, Choi and Lee have all denied wrongdoing. Based on the main charges levied against Lee, he could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Lee in December promised to shut Samsung’s corporate strategy office, a key nerve center responsible for major initiatives such as investment in new businesses, amid accusations by politicians that it was a key organ for illicit lobbying efforts.

Composed of around 200 employees hand-picked from various affiliates, the office did not exist as a legal entity but wielded enormous power as the instrument of control for the founding Lee family.

Samsung said the chief executives and boards of the various affiliates such as Samsung Electronics and Samsung C&T Corp would set their own course going forward.

“It is a shock that Samsung completely dismantled the whole office, cutting the link between group affiliates as if it broke up a fleet,” Chung Sun-sup, chief executive of corporate research firm Chaebul.com, said.

“This is a significant change to South Korea’s chaebol management style.”

A Samsung Group spokeswoman said it had not yet decided how the conglomerate would deal with group-level issues such as coordination among affiliates.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters in November that Lee was already moving towards more board-centric management to improve governance. The executive became a board member of Samsung Electronics last year, which the sources said signaled a desire to bring the conglomerate’s management practices up to global standards.

The prosecutors also charged four others at Samsung with offences including bribery and hiding assets overseas – group Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung, President Chang Choong-ki, Samsung Electronics President Park Sang-jin and Executive Vice President Hwang Sung-soo.

Samsung Group said in its subsequent announcement that Choi, Chang and Park had resigned.

Samsung chief Lee is accused of pledging 43 billion won ($38 million) in bribes to a company and organizations backed by President Park’s confidant, Choi, to curry favor and cement his control of the conglomerate.

The funding included sponsorship of the equestrian career of Choi’s daughter. Samsung Group also said on Tuesday that it would leave the Korean Equestrian Federation that it heads.

Special prosecution spokesman Lee Kyu-chul told reporters the case against Park would be handed over to regular prosecutors, while signaling other conglomerates may also become involved in the investigation.

It was not immediately clear when Lee’s trial would begin.

The special prosecutor’s office will deliver a final report on its investigation on March 6.

 

Source: Reuters

Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong arrested in corruption probe.

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Samsung’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong has been arrested for alleged bribery, embezzlement and perjury in connection with the country’s corruption scandal in a big setback for South Korea’s largest conglomerate that could hinder its succession and restructuring plans.

Mr Lee, the 48-year-old vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, is the highest-profile business figure engulfed by the influence-peddling scandal that is poised to topple President Park Geun-hye. The jailing early on Friday of Samsung’s chief — the first such arrest in its 79-year history — could lead to a leadership vacuum at the group and hamper restructuring plans as the third generation of the founding family prepares to take the reins. It could also affect strategic decisions on forthcoming investments and acquisitions.

The arrest also comes as Samsung Electronics, the group’s crown jewel, is scrambling to revive the fortunes of its mobile business following the costly debacle over the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone last year.

Friday’s 5.30am ruling came more than 10 hours after the end of a lengthy court hearing on whether to issue an arrest warrant. The judge rejected prosecutors’ request to arrest Park Sang-jin, the president of Samsung Electronics who was involved in arranging Samsung’s financial support for Ms Park’s shadowy “shaman adviser”, saying he simply followed Mr Lee’s order.

Lex Samsung: arrested development This is unsettling but it will have little impact on success of the group’s products Prosecutors have up to 10 days to determine whether to indict Mr Lee before they wrap up their investigation at the end of this month. He is being held in a single-person cell at the Seoul Detention Center.

Samsung said no decision had been made on whether it would contest his arrest or seek bail. If Mr Lee is indicted, a court ruling should be made within three months. Han Jung-seok, a judge at the Seoul Central District Court, said Mr Lee’s arrest was warranted, given new alleged crimes revealed by a special prosecutor and additional evidence to support the case.

The country’s independent counsel investigating the graft scandal involving Ms Park and her shadowy adviser has accused Mr Lee of bribing them with about Won43bn ($37m) to seek favours to smooth his succession and consolidate control over key group units.

Mr Lee has been leading the Samsung Group, which has about 60 business units, since his father and chairman Lee Kun-hee was hospitalised with a heart attack in 2014. Samsung heir arrested Samsung heir arrested The special prosecutor has also accused him of hiding assets overseas and concealing profits made from illicit business activities.

He has also been accused of lying under oath during a parliamentary hearing about his role in the influence-peddling scandal that led to parliamentary impeachment of Ms Park last December.

Mr Lee has admitted making political donations but denied that they were aimed at getting any business favours in return. His arrest came after he was interrogated by the special prosecutor’s team for more than 15 hours on Monday. He could spend months in jail awaiting trial. “We will do our best to ensure that the truth is revealed in future court proceedings,” Samsung said in a statement.

Mr Lee’s arrest was welcomed by opposition political leaders. “We hope that Mr Lee’s arrest will make Samsung break with its wrongful past and reinvent itself. Furthermore, we hope that this will be a signal for our society to end its deep-rooted bad practices of collusive links between government and businesses and become a fair country,” said a spokesman for Moon Jae-in, a frontrunner in the presidential race to replace Ms Park. Analysis Lee Jae-yong’s arrest casts long shadow over Samsung South Korean group had started the year in optimistic mood after a tough 2016

Mr Lee is widely expected to take control of the Samsung Group, which permeates almost every aspect of South Korean life and accounts for about 20 per cent of the country’s economy. In October, he took a seat on the board of Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest maker of memory chips, display panels and smartphones, to formalise his position after having effective control over the company for years.

The elder Lee was twice convicted of financial crimes during his time leading the sprawling conglomerate but was never imprisoned. On both occasions, the sentences were suspended and his record subsequently expunged by presidential decree.

The special prosecutor has less than two weeks left before wrapping up his investigation into the scandal involving Ms Park unless the investigation period is extended by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn. Ms Park remains in office though stripped of her powers while the constitutional court deliberates her impeachment by parliament.

Reason the Galaxy Note 7 catches fire – Samsung

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The design and production of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s batteries caused the mobile phones to catch fire, the South Korean company said on Monday.

 

“Our investigation, as well as investigations completed by three independent industry organisations, concluded that the batteries were found to be the cause of the Note 7 incidents.

 

“Some 700 engineers examined 200,000 devices and 30,000 batteries during the investigation into the cause of the fires,’’ Samsung said in a statement.

 

Samsung began selling the phone on August 19, but said in October it was discontinuing production following a global recall and multiple reports of some of the devices catching fire.

 

The discontinuation of production was estimated to cost the South Korean tech giant 3.5 trillion won (three billion dollars) in operating profit from the fourth quarter of 2016 through the first quarter of 2017.

 

The 940-dollar device was aimed at the premium end of the market, where it was intended to compete with Apple’s iPhone.

 

Over one million phones were recalled.

 

Following the recall, the U.S. Department of Transportation strengthened an earlier Federal Aviation Administration warning by ordering airline passengers not to bring Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones on planes unless they keep them turned off and don’t charge them during the flight.

Samsung chief Jay Lee quizzed over South Korean corruption scandal

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A South Korean special prosecutor said it had summoned Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee as a suspect in a scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.

Prosecutors have been checking whether Samsung’s support for a business and foundations backed by Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, was connected to a 2015 decision by the National Pension Service to back a controversial merger of two Samsung Group affiliates.

Samsung, South Korea’s largest bunisess group, has acknowledged making contributions to two foundations as well as a consulting firm linked to Choi.

The prosecution summoned two senior Samsung Group officials this week for questioning, though they were classified as witnesses.

At a December parliament hearing, the executive denied that the firm paid bribes to pave the way for the 2015 merger.

Samsung made the biggest contributions of 20 billion won ($17m) to Choi’s foundations, followed by Hyundai, SK, LG and Lotte.

In December, investigators also summoned Kim Jae-youl, chief of the sports marketing unit of Samsung Group, as they look into allegations that the business giant sponsored the president’s jailed friend, Choi, to receive government favours.

Samsung is separately accused of funnelling millions of dollars to Choi to bankroll her daughter’s equestrian training in Germany.

President Park could become South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to leave office early after parliament voted in December to impeach her over the corruption scandal, a decision that must be approved or overturned by the Constitutional Court.

Nokia Sues Apple for Infringing on Patent Rights

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Finland’s Nokia Corp (NOKIA.HE) on Wednesday said it had sued Apple Inc (AAPL.O), accusing the iPhone maker of violating 32 technology patents.

Apple sued Acacia Research Corp (ACTG.O) and Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc [GEGGIM.UL] on Tuesday, accusing them of colluding with Nokia to extract and extort exorbitant revenues unfairly and anti-competitively from Apple.

Nokia’s lawsuits, filed in courts in Dusseldorf, Mannheim and Munich, Germany and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, covered patents for displays, user interfaces, software, antennas, chipsets and video coding.

“Since agreeing on a license covering some patents from the Nokia Technologies portfolio in 2011, Apple has declined subsequent offers made by Nokia.

“Apple also declined to license other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products’’, Nokia said in a statement.

However, Apple and Acacia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

Halloween Costume Mocks Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (SEE PHOTO)

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It is said to be potentially the greatest Halloween costume of the year as it doesn’t just seem extremely thoughtful, but also a mockery to Samsung galaxy note 7.

The costumes shows a “suicide bomber” strapped in quite a number of the galaxy note 7 phones, indicating the ability of the phone to explode. Genius or Petty?

See photo below:

Galaxy Note 7 Users To Sue Samsung

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Hundreds of Galaxy Note 7 smartphone users in South Korea are preparing to file a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics for recalling the device, which is prone to catching fire.

Over 520 people want Samsung to compensate them for psychological harm from using the hazardous phone, the costs and the time they took to exchange their devices, attorney Peter Young-Yeel Ko, head of the Harvest Law Firm said on Monday.

The South Korean tech giant was forced to recall its most advanced phone ever after reports of the handset catching fire spread in early September. The company stopped producing or selling the phone as well.

The costumers complained that as a result of the botched recall, they had to visit mobile shops first to get the battery checked and later change the phone. They spent hours in shops while changing the phone and transferring data, the attorney said.

Kim Chae Yong, who joined the lawsuit, said he spent almost $100 on gas and highway fees to return a Note 7 phone after the first recall.

“I feel betrayed,” he said. “I am angry and I don’t ever want to use it again.”

The company started pre-sales of the smartphone on August 2, but had to start recalling 2.5 million phones on early September.

Samsung’s mobile chief D.J. Koh said at a news conference on September 2 that the company had identified the problem with one of its suppliers and it would shift production to another supplier, without providing names.

“We recognized that we did not correctly identify the issue the first time and remain committed to finding the root cause,” she said. “Our top priority remains the safety of our customers and retrieving 100% of the Galaxy Note 7 devices in the market.”

Struggling to save its credibility, Samsung is now expected to launch its next smartphone, likely to be called the Galaxy S8, in February.

Credit: presstv

Samsung to Compensate Suppliers Hit by Note 7 Crisis

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Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it would compensate suppliers hit by the decision to scrap its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones because of safety fears with exploding batteries.

The South Korean electronics giant announced a week ago that it was discontinuing the Note 7 after a chaotic recall that saw replacement phones also catching fire.

Samsung said the affair would cost the company an estimated $5.3 billion in lost profits over the three-quarters beginning July.

The crisis also hit its numerous suppliers — who produce everything from camera modules to casings — with their losses estimated at up to $1.7 billion.

“We will offer full compensation for remaining inventories of Note 7 components among our suppliers,” the firm said in a statement.

“We feel sorry for causing concern among our suppliers due to discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7…we will complete the compensation quickly to minimize difficulty faced by them,” it said.

The statement provided no specific figures but said the payout would be calculated according to the different suppliers’ inventory volumes.

Given the Samsung Group’s stature within Asia’s fourth-largest economy — it accounts for around 17 percent of GDP — the Note 7 debacle has had a national impact.

The central Bank of Korea said it had taken the crisis into consideration when it trimmed South Korea’s 2017 growth outlook to 2.8 percent last week from its previous 2.9 percent forecast.

More airlines impose Samsung Note 7 ban

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German airline Air Berlin said in a security note on its website that the carriage of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is prohibited on all flights of Air Berlin group.

The Note 7 mobile phones are not allowed to be brought on board immediately since Saturday, a spokesperson of Air Berlin was quoted by German media.

“Safety is always the highest of priorities for Air Berlin,” according to the security note.

The airline has already prohibited the use of the devices on its flights before.

Meanwhile, another German airline Lufthansa also announced to ban Galaxy Note 7 on all flights related to the United States.

According to a Lufthansa spokesperson, the ban would soon possibly apply to all other Lufthansa flights.

Singapore Airlines earlier said it will ban the mobile phones since October 16. U.S. regulators issued an emergency order on Friday that the devices would be banned on all flights since Saturday noon, reports Xinhua.

In Europe, Finnair has banned carrying Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices on all of its flights, reported Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Sunday.

Due to security risks, the airline does not allow passengers to carry Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices on its flights, not only in their checked luggage, but also in their carry-on luggage.

The prohibition also applies to transit passengers from other airlines to Finnair flights. In addition, the airline said that the devices cannot be shipped as air cargo in its flights.

Several cases of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions have been reported since the new products were released in August.

Samsung announced on October 11 to permanently stop its production and sales of the devices globally.

Samsung Flags $5.3 Billion Profit Hit From Note 7 Failure

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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Friday said it expected to take a hit to its operating profit of about $3 billion over the next two quarters due to the discontinuation of its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

The outlook brings to about $5.3 billion the total losses the global smartphone leader has forecast as a result of the overheating issues, after it said on Wednesday it would suffer a $2.3 billion hit to third-quarter profit.

The premium device that was meant to compete with Apple Inc’s latest iPhones at the top end of the smartphone market had to be scrapped earlier this week, less than two months after its launch, due to safety fears.

The South Korean tech giant said in a statement on Friday it expected the blow to profit to be in the mid-3 trillion won over the next two quarters – in the mid-2 trillion won range in the October-December period and about 1 trillion won ($900 million) for the first quarter of 2017.

Samsung shares, which have fallen about 8 percent this week, edged up 0.6 percent as of 0228 GMT on Friday, versus a 0.5 percent gain on the broader market.

To make up for the lost revenue, Samsung said it would expand sales of gadgets like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge phones, and make “significant changes” in its quality assurance processes to improve product safety.

Investors and analysts said that while the company had to move quickly to reassure the market about the potential financial costs, deeper losses from one of the tech industry’s most spectacular product failures could not be ruled out.

Reputational damage remained the great unknown and potentially more harmful than recall costs, with rivals in the cut-throat industry eager to pounce on any sign of weakness in the market leader’s standing among consumers.

“The sales impact on other models remains unclear,” said Kim Sung-soo, a fund manager at LS Asset Management, which owns Samsung Electronics shares.

“The end of the premium model will damage Samsung’s brand, and hurt demand for its other models. It is difficult to measure such impact.”

Samsung posted earnings of $7.2 billion in the second quarter, with mobile profits – its biggest earner – soaring 57 percent.

Read More: reuters

Stop using the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung alerts users.

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Samsung has halted the production of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and advised customers all over the world to stop using the phone.

 

The company had failed to correct a problem that was causing the devices to burst into flames.

 

The tech firm had tried to switch the batteries suppliers and updating the device software.

 

But the replacements had also caught fire after they were issued.

 

Samsung on Tuesday said it is taken the phone off the market, promising customers they would be able to exchange the phone for other devices.

Turn Off Your Galaxy Note 7 Phone NOW, Samsung Tells Users

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Samsung issued an alert to customers on Monday, asking users to immediately turn off their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones — which have been spontaneously catching fire.

The unprecedented move comes one day after Samsung halted production of the dangerously glitchy devices.

In a corporate statement, Samsung said it will also “ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7” while it investigates the cause of the fires.

It also said, “Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device.”

It’s a major setback for the South Korean electronics manufacturer. The company’s stock plunged more than 5% Tuesday morning in Seoul.

Samsung (SSNLF) released the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 7 device in August in anticipation of Apple’s new iPhone 7. But customers immediately started complaining that their phones were catching fire.

The company explained that faulty lithium-ion batteries were overheating the device and causing it to ignite. In early September, Samsung recalled 2.5 million devices worldwide.

Samsung offered replacement phones — but those burst into flames too.

In the past week, an American user reported his replacement phone caught fire, even though it wasn’t plugged in. And on Wednesday, smoke started billowing from a replacement Galaxy Note 7 aboard a Southwest Airline plane before it departed, prompting the flight’s cancellation.

Read More: CNN

Samsung In Hot Water After Galaxy Note 7 Catches Fire On Plane

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A US flight was evacuated prior to takeoff when a passenger’s Galaxy Note 7 — reportedly a replacement in Samsung’s global recall — caught fire, landing the company in new controversy.

Samsung has been struggling with a recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets due to complaints of exploding batteries, a problem the replacement phones are supposed to fix.

 But on Wednesday, a Southwest Airlines flight leaving Louisville, Kentucky was evacuated after a passenger’s new Samsung phone began emitting smoke.

Brian Green, the owner, told tech news website The Verge that the phone was a replacement, which he picked up on September 21. He also provided a picture of its box, which has a black square symbol indicating that it was a replacement. Some 60 percent of US consumers had swapped their devices for replacements by the end of last month.

The Verge reported Green had powered down the phone for takeoff, an account The New York Times confirmed through other eyewitnesses.

Read More:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/samsung-hot-water-new-phone-catches-fire-plane/

Nigeria Bars Use Of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Phone On Board Aircraft

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has banned the use or even the charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones on any airborne aircraft in Nigeria. It will be recalled that Samsung has recalled over 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 devices it manufactured recently citing several reported cases of overheating and outright explosion by users.
“Consequent upon recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, NCAA has directed passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft,” the NCAA said yesterday in a statement by its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye. 
“In addition, these phones must not be stowed away in any checked-in baggage and importantly, all airlines are hereby advised to emphasize the prohibition of this devices on board during passenger briefings by the Cabin Crew,” the statement added. The NCAA urged all those responsible for searching or screening checked-in baggage  to intensify the procedures to identify possible checked-in Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
The  NCAA which regulates the Nigerian aviation sector however appealed to passengers to assist regulators and airlines to ensuring safety and security of air transportation in the country.
According to the NCAA, investigations by Samsung has traced the explosions of the Galaxy Note 7 device problems to charging and the company is limiting battery charging on Galaxy Note 7 devices to prevent inferno.
“The NCAA therefore calls on all passengers and airline operators to ensure total adherence to this directive as safety and security of air transportation is paramount to the us,” the NCAA added.

Credit:

http://sunnewsonline.com/nigeria-bars-use-of-samsung-galaxy-note-7-phone-on-board-aircraft/

Samsung Struggles With Critical Note 7 Recall

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Samsung said Wednesday it was doing its best to push through a challenging recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, as it offered a software fix to jolt users into returning defective devices.

The success of the recall is seen as crucial to Samsung retaining brand trust and loyalty and preventing customers defecting to arch-rival Apple’s new iPhone 7 or cheaper Chinese-made models.

The South Korean electronics giant moved quickly earlier this month to suspend sales of its latest large-screen smartphone and announced a recall of 2.5 million units already sold, after faulty batteries caused some handsets to explode during charging.

Samsung had advised consumers in 10 countries to trade their handsets for temporary replacement phones provided by the firm until it releases new Note 7s.

But many users have snubbed the offer, choosing to wait until the new phones were available, citing the inconvenience of switching devices for an interim period.

And different regulatory practices in different countries — as well as varying reactions from carriers — have caused a degree of customer uncertainty and confusion that is hampering Samsung’s efforts to get the recall behind it as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Read More:

http://guardian.ng/technology/samsung-struggles-with-critical-note-7-recall/

Samsung To Suspend Galaxy Note 7 Sales After Battery Explosions

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Samsung said Friday it would suspend sales of its latest flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7 as reports of exploding batteries threatened to damage the reputation of the South Korean electronics giant.

Samsung — the world’s top maker of smartphones and ordinary mobile phones — will also offer new devices for those who have already bought the large-screen smartphone, its mobile chief said.

“We have received several reports of battery explosion on the Note 7 that was officially launched on August 19…and it has been confirmed that it was a battery cell problem,” Koh Dong-Jin told reporters.

Samsung has so far sold one million units of the Note 7 in countries including South Korea and the US.

So far 24 of them have been confirmed to have faulty batteries, Koh said, adding he was “deeply sorry” over the incident.

Since late last month, several users have posted photos and videos on social media showing the charred Note 7 with part of its 5.7-inch touchscreen burnt and melted, saying it suddenly caught fire.

Growing safety concerns over the Note 7 have forced Samsung to suspend its shipments at home and delay its planned release this month in several European countries including France.

Credit: AFP

Samsung is Spending $13.8 Billion to Beat Apple to the ‘Next Big Thing’

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Samsung hasn’t had the best year financially but it’s not slowing down its spending on R&D. BusinessKorea reports that Samsung spent an astonishing $13.8 billion in research and development in 2014, the single largest R&D investment in the company’s history.

Until recently, many cynics would have argued that Samsung was obviously wasting its money since its only payoff from these kinds of massive investments for a while seemed to be shallow gimmicks such as the Galaxy Gear, the Galaxy Round and the Galaxy Note Edge. However, the Galaxy S6 edge has been turning a lot of heads ever since it was unveiled at Mobile World Congress this year, which may indicate that the company’s big R&D bets are starting to yield tangible results for the first time in a while.

Interestingly, it seems that this increase in R&D spending came at the expense of Samsung’s Advertising Death Star, which BusinessKoreasays saw its budget slashed by nearly 10% year-over-year. More quality products and fewer advertisements sounds like a winning formula to us, although we won’t know for a while whether Samsung has something even better up its sleeve than the Galaxy S6 edge.

Credit: Yahoo