China Telecom (NYSE: CHA) has set an ambitious plan to build out a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network across 31 of the country's provinces.
To make this network reality, the service provider has awarded Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)Shanghai Bell, Alcatel-Lucent's flagship company in China, a €100 million (USD125 million) contract.
Completing this 31-city FTTH network is part of the service provider's "Broadband China Fiber Cities" plan, which has set a goal of bringing FTTH coverage to 100 million households and almost 30 million subscribers over the next three years.
For this project, Alcatel-Lucent will supply its 7360 Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) system, a platform that simultaneously supports GPON and EPON technologies.
China Telecom has been clearly one of the most aggressive Asia Pacific-based telcos rolling out FTTH. As of the end of 2011, the telco's FTTH network passed 4.5 million homes in China, with 1.3 customers purchasing FTTH-based services.
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Samsung Galaxy S3 Music Hub takes on Apple iTunes - Daily Telegraph
Daren Tsui, CEO of mSpot, the Samsung subsidiary responsible for streaming the music to the device said: "We believe that today’s mobile market must have an open mobile music system – one that offers all kinds of services across different devices. Music Hub removes all the barriers to your music.”
Although the Music Hub service has been hailed by Samsung as "the first completely integrated, all-in-one mobile music service," it joins a wealth of pre-existing mobile music services including Spotify, Google Play, and Apple's iTunes, iCloud and iTunes match services, which also gives users the option to scan and access their entire home music collection from anywhere in the world for only £21.99 a year. Samsung claims the combination of music locker, store and radio is unique.
Samsung has in the past come under criticism for allegedly copying many of Apple's designs and ideas. The two companies are currently involved in a series of patent infringement cases in various courts across the globe.
Samsung Galaxy S3 takes on iTunes with new Music Hub service - Digital Spy
Samsung Galaxy S3 Launches In UK (PHOTOS) - huffingtonpost.co.uk
Samsung's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S III, has officially launched in the UK - despite some shops reporting that they don't have any in stock.
The Korean company said that the Galaxy S3 had launched on time in 28 countries, including most of Europe and the Middle East.
Samsung said in a press release that by July the Galaxy S3 will have launched in 145 countries - on 296 different mobile networks.
It also promises that users will be able to enjoy the "people-centric philosophy" of the new phone.
Vodafone said it was the most sought-after Android device it had ever offered for pre-order.
"In the two years that we've been offering pre-orders, it's the most pre-ordered Android device we've had in our line-up," said a spokesman for Vodafone UK, according to Reuters.
As well as the normal phone retailers, the S3 is also available at Samsung's two pop-up PIN stores in London, which can be found at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush and Old Spitalfields Market off Bishopsgate Road.
But there are also some delays for UK customers.
According to Pocket-Lint, the Pebble Blue version of the phone will not be available when the device hits the shops.
Another retailer, Clove UK, said that all versions of the phone will be delayed until the start of June.
The 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen phone - which among other delights boasts eye-tracking technology to stop the phone turning off when you're looking at it - has been well reviewed by the press.
The phone is expected to sell well after its predecessor, the Galaxy S2, shifted about 20m units worldwide.
The S2's strong performance helped Samsung close the game on Apple's iPhone - and helped the company sell 44.5m smartphones in the first quarter of this year.
That figure was more than Apple, who sold 35.1m, though Samsung's figure was spread over several devices.
"The Galaxy S3 is a real challenger to the upcoming iPhone," one analyst - Francisco Jeronimo, from IDC - told Reuters news agency.
"This is likely be one of the most sold smartphones this year, though the real test will come when the next iPhone is launched."
Samsung’s new Music Hub wants to be more than an iTunes killer - Venturebeat.com
Samsung has released new details/a> of its forthcoming streaming music service, Music Hub, and it might even turn out to be more than just another iTunes competitor.
The service aims to provide a media service for owners of Samsung’s mobile devices, much in the same way that Apple has done with iTunes on the iPod and iPhone.The service itself would allow Samsung device owners to store their digital music files, gain access to it where ever there’s an available internet connection via the cloud, and purchase new music through an online store.
Music Hub will roll out across Europe Tuesday for owners of the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, and eventually it will add support for devices like the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note. Most likely, the U.S. will be able to get its first taste of Music Hub when the S III hits shelves here in July.
Previously, Samsung largely relied on the Google Play store that is integrated in the Android OS used on most of its mobile devices to entice customers. However, that option closed Samsung off to the possibility of gaining new revenue through media sales, and ultimately growing loyalty among its customers similar to Apple’s customers.
“Samsung is not known for our content services; we make good hardware products but we haven’t done much in the content space but that’s changing,” Samsung SVP of Media Solution Center T.J. Kang said in an interview with Reuters. “We are doing it to create a better experience for our users. There are things we could do better if we have complete control over all of the service.”
Samsung acquired mSpot earlier this month for a reported $8.8 million to further its desire to get into the streaming media business. And aside from its top dollar purchases, part of how Samsung plans to make its own Media/Music Hub service go beyond the iTunes model is by cherry-picking features from other popular services.
Unlike iTunes, Samsung’s Music Hub will give its customers the option of subscribing to a premium version of the service for £/€9.99 per month that gives them virtually unlimited cloud storage space for their media as well as “smart” radio features found on services like Pandora and Last.fm.
It’ll be interesting to see if people actually prefer using Samsung’s new media hub over competing music services (like Pandora, Spotify, MOG, and Rdio) and digital media stores (Google Play, Amazon) — all of which have a pre-established base of users that currently have no reason to start using something new. (Of course, I won’t really be able to make a fair assessment until Samsung launches its Music Hub service in the U.S.)
Image via Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S3 gets head start on iPhone - Edmonton Sun
SEOUL/LONDON - Samsung Electronics launched its top-of-the-range Galaxy S3 smartphone in Europe on Tuesday, aiming to outsell its previous model that helped the South Korean company topple Apple as the world's largest smartphone maker.
The Galaxy S3, which tracks the user's eye movements to keep the screen from dimming or turning off while in use, hits stores in 28 European and Middle East countries, including Germany, as Samsung aims to increase its lead over Apple months ahead of its new iPhone, expected in the third quarter.
Samsung has tried to create the kind of frenzy around the launch that has become the norm for Apple's new gadgets. But some customers will have to wait a couple of weeks to get their phone because of delays in making it in a newly-invented "Pebble Blue" color.
In Berlin, about 50 customers queued outside the BASE mobile phone shop on Monday night eager to be the first to lay their hands on the S3.
Also in Frankfurt some 100 people were in the queue this morning when the Deutsche Telekom shop on the city's busiest shopping street The Zeil opened.
"That's about the same as when the latest iPhone went on sale," said 21-year old Steven Barth, who was taking orders at the shop. "I think our publicity campaign also helps. We are giving away about a hundred Galaxys today, in this shop."
Robert, a student from Frankfurt, who declined to give his last name as he should have been studying, said he had already ordered his Galaxy S3.
"I didn't really like it when Apple was selling the iPhone only via Deutsche Telekom. That's when I decided to buy a Samsung and never left," the 28-year old said.
Other Frankfurt cellphone stores were not so busy.
And in Paris, several cellphone stores did not have the S3 and sales assistants said they did not know when they would get it.
"Consumers have been waiting for the Galaxy S3. It's one of the few emblematic smartphone launches this year," said Laurent Lame, marketing director of devices for French operator SFR.
He said Samsung was aiming for a similar buzz as with iPhone launches.
"Samsung has closely guarded the details of the phone to create a sense of secrets and confidentiality that then makes the launch into an event. They do 'teasing' like Apple does now," Lame said.
A spokesman for Vodafone in Britain said the device had been the most pre-ordered Android device in its line-up ever.
MASSIVE MARKETING
The smartphone, running on Google's Android operating system, boasts a 4.8-inch screen, one of the largest on smartphones ever, and much bigger than the 3.5-inch display on the iPhone 4S.
Top global carriers - from Britain's Vodafone to Singapore's SingTel - have started to promote the S3 aggressively, fuelling speculation the smartphone could top its predecessor, the Galaxy S2's 20 million sales worldwide.
Samsung itself has said it expects the new flagship model to outsell its predecessor.
Samsung introduced its first Galaxy in 2010, three years after the iPhone's debut, to counter Apple's roaring success in smartphones when the troubles of bigger rivals Nokia and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion had started.
Samsung sold 44.5 million smartphones in January-March - equal to nearly 21,000 every hour - giving it 30.6% market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, taking 24.1% market share.
"The Galaxy S3 is a real challenger to the upcoming iPhone," said Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC analyst based in London. "This is likely be one of the most sold smartphones this year, though the real test will come when the next iPhone is launched."
In the race for global smartphone supremacy, Apple has accused Samsung of copying some of its products. The South Korean company counter-claims that Apple has infringed its patents. Both have denied the allegations, and a long-running court saga continues.
Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next iPhone, according to people familiar with the situation. The current iPhone 4S model was introduced last October.
Samsung has launched its own music service on the Galaxy S3, putting itself head-to-head with Apple. It has previously rebranded existing music and video services.
"Samsung is not known for our content services; we make good hardware products but we haven't done much in the content space but that's changing," T.J. Kang, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics' Media Solution Center, said.
"We are doing it to create a better experience for our users. There are things we could do better if we have complete control over all of the service."
MORE ROUNDED
In a departure from its predecessor, whose look and feel became the main subject of the legal dispute with Apple, the latest Galaxy has a more rounded outline. It also has voice recognition, dubbed S Voice, which will inevitably be compared with Apple's Siri, and image recognition software that can tag and share photographs.
Prices vary depending on the contract. A model with 16 gigabytes of memory costs up to 189 pounds ($303) under a 12-month contract with Vodafone. A similar package for the iPhone 4s costs 159 pounds, but comes with a more expensive monthly data plan.
Samsung said it will release the S3 via 296 carriers in 145 countries by July.
Profit from Samsung's mobile division nearly tripled in January-March to $3.6 billion US, accounting for 73% of operating profit.
Analysts estimate its global marketing campaign for the S3 will likely have cost several hundred million dollars.
Samsung - whose shares have gained 82% since late-August, beating Apple's 58% rise - is now banking on an aggressive marketing campaign ahead of the summer London Olympics to further drive sales. It has said its mobile market share in China doubled after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"The S3 is supported by an unprecedented promotional campaign," said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight in London. "Samsung's timing with the Galaxy S3 is perfect."
(Additional reporting by Fabrizio Bensch in Berlin, Leila Abboud in Paris, Harro ten Wolde in Frankfurt and Tarmo Virki in Heslinki; Editing by Ian Geoghegan, Erica Billingham and Jane Merriman)
Samsung Galaxy S3 boosts secondhand phone sales - Daily Telegraph
Fred Huet, founder of Greenwich Consulting said of the device: “The mobile industry and consumers alike have been crying out for a genuine challenger to the iPhone, and while Nokia and several others have given it a good go, they have ultimately failed. Samsung appears to be the strongest contender, as it combines excellence in hardware with the ever-popular Android OS.
Samsung Galaxy S3 gets head start on rival iPhone - Yahoo Finance
By Miyoung Kim and Paul Sandle
SEOUL/LONDON (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics launched its top-of-the-range Galaxy S3 smartphone in Europe on Tuesday, aiming to outsell its previous model that helped the South Korean company topple Apple as the world's largest smartphone maker.
The Galaxy S3, which tracks the user's eye movements to keep the screen from dimming or turning off while in use, hits stores in 28 European and Middle East countries, including Germany, as Samsung aims to increase its lead over Apple months ahead of its new iPhone, expected in the third quarter.
Samsung has tried to create the kind of frenzy around the launch that has become the norm for Apple's new gadgets. But some customers will have to wait a couple of weeks to get their phone because of delays in making it in a newly-invented "Pebble Blue" color.
In Berlin, about 50 customers queued outside the BASE mobile phone shop on Monday night eager to be the first to lay their hands on the S3.
Also in Frankfurt some 100 people were in the queue this morning when the Deutsche Telekom shop on the city's busiest shopping street The Zeil opened.
"That's about the same as when the latest iPhone went on sale," said 21-year old Steven Barth, who was taking orders at the shop. "I think our publicity campaign also helps. We are giving away about a hundred Galaxys today, in this shop."
Robert, a student from Frankfurt, who declined to give his last name as he should have been studying, said he had already ordered his Galaxy S3.
"I didn't really like it when Apple was selling the iPhone only via Deutsche Telekom. That's when I decided to buy a Samsung and never left," the 28-year old said.
Other Frankfurt cellphone stores were not so busy.
And in Paris, several cellphone stores did not have the S3 and sales assistants said they did not know when they would get it.
"Consumers have been waiting for the Galaxy S3. It's one of the few emblematic smartphone launches this year," said Laurent Lame, marketing director of devices for French operator SFR.
He said Samsung was aiming for a similar buzz as with iPhone launches.
"Samsung has closely guarded the details of the phone to create a sense of secrets and confidentiality that then makes the launch into an event. They do 'teasing' like Apple does now," Lame said.
A spokesman for Vodafone in Britain said the device had been the most pre-ordered Android device in its line-up ever.
MASSIVE MARKETING
The smartphone, running on Google's Android operating system, boasts a 4.8-inch screen, one of the largest on smartphones ever, and much bigger than the 3.5-inch display on the iPhone 4S.
Top global carriers - from Britain's Vodafone to Singapore's SingTel - have started to promote the S3 aggressively, fuelling speculation the smartphone could top its predecessor, the Galaxy S2's 20 million sales worldwide.
Samsung itself has said it expects the new flagship model to outsell its predecessor.
Samsung introduced its first Galaxy in 2010, three years after the iPhone's debut, to counter Apple's roaring success in smartphones when the troubles of bigger rivals Nokia and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion had started.
Samsung sold 44.5 million smartphones in January-March - equal to nearly 21,000 every hour - giving it 30.6 percent market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, taking 24.1 percent market share.
"The Galaxy S3 is a real challenger to the upcoming iPhone," said Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC analyst based in London. "This is likely be one of the most sold smartphones this year, though the real test will come when the next iPhone is launched."
In the race for global smartphone supremacy, Apple has accused Samsung of copying some of its products. The South Korean company counter-claims that Apple has infringed its patents. Both have denied the allegations, and a long-running court saga continues.
Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next iPhone, according to people familiar with the situation. The current iPhone 4S model was introduced last October.
Samsung has launched its own music service on the Galaxy S3, putting itself head-to-head with Apple. It has previously rebranded existing music and video services.
"Samsung is not known for our content services; we make good hardware products but we haven't done much in the content space but that's changing," T.J. Kang, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics' Media Solution Center, said.
"We are doing it to create a better experience for our users. There are things we could do better if we have complete control over all of the service."
MORE ROUNDED
In a departure from its predecessor, whose look and feel became the main subject of the legal dispute with Apple, the latest Galaxy has a more rounded outline. It also has voice recognition, dubbed S Voice, which will inevitably be compared with Apple's Siri, and image recognition software that can tag and share photographs.
Prices vary depending on the contract. A model with 16 gigabytes of memory costs up to 189 pounds ($300) under a 12-month contract with Vodafone. A similar package for the iPhone 4s costs 159 pounds, but comes with a more expensive monthly data plan.
Samsung said it will release the S3 via 296 carriers in 145 countries by July.
Profit from Samsung's mobile division nearly tripled in January-March to $3.6 billion, accounting for 73 percent of operating profit.
Analysts estimate its global marketing campaign for the S3 will likely have cost several hundred million dollars.
Samsung - whose shares have gained 82 percent since late-August, beating Apple's 58 percent rise - is now banking on an aggressive marketing campaign ahead of the summer London Olympics to further drive sales. It has said its mobile market share in China doubled after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"The S3 is supported by an unprecedented promotional campaign," said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight in London. "Samsung's timing with the Galaxy S3 is perfect."
($1 = 0.6396 British pounds)
($1 = 1185.3500 Korean won)
(Additional reporting by Fabrizio Bensch in BERLIN, Leila Abboud in PARIS, Harro ten Wolde in FRANKFURT and Tarmo Virki in HELSINKI; Editing by Ian Geoghegan, Erica Billingham and Jane Merriman)
(This story was refiled to remove extraneous apostrophe in paragraph six)
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