Samsung ships its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs to Korea on July 6th

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If you're one of the lucky 100-plus Koreans who pre-ordered one of Samsung's F9000-series 4K TVs this June, you'll be glad to know that you're getting your reward very soon. The company has just announced that both the 55- and 65-inch F9000 sets should ship to Korea on July 6th. As before, the series is a more affordable yet functionally similar alternative to Samsung's 85-inch behemoth -- customers get the Ultra HD screen resolution and Evolution Kit support at relatively modest prices of 6.4 million won ($5,670) for the 55-inch TV and 8.9 million won ($7,913) for its 65-inch cousin. We're still twiddling our thumbs waiting for a launch on this side of the Pacific, but those who need something to tide themselves over can read Samsung's translated press release after the break.

German retailer puts Samsung ATIV Q up for pre-order, suggests it'll cost €1,599

Samsung released a plethora of shiny new products at its Premiere 2013 event last month, but the company didn't exactly dive into too many pricing and availability specifics. One of these novel devices was the ATIV Q, a 13.3-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 slider that runs both Windows 8 and Android (4.2). Now, if German retailer ARLT Computer is to be believed, Samsung's intriguing machine could come with a hefty €1,599 price tag in Europe -- a figure the company hasn't confirmed yet. Furthermore, the listing on the pre-order page suggests the ATIV Q could go on sale as early as July 8th, though according to Notebook Italia, the outfit has said the dual-OS device won't be available until sometime in August. Either way, it won't be too long before it hits shelves, so it looks like you may need to break that piggy bank soon enough.

Smart TV manufacturers subjected to 'coercive sales tactics' by Google, says ETNews

Smart TV providers who wish to use HTML5 for their streaming ecosystems have been running into a wall with YouTube, according to Korea's ETNews. It said Google has insisted TV makers place the app on their systems' main page and pass a Smart TV "browser conformity test" at its US headquarters, too. As a result, companies like Samsung have had to wait up to three months for YouTube certification. A key part of this allegation is that that TV makers who opted for Mountain View's Android-based Google TV instead of HTML5 wouldn't face such problems, but meanwhile, we've contacted Google for its take on the matter.

Samsung lures former BlackBerry UK chief for EU business unit

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When Rob Orr left his role as BlackBerry's UK and Ireland chief earlier this month, we knew it wouldn't be long before another company sought out his skills. Turns out, his final destination has been Samsung, where the seven-year RIM veteran will take up a vice presidential role in the Korean giant's business-to-business telecoms operation. There's an official release from Samsung after the break, but we'd have preferred it if Orr had posted something amusing to his Linkedin.

Samsung Appoints new European Telecommunications Vice President
Jun 25, 2013 (Menafn - M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) --Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and convergence technologies, today announced the appointment of Rob Orr as Vice President of Business to Business (B2B) for Samsung European Telecommunications Operations (ETO).
In his new role, Rob will be responsible for leading the relationships with the European Telecommunications Operators to drive the growth of Samsung's B2B mobile business across 17 subsidiaries and 42 countries. He will work closely with the European B2B Vice President, Andrew Mills, to develop innovative solutions and services for Samsung's business customers and partners which integrate mobility solutions within the full portfolio of Samsung's offerings. Rob will also work closely with ETO's current Vice President, Jean-Daniel Ayme, to focus on building Samsung's successful consumer mobile business.
Rob has a proven track record in developing new markets and revenue for products, software and services in the smartphone and mobile application space. For the past seven years Rob was at Blackberry, most recently as Managing Director, Blackberry UK and Ireland. Prior to Blackberry Rob also held senior B2B product convergence roles at BT and Vodafone.
Young Lee, President of ETO said: "As enterprises address the strategic imperative of mobilizing businesses processes and securing information assets, Samsung is uniquely able to offer a full range of secure, integrated and cost effective mobility solutions to accelerate the required business transformation. With his track record at Blackberry, Rob will be pivotal in driving the development of Samsung's B2B mobile business.
Rob Orr said: "Samsung has been at the forefront of innovation, leading the global market to push the limits of technology. I am looking forward to joining Samsung at this exciting and important time in its next phase of growth."

Sprint launching Samsung ATIV S Neo with unlimited LTE for $150 after rebate this summer

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There may not be too many mobile-focused surprises at Microsoft Build, as Sprint has just let slip its two biggest pieces of news. In addition to HTC's 8XT, the company will carry Samsung's latest Windows Phone 8 handset, the ATIV S Neo at some point in the near future. The ATIV S followup comes with a 4.8-inch HD display, a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and a 2,000mAh battery, as well as unspecified WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth features. There's no word about on-board storage, but the release specifically mentions a microSD card slot, so we'd assume you can add either 32 or 64GB more storage to the unit.
On the imaging front, there's an 8-megapixel primary camera with an LED flash, as well as a 1.9-megapixel front-facing lens with "Manga Camera" and "Beauty Shot" apps to transform your selfies and smooth away those wrinkles. The phone will also have "international roaming," meaning that owners won't suffer the pain of traveling to CDMA-phobic parts of the world like Europe. Dan Hesse's big Yellow Network isn't talking about a release date beyond "summer," but when this handset does make it to stores, it'll set you back $149.99 with a two-year, unlimited LTE deal after the customary $50 mail-in rebate.

Hide Press Release

Sprint Plans Summer Launches for First Two Windows Phone 8 Smartphones to Feature Truly Unlimited 4G LTE: HTC 8XT and Samsung ATIV S Neo
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE: S) and Microsoft Corp. today outlined plans to launch the first two Windows Phone 8 smartphones to offer Truly UnlimitedSM Sprint 4G LTE this summer – HTC® 8XT and Samsung ATIV S™ Neo. Customers will appreciate access to the advanced features and capabilities of these devices with the benefit of unlimited 4G LTE (available in select markets) data, text and calling to any mobile with no metering, no throttling, and no overages, all while on the Sprint network.
TC 8XT will be available for $99.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1. ATIV S Neo will be priced at $149.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1. Exact availability dates and full feature lists for both smartphones will be shared at a later date. Customers can preregister for more information and email updates about Windows Phone 8 from Sprint and HTC 8XT and ATIV S Neo at www.sprint.com/windows8.
"We know our customers are anxious to get their hands on these Windows Phone 8 smartphones, HTC 8XT and ATIV S Neo," said Fared Adib, senior vice president-Product Development, Sprint. "Without a doubt, they will rival any smartphone on the market today. Our customers will appreciate being able to use them all day, every day without worrying about overages or data caps."
Windows Phone 8 won the PC Magazine Readers' Choice Award for best mobile operating system in March 2013. The only phone with Live Tiles, Windows Phone 8 offers a truly personal smartphone experience designed to keep customers connected to the people and things that matter most. Windows Phone brings together the best of Microsoft with the same modern look and feel, including Bing, Office, Xbox and Skype, for a rich customer experience. In addition, the Windows Phone Store includes more than 160,000 apps to choose from, with hundreds added daily.
"We are excited to be bringing the most personal smartphone experience to Sprint customers this summer," said Terry Myerson, corporate vice president, Microsoft Windows Phone Division. "With compelling hardware from HTC and Samsung, coupled with unlimited 4G LTE from Sprint, these Windows Phones will offer the complete package."
Advanced Features from Samsung
ATIV S Neo will offer a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, microSD memory card slot, international roaming, 4.8-inch high-definition display, Wi-Fi and 2,000mAh lithium-ion removable battery. Sharing is easier than ever with ATIV S Neo featuring ATIV Beam using near field communication (NFC) to share photos, music and video with other Windows Phone 8 and select Android™ devices. ATIV S Neo includes the Samsung exclusive Now feature, which highlights top news, weather and relevant information at a single glance.
"Samsung is committed to offering smartphones across a variety of platforms and the rich Windows Phone 8 experience on the ATIV S Neo is a testament to this effort," said Kevin Packingham, Samsung Mobile chief product officer. "The ATIV S Neo makes it easy to stay in-the-know while connecting with friends, family and colleagues, through new sharing features and powerful productivity applications."
Having ATIV S Neo in your pocket means users can do more with their smartphone camera. It will offer an 8-megapixel main camera with LED flash and a front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera for video chat. It will include a variety of camera apps preloaded, including the Beauty Shot mode for smoother looking skin in headshots, Manga Camera to give pictures a fun twist by turning friends and family into cartoons, and built-in Photo Editor that allows the user to edit, color, effect, decorate or share their pictures quickly and easily.
These smartphones also make it easy for customers to stay productive with Office Mobile for Windows Phone. With Office Mobile, people can access, view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from anywhere. Plus, customers can count on Office Mobile to keep content and formatting intact so documents still looks great when back on a PC, Windows tablet or Mac.
Microsoft Office 365 offered by Sprint is available for small and mid-sized businesses. It includes Sprint's unique Carefree Cloud migration and onboarding assistance, end-user level support, predictable monthly costs with no up-front infrastructure expenses, pay-as-you-go plans, savings by bundling all of the necessary tools and advanced options to simplify management further, all with a single bill and single point of contact. Sprint recently announced expanded plans available with Office 365, including enhanced audio conferencing and availability at select Sprint retail stores.
Sprint offers 4G LTE in top summer destinations like Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sprint offers 4G LTE service in 110 markets nationwide and expects to provide 200 million people with LTE by the end of 2013.
For the most up-to-date details on Sprint's 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, visit www.sprint.com/network.

Samsung ATIV Q and its Intel Core i5-4200U flex muscles on the AnTuTu benchmark

Samsung announced its ATIV Q convertible notebook capable of dual-booting Windows 8 and Android thanks to its 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U CPU. The new generation Intel Haswell CPUs are impressive on paper, but how would ATIV Q’s processor fare on the Android AnTuTu benchmark?

Thankfully, ePrice have asked the same question and have put the Intel Core i5 chip through the AnTuTu hoops to find out. Moreover, this is the first time ever that a Haswell chip has been benchmarked on the Android mobile operating system.
The results are simply breathtaking – the Intel Core i5-4200U running at 1.6GHz scored 54861 points. To give you some perspective the leaked Samsung Galaxy S4 with LTE and its 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 under the hood scored just 24179.

Nevertheless, the result of the Core i5-4200U is impressive whichever way you look at it. Even more so, when you consider the 3200 x 1800 pixels that the display of the ATIV Q is pushing.

The After Math: Samsung's big Premiere and Instagram's video debut

Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages.
This week's been arguably less hectic than the last, but both Samsung and Facebook decided to up the tempo on Thursday. The Korean hardware maker announced a stack of new hardware, from tablets to cameras to desktop PCs, while Facebook's Instagram went toe to toe with Twitter's Vine, announcing a new video-sharing feature. On the very same day, Tesla had something to show, deftly switching batteries on its Model S faster than you'd be able to fill a gas tank. There were, however, six other days to the week, and we've pored over all of them for this week's numeros.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 revisits the FCC with AT&T-native LTE Mobile

Yes, we've seen Samsung's Galaxy Mega 6.3 at the FCC before. With its second visit, however, there's something special. The extra-large phone is back as the SGH-i527, and it's carrying AT&T-native LTE that hints at a probable US carrier deal. There aren't any other visible changes in the filing, although we weren't expecting any. The real question is when this behemoth will ship to the States, assuming it ships at all -- for now, any possible AT&T launch remains shrouded in mystery.