▲ Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Research

Samsung Electronics today announced that it has secured a leadership position at the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the world’s largest telecommunications standard development organization.

During the plenary meeting held in Incheon on March 12, Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Research, Samsung Electronics, was elected as Chair of the 3GPP Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network (TSG RAN),¹ which is responsible for standardizing all aspects of wireless technology, such as the physical layer, protocol aspects and radio resource control.

“I believe that my election as chair is further recognition of Samsung’s leadership in mobile communication technology,” said Dr. Kim. “6G standardization involves more than just solving technical issues; it is a collaborative effort requiring participation from all companies and organizations in the mobile communication sector. I will make every effort to successfully lead 3GPP’s TSG RAN and advance the standardization of 6G.”

Since its establishment in 1998, 3GPP has led the development of global mobile communication technology standards with participation from major telecommunications companies and organizations worldwide, including Samsung, Apple, Qualcomm, Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia.

In May 2021, Dr. Kim was elected Chair of Radio Access Network Working Group 1 (RAN WG1), which is the largest working group within 3GPP and responsible for developing physical layer specifications for 3GPP radio access technologies. Over the past four years, Dr. Kim has successfully led the standardization of 5G physical layer technology, significantly contributing to the emergence of the 5G network industry.

Through Dr. Kim’s expanded role as chair of 3GPP TSG RAN starting in May, Samsung will be able to contribute to the standardization of 6G, the next generation of mobile communication technology.

Dr. Kim’s appointment to the chair position of the Technical Specification Group is viewed as a recognition of Samsung’s contributions and technological leadership in the mobile communication industry.

The company currently holds two chair positions in RAN WG1 and SA WG2, as well as four vice-chair positions in RAN WG2, SA WG4, SA WG6 and CT WG3. With Dr. Kim’s election as Chair of TSG RAN, Samsung Electronics will maintain the industry’s highest number of chair positions within 3GPP, even after the RAN WG1 chair term expires, solidifying its pivotal role among over 800 member companies.

The advancement of mobile communication systems is now at a turning point. It must not only enhance transmission speeds but also drive 6G standardization with a focus on new values. 3GPP plans to launch research on 6G in the second half of this year.

6G aims to achieve future-oriented and sustainable advancements in mobile communication technology, including improving the energy efficiency of networks, enhancing network quality using AI and introducing security technologies to prevent attacks originating from quantum computers. At this critical milestone, Dr. Kim’s election as chair by the support from international mobile communication standards experts holds great significance.

Meanwhile, Samsung recently published a 6G White Paper titled, “AI-Native & Sustainable Communication” that outlines the latest trends and future of next-generation mobile communication technologies. It also highlights Samsung’s leadership in 6G research and other key technologies.

With its leadership in next-generation communication technology and Dr. Younsun Kim’s role as Chair of 3GPP, Samsung is expected to lead the standardization of 6G technology and make significant contributions to the advancement of the mobile communication industry overall.

¹ The 3GPP comprises three Technical Specification Groups (TSGs): Radio Access Network (RAN), Service and System Aspects (SA), and Core Network and Terminals (CT). Each TSG consists of 4–6 Working Groups (WGs), for a total of 15 working groups.

Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, has collaborated with Warner Bros. to launch five new FAST channels exclusively on Samsung TV Plus India. These WBTV channels deliver premium storytelling to streaming audiences, meeting the demand for high quality, free entertainment. With a strong focus on Hindi programming, these new FAST channels are designed to engage both regional and urban audiences.

Samsung TV Plus is a free streaming service that comes pre-installed on Samsung Smart TVs, offering a wide range of channels, including news, sports, entertainment, and more.

Kunal Mehta, Head Partnerships and Business Development, Samsung TV Plus India, said “We are thrilled to welcome Warner Bros. Television to Samsung TV Plus. As a leader in FAST, we are committed to bringing top-tier content to our audiences. This partnership expands entertainment choices while delivering even more value and access to our viewers—and opportunities for advertisers.”

Offering a diverse range of premium programming, the channels mentioned below are curated to captivate viewers on Samsung Smart TVs and mobile devices:

• House of Crime: A gripping destination for crime enthusiasts, offering a mix of intense dramas and intriguing investigative series in Hindi.
• Foodie Hub: A haven for culinary adventurers, featuring popular food shows, recipes, and gastronomic journeys, presented in Hindi.
• Wild Flix: A heart-warming gateway to the wonders of the animal kingdom, showcasing captivating insights into zoo life, and awe-inspiring animal rescue stories in Hindi.
• Wheel World: A high-octane destination for automobile enthusiasts, featuring exhilarating car and bike shows, and restoration stories from the best garages, presented in English.
• XXtreme Jobs: An adrenaline-pumping exploration of the world’s most daring professions, unearthing extraordinary workplaces and fearless individuals behind them, presented in Hindi.

Ruchir Jain, Head of Distribution, Warner Bros. Discovery, South Asia, said: “At Warner Bros. Discovery, we are passionate about curating diverse and high-quality entertainment for our audiences. With connected TVs on the rise, we are excited to expand our presence on Samsung TV Plus through these new channels. Our partnership with Samsung TV Plus will enable us to bring our viewers the very best of WBTV.”

The Board approved the appointment, which was recommended by Independent Director and Board Chairman Han-Jo Kim.

The Board cited the current uncertain global business environment and the pressing need for stronger accountability and business stability in approving the recommendation.

• Consolidated Sales: Approximately 73 trillion Korean won
• Consolidated Operating Profit: Approximately 15.8 trillion Korean won

The above estimates are based on K-IFRS. Please note that Korean disclosure regulations do not allow earnings estimates to be offered as a range. To comply with such regulations, the above figures represent the median of the estimate ranges provided below.

• Sales: 72 ~ 74 trillion Korean won
• Operating Profit: 15.7 ~ 15.9 trillion Korean won

※ 2021 2Q and 2020 3Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

• Consolidated Sales: Approximately 66 trillion Korean won

• Consolidated Operating Profit: Approximately 12.3 trillion Korean won

The above estimates are based on K-IFRS. Please note that Korean disclosure regulations do not allow earnings estimates to be offered as a range. To comply with such regulations, the above figures represent the median of the estimate ranges provided below.

• Sales: 65 ~ 67 trillion Korean won

• Operating Profit: 12.2 ~ 12.4 trillion Korean won

※ 2020 2Q and 2019 3Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

• Consolidated Sales: Approximately 52 trillion Korean won
• Consolidated Operating Profit: Approximately 8.1 trillion Korean won

The above estimates are based on K-IFRS. Please note that Korean disclosure regulations do not allow earnings estimates to be offered as a range. To comply with such regulations, the above figures represent the median of the estimate ranges provided below.

• Sales: 51 ~ 53 trillion Korean won
• Operating Profit: 8.0 ~ 8.2 trillion Korean won

Note: The estimates include a one-time gain related to the display business.

※ 2020 1Q and 2019 2Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows

Raju with his son: Learning something new is key

He’s got classes fixed with his teacher for every Friday, and the weekend, and is already getting the hang of the keys and basic notes (c, d, e, f and g… high and low keys) so far. His teacher isn’t someone far away, peering into his life through the laptop, but his 9-year-old son Austin!

“After a hectic day of con-calls and video calls, this helps me unwind,” says Raju. “Through these days, I am learning to learn, unlearn and learn in the new Un-tact society every day.”

Raju and his team are talking to several partners and in-store promoters from different parts of the country every week to understand and listen to how consumers are behaving, especially where stores have opened. He calls them ‘Samsung Warriors’ on the ground.

So what have we learnt about consumers?

– They want contact-less payments. Big jump in credit card/debit card transactions
– They are coming to stores all researched, spending less time, closing orders quickly
– Smaller town consumers are picking larger TVs (43-55 inch), bigger refrigerators (300 litres and above), higher capacity washing machines, and microwaves.

“Even at my home, the ROI on the microwave has shot up over the last 40-odd days with my wife and daughter churning out cakes and muffins,” says Raju. His humble contribution is the finely cut almonds! So that’s one kind of learning.

The other is ensuring skill development and training of thousands of in-store promoters, hundreds of sales staff and also partners on not just our new products but also the new normal, consumer behaviour, and most importantly how to keep themselves and consumers safe at the store floor by maintaining hygiene and social distancing.

Video Conference with ‘Samsung Warriors’

Many of our in-store promoters are getting calls from consumers with their requirements, and several of them are opting for Samsung’s unique strategy of demo on video, remotely.

“There is going to be a whole new way of working going forward. All of us, our team, partners need to be on the same page on that. We have to take care of both our consumers and partners,” he points out.

Even as retail opens up, to ensure consumers get the Samsung products they want, his team rolled out a unique and the true O2O (online to offline) program. In this, consumers can pre-book Samsung products on its official online store Samsung Shop (https://www.samsung.com/in/offer/online/ce-sale/) and get up to 15% cash back. Booked products will be express delivered from the nearest Samsung Authorised Retailer as lockdown restrictions get lifted in different parts of the country. Of course, following all standard operating procedures.

This has two benefits. Consumers get their products faster, and it also helps Samsung’s retail partners.

Looking at the kind of strong demand, the pre-book offer has been extended till May 17.

Of the orders received since the pre-book offers started at the end of April, 37% orders came for refrigerators as summers are peaking. This was followed by demand for TVs (21%) as consumers are watching more content as a family and Samsung Smart TVs come with Personal Computer mode that aid both Work From Home and classroom studies. Microwaves (17%), ACs (12%) and Washing Machines (11%) followed.

“In every crisis lies big opportunity. That is what I believe,” says Raju, indicating how his team has been able to bring partners together for the O2O program.

To keep stress free, Raju practices the Organ as per the class timings (strictly set by Austin). In addition, a few times, the entire consumer electronics leadership team of Samsung has come together to do Yoga on video call, having discovered a few Yoga gurus in the team!

“I picked up a few breathing exercises that I now do every morning in my balcony, staring into the green in front of me, listening to the birds chirping.”

Three Mantras:

• Be a life-long learner
• Challenge status quo
• Listening is magic

Adding to the joyous occasion, these offers further guarantee assured gifts on Samsung consumer durable products such as QLED TV, 4K UHD TV and Convection Microwave Oven coupled with attractive prices and finance offers on Side-by-Side Refrigerators, Frost Free Refrigerators, AddWash Washing Machines, Top Load Washing Machines, and Digital Inverter Air Conditioners, among others. Additionally, up to 15% cash back will be available with Axis Bank, Federal Bank and ICICI Bank debit and credit cards.

During the offer period, consumers purchasing select models of Samsung QLED and 4K UHD TVs will get assured gifts such as Free Galaxy S10 (512GB) worth INR 76,900, Free Galaxy A50s (4GB) worth INR 19,999, Free Galaxy M30 6GB worth INR 16,999, Free Galaxy A10s 2GB worth INR 8499 and Free Samsung U Flex Headphone worth INR 3,799. Along with assured gifts on TV models, consumers can also avail a 30-day free subscription for Zee5.

That’s not all, Samsung with its My Samsung My EMI service enables customer with an option to choose EMI and down payment as per their budget on select Televisions, Refrigerators and Washing Machines. With such unique offers and assured free gifts, consumers this festive season are set to upgrade to a better lifestyle.

Samsung is also providing Flexi EMI Offer allowing customers to avail flexible monthly instalment, basis the screen size they purchase, with 2 years Warranty (1+1 extended warranty on Panel) and Free 10 Year NO Screen Burn IN Warranty on select models purchased between January 1, 2020 and January 31, 2020.

Additionally, on purchase of select models of convection Microwave Oven, consumers will get a free Borosil kit on purchase of 28L & above Convection Microwave Ovens and a 10-year warranty on the ceramic enamel cavity. During this offer period, Samsung is also providing a 2-year warranty on select air conditioner models.

“Samsung believes in meaningful consumer centric innovations. We are committed to bring unparalleled technology for our consumer with unique offers and easy finance schemes. Driving the premiumization trend, we believe the latest offers will enable our consumers to experience nothing short of brilliance in their homes this festive season”, said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.

Samsung’s Diverse Product Line-up:

Samsung QLED and 4K UHD Televisions: Samsung QLED and 4K UHD TVs break new ground for premium TVs and home entertainment, delivering beautiful design that is supported with the most advanced picture quality. The TVs allow the viewers to enjoy brighter and deeper colors. It also allows users to take voice control one step further with the new Bixby feature on One Remote Control.

Samsung Side-by-Side and Frost Free Refrigerators: The Side-by-Side Refrigerators and Frost Free Refrigerators cater to the diverse storage needs of Indian consumers. Samsung refrigerators are a blend of freshness, energy efficiency, even cooling and durability. They are the perfect solution to provide savings on electricity bills, retain uninterrupted cooling and freshness even during power cuts.

Samsung Eco Bubble and Top Load Washing Machines: Samsung Washing Machines, powered by Digital Inverter motors, consume less energy while producing minimal noise and vibration, when the washing machine is running. Samsung’s Eco Bubble technology uses a bubble generator to dissolve detergent into the water and then inject air, producing a rich soapy foam cushion. Some Samsung washing machines come with a powerful Hygiene Steam cycle that improves the cleaning quality of the wash. It releases steam from the bottom of the drum, so every item is thoroughly saturated. This removes engrained dirt and 99.9% of bacteria and inactivates allergens.

Samsung Convection Microwave Ovens: Samsung has revolutionized Indian cooking with innovations in microwave ovens that have been made specifically for India. Consumers can now prepare Masala, Tadka and Sun-dry food, in addition to making Roti/Naan and Curd in the new Microwave range.

Samsung Digital inverter Air Conditioners: Samsung Air Conditioners have been designed carefully keeping in mind the consumers’ needs and expectations, which are faster cooling, less electricity consumption and uncompromised cooling even in hot summers. Convertible Mode, introduced this year, is Samsung’s another technology, which when activated allows consumers to save more energy when they are sitting alone in a room.

For more details on the offers, refer to: https://www.samsung.com/in/offer/regional-festivals-2019/

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.  

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

More than 400 employees were present to commemorate the milestone, together with the Company’s executive team including Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman & CEO of Device Solutions (DS) Division, Hyunsuk Kim, President & CEO of Consumer Electronics (CE) Division, Dongjin Koh, President & CEO of IT & Mobile Communications (IM) Division.

Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, through a video message, extended his gratitude to all Samsung employees for their dedication over the past 50 years and emphasized the Company’s commitment to build upon its legacy and become a Centennial company.

“The past 50 years were only possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of each and every one of you,” said Vice Chairman Lee. “Looking to the next 50 years, let’s free our imaginations and dream of an extraordinary future.”

Underscoring Samsung’s pledge to contribute to the global society through innovative technologies, Vice Chairman Lee said, “Applying our new technologies, let’s build a healthier and happier future. By sharing and growing together we will become the very best in the world.”

Executives and Employees Look Forward to Building a Worthy Legacy

At the anniversary event, executives and employees marked the achievements over the past half-century and pledged to embark on a new journey toward a leading Centennial company.

Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman & CEO of DS Division, shared three key goals towards Samsung’s continued growth in the next chapter of the Company’s life.

“Unpredictable change, driven by material shifts in demographics and consumer behavior, will be a hallmark of the next era of the technology industry,” he noted. “So to ensure our survival in the new era, we must pursue relentless self-innovation. We must never cease to learn, be bold and fearless in our pursuits and execute thoroughly when undertaking all our tasks.”

The second goal reflects the Company’s philosophy of always putting the customer at the heart of its business. “By staying ahead of their needs and expectations and by finding ways to thrive in evolving markets, we can continue to ensure that customers are at the center of our business,” stressed Vice Chairman Kim.

Finally, “Let us all work together to help Samsung continue to evolve into a company that contributes to a better world and stay a respected and beloved company for future generations,” he said. “I ask that all of us not forget our responsibilities as good corporate citizens in the journey.”

Samsung executives and workers around the world have been engaging in volunteer work in recent weeks to give back to their communities, in a more meaningful way to mark the Company’s anniversary and show appreciation. The activities include donation campaigns and education projects for young students.

• Consolidated Sales: Approximately 59 trillion Korean won
• Consolidated Operating Profit: Approximately 10.8 trillion Korean won

The above estimates are based on K-IFRS. Please note that Korean disclosure regulations do not allow earnings estimates to be offered as a range. To comply with such regulations, the above figures represent the median of the estimate ranges provided below.

• Sales:  58 ~ 60 trillion Korean won
• Operating Profit: 10.7 ~ 10.9 trillion Korean won

※  2018 3Q and 2017 4Q consolidated figures based on K-IFRS are as follows