Samsung reports a $5.5B operating profit for Q1 2015

Samsung Electronics has released its financial results for Q1 2015 and they mark improved profits quarter-on-quarter despite a sales drop of 11% over Q4 2014. While the Device Solutions (DS) and IT and Mobile (IM) divisions show only marginal decrease in sales, Consumer Electronics (CE) is the black sheep with sales down 28%. The explanation for the low figures in CE is the weak seasonality and the strong dollar which led to decreased demand in Europe and emerging markets. Little improvement is expected on that front in Q2 due to continued exchange rate impact. IT and Mobile reports improved earnings, brought about by lower marketing expenses. Decreased shipments of tablets and feature phones have lead to a slight decline in revenue. Meanwhile, smartphone shipments have increased, fueled largely by mid-to-low-end products. The word "stagnate" is mentioned in the Q2 forecast for smartphone and tablet demand. The semiconductor division is doing well, and is not influenced by seasonality. Increased sales of DRAM and SSD/UFS products are reported. The Q2 forecast is for even better figures, driven by the demand for the recently released Galaxy S6 flagship and SSD data centers. Display Panel subsidiary reports increased shipments of premium OLED products and solid performance on the LCD front despite decreased shipments. The Q2 2015 outlook focuses on OLED shipment expansion and increased sales of LCD TV panels due to China labor day. The new production line however means increased costs...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_reports_a_55b_operating_profit_for_q1_2015-news-12091.php

Nokia N1 to finally escape China, Taiwan gets it first

The Nokia N1 tablet, which was launched back in January this year and was only available in China (where it has been selling like hotcakes), will finally be made available in other markets. The Finnish company (the partthat wasn't sold off to Microsoft) introduced the Android tablet in Taiwan, where it will be available for purchase starting next month, and will set you back TWD 8,190 ($269). The N1 is expected to be made available in other Asian countries, although it isn't yet known when. Also, it is least likely that the slate will be launched all over the world, especially in the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n1_to_be_available_outside_china_taiwan_gets_it_first-news-12090.php

LG G4 pre-orders open up in UK, start at £500

Yesterday the LG G4 finally became official. After a sea of rumors and speculation, the phone was finally announced and today the handset is already up for preorder in the UK. Offers are currently available from various sources, including unlocked-mobiles.com, Clove, Amazon and Expansys. Currently, unlocked-mobiles.com lists 3 color options - two standard - Metallic Gray and Gold for £499.87 and a black leather option for £529.87. The markup for the signature genuine stitched leather back is a mere GBP £30, which definitely sounds like a good deal. We can only hope, that LG intends to mass-produce the leather variants, so they don't become scarce and hard-to-obtain. Clove has also listed a quite reasonable price of £500 for the standard black and gold colors and an even smaller £25 markup for the leather option, so, we assume the prices will be in this range. As far as Amazon and Expansys go, both stores do have listings, but with a price tag of £599.99, which is definitely a stretch and hardly representative of the actual price upon launch. And while we are on the topic of price, the G4 does seem to be cheaper than the current Galaxy S6, although, not by a lot and opting for the leather option evens out the difference. The G4 is, however, significantly cheaper than the S6 edge, which might just give it the necessary market chances. As far as availability goes, unlocked-mobiles.com says May 25, while Amazon and Clove say May 28. If you are considering the LG G4 as your next smartphone, it does looks to be quite reasonably priced, but bear in mind that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset powering the handset doesn't seem to be doing all that well in benchmarks. But if you can live with the lowered performance, the device does look quite impressive. You can read our initial impressions from the G4 in our hands-on form the announcement event and stay tuned for a full-fledged review once the phone lands in our office. Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 | Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g4_preorders_open_up_in_uk_starting_at_about_gbp_500-news-12092.php

T-Mobile launches G4 preview program

T-Mobile has announced a new LG G4 preview program for the US based users to try out the flagship smartphone and share their experiences. The purpose of this program is to let users have a hands-on experience with the G4 before it is available for purchase in the US. Along with that, T-Mobile noted to bring the phablet LG G Stylo LTE and LG Leon LTE smartphones later this year. The LG G Stylo was previously rumored as a stylus-enabled G4 version but later introduced as a mid-range phablet with a stylus. G Stylo features a 5.7" HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC with quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB expandable storage, 13MP rear snapper with OIS and LED flash as well as a 5MP front camera. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop, and has a 3,000 mAh battery along with 4G LTE support. Highlight of this phablet is the capacitive stylus that works in harmony with LG UX. Meanwhile the LG Leon LTE offers 4.5" FWVGA display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC with quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB expandable, 5MP rear camera, VGA front camera, Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and a 1,900 mAh battery. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/tmobile_to_bring_lg_g_stylo_lte_and_leon_lte_by_spring-news-12087.php

LG aims to sell 12 million G4 units

LG unveiled its highly anticipated next generation flagship smartphone the G4 with much fanfare in London and New York simultaneously. The new LG G4 promises significant improvement in three key areas - design, display, and camera. The South Korean manufacturer is tight-lipped about the international price for now and has only confirmed that the smartphone will launch in its home market today. Amidst this excitement, LG shared its ambitious plan of selling about 12 million G4 units across the globe. For that LG will compete closely with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge along with Apple iPhone 6 as well as iPhone 6 Plus models. Samsung has already announced to triple its output for the new Galaxy flagship devices. The genuine leather back with vegetable tanning as well as the new 1/2.6" camera sensor and F/1.8 aperture might just give the G4 a chance to meet its goals. While LG makes arrangements to release G4 in the rest of the world, do check our LG G4 hands-on to get a brief idea about our initial thoughts of this flagship phone. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_plans_to_sell_12_million_g4_units-news-12086.php

Cyanogen ends its ties with Chinese OEM OnePlus

Cyanogen and OnePlus, which have had a rough relationship with each other over the past few months, have finally decided to part ways. According to Cyanogen's chief technology officer Steve Kondik, both companies have different goals for software, and hence the breakup. "Two new companies are trying to do crazy stuff, a lot of people collide." he said. Commenting on the company's partnership with OnePlus, Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster said, "Without Cyanogen, OnePlus would have sold like one device in international markets. Essentially they built their brand on the back of Cyanogen." However, the US-based company, which offers an alternate version of Android free of many restrictions that Google has subtly incorporated, will continue supporting OnePlus phones that run its OS. As for the future roadmap, Cyanogen is now looking to partner with those Chinese companies that have global ambitions. "It's a great way for them to build some identity outside of China using a brand that's already reasonably well known," McMaster...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/cyanogen_parts_ways_with_chinese_oem_oneplus-news-12089.php