Чистая прибыль Samsung в 3-м квартале увеличилась более чем в 2 раза

Во вторник, 31 октября, корпорация Samsung Electronics опубликовала итоговый финансовый отчёт за 2-й квартал. Чистая прибыль южнокорейского гиганта выросла более чем вдвое, а операционная прибыль снова оказалась рекордной.
В июле-сентябре 2017 года электронное подразделение Samsung Group выручило 62 триллионов вон (55,1 миллиарда долларов), что на 30% больше, чем годом ранее. Чистая прибыль достигла 11,1 триллионов вон ($9,87 миллиардов) против 4,53 триллиона вон прибыли годом ранее.
Операционная прибыль в годовом исчислении подскочила почти втрое и составила 14,53 триллионов вон (12,9 миллиарда долларов), что стало самым высоким результатом в истории корпорации. Во 2-м квартале 2017 года операционная прибыль Samsung также была рекордной на тот момент.
Финансовый подъём Samsung произошёл во многом благодаря полупроводниковому бизнесу, операционная прибыль которого оказалась наибольшей за всё время - 9,96 триллионов вон (8,8 миллиарда долларов). Этому способствовал высокий спрос на чипы (особенно на микросхемы оперативной памяти), который привёл к росту цен на продукцию.
В корпорации ожидают сохранение высокого спроса на полупроводниковые решения в 4-м квартале, поскольку владельцы дата-центров активно обновляют и расширяют свои объекты, а производители мобильных устройств снабжают свои гаджетами двойными камерами, 3D-сенсорами, технологиями искусственного интеллекта и т. п.
В 3-й четверти 2017 года операционная прибыль подразделения Samsung IT and Mobile Communications, отвечающего за разработку и производство смартфонов и планшетных компьютеров, достигла 3,29 триллиона вон (2,9 миллиарда долларов), увеличившись на 100 миллиардов вон относительно аналогичного периода прошлого года, когда телефонный бизнес пострадал из-за прекращения производства флагманского аппарата Galaxy Note 7.
С июля по сентябрь 2017 года Samsung продал 97 миллионов смартфонов против 93 ммллионов тремя месяцами ранее. На долю смартфонов пришлось около 80% от общего числа отгруженных мобильных трубок.
Samsung ожидает, что в 4-м квартале спрос на смартфоны и планшеты будет расти в связи с сезонными факторами, при этом запуск новых продуктов другими производителями усилит конкуренцию в премиум-сегменте.
В рамках финансового отчета Samsung также сообщил, что его капитальные расходы в 2017-м году вырастут до рекордных 46,2 триллионов вон (41,1 миллиарда долларов). В 2016-м они измерялись 25,5 триллионов вон.
Сегодня же корпорация Samsung Electronics объявила об изменениях в руководстве. Президенты Ки Нам Ким (Kinam Kim), Хён-сок Ким (Hyunsuk Kim) и Донг-джинг Ко (DJ Koh) сменили прежних руководителей подразделений Device Solutions, Consumer Electronics и IT & Mobile Communications соответственно.

Samsung Electronics Announces Third Quarter 2017 Results

Registers net profit of KRW 11.19 trillion on sales of KRW 62.05 trillion 3Q consolidated operating profit reaches KRW 14.53 trillion

Samsung Electronics today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017. Samsung’s revenue for the quarter was KRW 62.05 trillion, an increase of KRW 14.23 trillion YoY, while operating profit for the quarter posted a record KRW 14.53 trillion, an increase of KRW 9.33 trillion YoY.
In the third quarter, strong demand for high-performance memory chipsets for servers and flagship mobile devices was a contributing factor to the company’s overall robust performance. The Semiconductor Business registered significant earnings growth both YoY and QoQ, and the System LSI added to the earnings rally through increased sales of DDIs and image sensors. The display panel segment posted an earnings decline despite the expanded sales of flexible OLED panels for premium smartphones. The Mobile Business saw strong shipments thanks to the launch of Galaxy Note 8 and solid sales of the new Galaxy J series, but its earnings declined QoQ due to the higher sales proportion of mass-market smartphones.
The Memory Business achieved strong earnings results for the quarter on the back of high seasonal demand for all memory applications, the trend toward higher density chips and a continuation of favorable supply and demand conditions and prices. For NAND, the launch of flagship smartphones and the expansion of cloud infrastructure drove strong demand. For DRAM, demand for applications used in servers, mobile devices, PCs and game consoles also remained solid.
For the OLED business, an increase in shipments of flexible displays for customers’ new flagship smartphone launches drove an increase in sales. However, QoQ earnings declined due to an increase in start-up costs of the new OLED production line and increased competition within rigid OLED products. For the LCD business, third quarter earnings declined, as an imbalance in supply and demand led to a decrease in the ASP of LCD panels. Further, capacity expansion in the LCD industry continues to impact prices.
The Mobile Business saw smartphone shipments increase on the back of the global roll-out of the newly launched flagship, Galaxy Note 8, and solid performance of the new Galaxy J series. However, overall revenue and earnings decreased QoQ due to the higher sales of mid- to- low tier models.
Samsung’s TV business saw significant improvements in QoQ earnings driven by increased sales of premium products including QLED TVs. However, due to the higher cost of LCD TV panels and weakening demand of the TV market, YoY earnings were modestly lower.
Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, the company anticipates tight supply and demand conditions to continue for the Memory Business due to strong demand for servers and mobile devices. For the Display Panel segment, increased shipments of flexible OLED products and the release of new rigid OLED panels will improve earnings. However, the LCD segment will be met by weak seasonality, coupled with expanded panel supply. For the Mobile Business, the company will try to maintain solid earnings by increasing flagship sales through the global roll out of the Galaxy Note 8. Meanwhile, the Digital Appliances Business expects to continue revenue growth by ramping up sales of new products including washing machines with QuickDriveTM technology and POWERstick PRO vacuum cleaners. The TV business will focus on increasing sales of premium products including QLED and ultra-large screen TVs.
Moving on to business prospects for 2018, the company expects earnings to grow primarily from the component businesses, as conditions in the memory market are likely to remain favorable and the company expects increased sales of flexible OLED panels. For the Memory Business, demand for high-density, high-performance NAND will increase, as the need for larger data capacity in servers and mobile devices grows.
The company expects positive growth in the DRAM market, due to the development of technologies in big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning, in which faster processing and analysis of data are critical. The technological advancement of mobile devices with dual camera, 3D sensors and on-device AI will spur DRAM growth. As for next year’s outlook for the System LSI and Foundry Businesses, Samsung will continue to drive favorable earnings growth by increasing the supply of 10-nano products and image sensors, and will also focus on strengthening the competitiveness in the sub 7-nano process through investment in the EUV-related infrastructure.
In the display segment, Samsung will continue seeking growth by addressing market demand for flexible OLED display panels with differentiated technology, as OLED is set to become a mainstream feature in smartphones. Although global competition in the LCD panel business is expected to intensify in 2018, Samsung will strive to ensure its profitability by solidifying partnerships with key customers and enhancing the lineup of ultra-large size, high resolution, quantum dot and frameless panels.
As for the Mobile Business, Samsung will strengthen its leadership in the high-end market with flagship smartphones and improve profitability through optimizing product lineups. Moreover, the company will strive to secure business growth opportunities through new technologies such as 5G and by strengthening the services and software competencies.
For the consumer electronics business, Samsung will continue to focus on expanding premium product sales and enhancing its B2B businesses.

Semiconductors Deliver Strong Performance

The Semiconductor businesses posted KRW 9.96 trillion in operating profits on consolidated revenue of KRW 19.91 trillion for the quarter.
The Memory Business achieved strong earnings for the quarter due to strong demand from all applications amid solid supply and demand conditions. For NAND, while overall demand remained solid due to the launch of flagship smartphones and the expansion of cloud infrastructure, Samsung actively responded to demand from value-added and high density markets such as datacenter NVMe SSD. For DRAM, the expansion of cloud services and the trend for higher density drove strong demand. The company focused on maximizing profit by satisfying demand for differentiated products such as server DRAM over 64GB and low-power mobile DRAM.
Looking at the fourth quarter prospects for NAND, tight supply conditions are expected to remain for mobile and SSD applications, due to continued strong demand for high-density mobile products and expansion of datacenters, respectively. In response, the company will pursue a more profit-focused product mix. Looking further ahead to 2018, the trend toward high-performance, high-density mobile NAND is forecast to continue while server SSD adoption is expected to accelerate as big data needs rise. In response, Samsung will focus on expanding V-NAND supply while developing and ramping-up 5th generation V-NAND.
As for the fourth quarter DRAM outlook, high seasonal demand for mobile and PC is expected while datacenter expansion continues. Against this backdrop, the company will concentrate on cost competitiveness by expanding 1xnm process migration. Looking to 2018, high demand from datacenter infrastructure expansion is forecast to continue while demand for contents growth in mobile products will rise on the wide-spread adoption of dual camera, 3D sensors and on-device AI offerings. In response, the company will focus on ramping-up 10nm-class products and expanding sales of differentiated products such as HBM, high bandwidth LPDDR4X.
Turning to the System LSI Business, solid earnings were achieved through increased sales of mobile processors for mid- to low-end smartphones and image sensors for smartphones, while flagship phone launches lifted sales of OLED DDIs. Looking ahead, weak seasonality for processors and image sensors is expected to dampen growth in the fourth quarter. For 2018, the company will focus on sustaining growth of mobile processor and OLED DDI sales and increasing sales of image sensors amid greater adoption of dual camera features on smartphones. Further, Samsung will aim to expand its offerings to IoT, VR and automotive applications.
As for the Foundry Business, favorable results were achieved thanks to increased sales of 10-nano mobile products benefiting from stabilized yields and strong seasonality. Increased demand for differentiated products such as 32-nano mobile DDIs and 65-nano image sensors also contributed to earnings. Looking to the fourth quarter, although growth is likely to be limited, the company expects to diversify the 10-nano node from mobile to cryptocurrency mining applications, while diversifying the customer base for new 8-nano offerings. For 2018, Samsung will increase supply of 10-nano products and image sensors through mass production in line S3 and transformation of memory line 11 to foundry, respectively, and strengthening sub 7-nano process competitiveness by investing in EUV-related infrastructures.

Display to Improve on Flexible OLEDs

The Display Panel segment posted a KRW 8.28 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 0.97 trillion in operating profit for the third quarter. Revenues increased due to strong sales of flexible panels. However, total earnings declined driven by increased costs for starting-up new OLED production and decreased ASP for LCD panels.
For the OLED business, an increase in shipments of flexible displays for customers’ new flagship launches drove an increase in sales QoQ. However, QoQ earnings declined due to increased competition within rigid OLED products and startup costs of the new OLED production line.
For the LCD business, third quarter earnings declined, due to a decrease in the ASP of LCD panels. Further, capacity expansion in the LCD industry continues to impact prices.
Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Samsung expects sales in the OLED business to grow based on increased shipments of flexible and rigid products. However, in the LCD business, Samsung continues to expect some supply-demand imbalance due to increased industry capacity as well as decreased seasonal demand. In response, Samsung will seek to ensure profitability through cost reduction and yield improvement, in addition to expanding the portion of high-end, value-add products such as ultra-large size, high resolution and quantum dot panels.
For 2018, Samsung expects OLED products to become mainstream in the smartphone industry, especially as flexible panels increase within high-end devices. The company plans to focus on achieving continuous growth through customers’ demand for flexible displays and through differentiated high-end products. In the LCD business, intensified competition among panel makers as well as capacity expansion within the industry is expected to be balanced with a growing market for premium TV panels, such as UHD and ultra-large sized. In light of these market conditions, Samsung will continue to improve profitability through reinforcing strategic partnerships with major customers, as well as expanding the value-added product lineup.

Mobile Maintains Solid Smartphone Performance

The IT & Mobile Communications Division posted KRW 27.69 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 3.29 trillion in operating profit for the quarter.
Samsung’s smartphone shipment increased on the back of the global roll-out of the newly launched flagship Galaxy Note 8 and solid performance of the new Galaxy J 2017. However, overall revenue and earnings decreased QoQ due to the higher sales portion of mid-to-low tier models.
Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, both smartphone and tablet demands are forecast to increase during the year-end peak season.
Although competition is expected to intensify in the premium segment, the company plans to focus on maintaining solid sales and profit QoQ through increased shipment of flagship models thereby enhancing the product mix.
As for the outlook for 2018, smartphone market growth is expected to recover; however, the difficult business environment is likely to continue due to intensifying competition and higher materials costs.
The company will strive to enhance leadership in the premium segment and to improve profitability through optimizing product lineups. Moreover, the company will aim to secure business growth opportunities through new technologies such as 5G and by strengthening services and software competencies.
Meanwhile, the Networks Business saw decreased sales and profit in Q3 QoQ due to a decline in LTE-related investment from global clients. Looking into the fourth quarter and beyond, the company expects to expand the supply of next generation 5G network solutions in the major advanced markets.

Consumer Electronics to Focus on Premium Products

The Consumer Electronics Division, including the Visual Display and Digital Appliances businesses, posted KRW 11.13 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 0.44 trillion in operating profit for the third quarter.
Despite lower demands from advanced markets, significant improvements in QoQ earnings for Samsung’s Visual Display Business were led by increased sales of premium QLED TVs. However, due to higher cost of LCD TV panels and weakening demand of the TV market, YoY earnings were modestly lower.
In the fourth quarter, Samsung will focus on profitability, by increasing the dominance in the premium QLED and ultra-large TV lineups, as well as reinforcing B2B growth including digital signage and Cinema LED businesses.
Looking ahead to 2018, major sports events, including the World Cup and Winter Olympics, are expected to drive demand for UHD and ultra-large screen TVs. Samsung will reinforce its market leadership in the premium market and further improve profitability by increasing the QLED and ultra-large TV lineups.
In Digital Appliances, investment costs in B2B business resulted in a decrease of YoY earnings, despite a modest increase in overall market demand and strong sales of air conditioners and washing machines in Korea.
New products like washing machines with QuickDriveTM technology and POWERstick vacuum cleaners are expected to drive revenue growth in the fourth quarter.
In 2018, Digital Appliances business looks to improve earnings by increasing shipments of premium products as well as expanding the B2B businesses and increasing online channel sales.

※ Consolidated Sales and Operating Profit by Segment based on K-IFRS (2016~2017 3Q)

Note 1: Sales for each business include intersegment sales
Note 2: CE (Consumer Electronics), IM (IT & Mobile Communications), DS (Device Solutions), DP (Display Panel)
Note 3: Information on annual earnings is stated according to the business divisions as of 2017.

Samsung Electronics Announces New Leadership

Kinam Kim to head the Device Solutions (DS) Division, Hyunsuk Kim the Consumer Electronics (CE) Division, and Dongjin Koh the IT & Mobile Communications (IM) Division

Samsung Electronics today announced its new leadership for the next phase of its growth. Presidents Kinam Kim, Hyunsuk (HS) Kim, and Dongjin (DJ) Koh will succeed Vice Chairman Oh-Hyun Kwon, Presidents Boo-Keun Yoon and Jong-Kyun Shin, respectively, as heads of the DS, CE, and IM Divisions. The Company will maintain the current three co-CEO management structure. All new appointments will be effective immediately.
Mr. Kwon stated, “The next generation of leaders are well suited to accelerate the pace of innovation and address the demands of the connected world. They have proven track records with extensive experience and outstanding expertise in their fields.”

* Kinam Kim joined the Company in 1981 and is an IEEE fellow and renowned authority in semiconductors, having served as the head of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology; CEO of Samsung Display; head of the Memory, System LSI Businesses and until now was responsible for the overall semiconductor business.

* HS Kim is a leading expert in display products, having played a major role in the Company achieving the top position in global TV sales for the 11th consecutive year with numerous display technology breakthroughs.

* DJ Koh has recently delivered solid results in the mobile business, having overseen the development of its flagship Galaxy smartphones with differentiated products and services, based on his vast experience as the previous head of mobile R&D.

In a joint statement, Mr. Yoon and Mr. Shin said that they have made the decision to follow Mr. Kwon’s earlier announcement to resign, making way for new leaders. “It is an honor and a privilege to have been part of the historic rise of Samsung Electronics. We are confident that our successors will keep the Company on its growth path.”
Separately, President Sang-Hoon (SH) Lee will leave his position as CFO, effective immediately. Mr. Lee has been recommended by outside Board members to be Chairman of the Board and succeed Mr. Kwon next March. This would mark the first time that the Company will separate the Chairman of the Board and the CEO roles.
“In this time of transition, I look forward to SH’s insight as CFO to help guide the Board and its new executive members,” said Byung-Ki Lee, an independent director and Chairman of the Governance Committee of the Board. “In addition to overseeing the Company’s finances, SH was also in charge of running its global operations and these experiences will be a tremendous asset to the Board.”

At the next AGM in March 2018, the three new Division heads as well as Mr. Lee will join the Board of Directors. Messrs. Kwon, Yoon and Shin will remain as members of the Board until then.

Samsung планирует увеличть выпуск чипов памяти, укрепив свои лидерские позиции в отрасли

Снижение объёмов производства микросхем DRAM в 2016 году и увеличение спроса со стороны производителей смартфонов и ноутбуков привели к тому, что со второй половины 2016 года конечные цены на оперативную память продолжают неуклонно расти. Тем не менее ситуация скоро может измениться в лучшую сторону. Как сообщают эксперты подразделения DRAMeXchange, являющегося частью аналитической компании TrendForce, лидирующая в отрасли корпорация Samsung Electronics рассматривает возможность расширения своих производственных мощностей. Следовательно, существует вероятность того, что дефицит чипов DRAM может закончиться раньше, чем первоначально предполагалось.
Прибыль крупных поставщиков DRAM значительно увеличилась из-за быстро развивающегося рынка. Например, у Samsung рентабельность продаж составляет 59%, а у компаний SK Hynix и Micron этот показатель составляет 54% и 44% соответственно.
«Средняя контрактная цена популярного на рынке модуля памяти DDR4 объёмом 4Гб выросла с 13 долларов США в конце 2-го квартала 2016 года до нынешних 30,5 долларов в 4-м квартале 2017 года. Это составляет внушительные 130% в течение 6-ти кварталов подряд», — отметил Аврил Ву (Avril Wu), директор по исследованиям DRAMeXchange.
По словам аналитиков, Samsung собирается увеличить производство полупроводниковых пластин приблизительно на 100 тыс. единиц в месяц. Таким образом, общее производство кремниевых пластин вырастет с 390 тыс. штук/месяц в 2017 году до 500 тыс. единиц/месяц в 2018 году. При этом поставки памяти с точки зрения суммарной ёмкости у Samsung возрастут на 23%. Примерно такой же рост сможет показать весь рынок оперативной памяти, тогда как по итогам 2017 года ожидается прирост на 19,5%, говорится в исследовании.
Увеличение производственных возможностей Samsung и дальнейший рост цен повышает барьеры для вхождения на рынок новых игроков, поскольку таким компаниям тяжело осваивать новые технологии и расширять предприятия без большой выручки на рынке. Это указывает на то, что тройка лидеров во главе с Samsung закрепит своё доминирующее положение в отрасли.

TrendForce Says Samsung Could Increase Competition in DRAM Market Next Year by Expanding Its Production Capacity

During the recent two years, limited increase in production capacity and challenges related to technology migration have slowed down the growth of DRAM supply, according to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. Contract prices of DRAM products began to climb in the second half of 2016, particularly driven by the strong demand in the year-end busy season. The DRAM market since then has continued to see surging prices. However, there are reports that Samsung is considering expanding its production capacity to increase competition and raise the barrier for market entry. Thus, there is a possibility that the tight supply for DRAM may end sooner than originally anticipated.
“The average contract price of mainstream 4GB DDR4 PC DRAM modules, for example, has soared from US$13 at the end of second quarter of 2016 to the current US$30.5 in the fourth quarter of 2017,” said Avril Wu, research director of DRAMeXchange. “This represents an increase of 130% over six consecutive quarters.”
Profits of major DRAM suppliers have also expanded significantly on account of the booming market. Currently, the top supplier Samsung has an operating margin of 59%, while operating margins of SK Hynix and Micron are also impressive, respectively at 54% and 44%. The outlook for the fourth quarter of 2017 can be summed up as higher contract prices and higher profits.
With the DRAM market being an oligopoly, the three dominant suppliers theoretically would want to maintain the status quo as to maximize their profits. Nonetheless, SK Hynix and Micron are now flushed with cash after benefiting from several quarters of rising prices, and they are also in a great position to improve their competitiveness. SK Hynix is now transitioning to the 18nm node and will be building its second fab in the Chinese city of Wuxi next year. Meanwhile, with the cash and resources at hand, SK Hynix will be able to proceed with its plans smoothly and on schedule. As for Micron, its rising stock price has given the company an opportunity to pursue capital increase by cash. This signals that Micron is preparing to build new fabs, expand production capacity or upgrade its manufacturing technology. The gains made by SK Hynix and Micron as well as their recent activities are unlikely to have escape Samsung’s notice. Therefore, Samsung may in response expand its DRAM production capacity to main its lead in the market.
Capacity building on the surface is about alleviating the current tight supply situation but the underlying motive behind such a move is to keep prices from going up further. If Samsung chooses this strategy, the short-term effect will be an increase in depreciation cost that will also erode the profitability of its DRAM business. However, Samsung’s ultimate goal to ensure its long-term dominance in the market in terms of having an enormous production capacity and being ahead of its competitors’ technologies by one to two years.
Additionally, China’s memory industry continues to take shape and is expected to enter its formative stage of development in 2018. To forestall Chinese DRAM and NAND Flash makers from catching up significantly, Samsung could raise its production capacities for these products and engage in aggressive pricing. Potential market entrants will not be able to expand their production capacities and improve their technologies on schedule if they are under heavy financial pressure.
DRAMeXchange reports that Samsung is considering raising its DRAM production by altering the plan for its new Pyeongtaek facility and expanding the capacity of its Line 17 fab. A part of the second floor of the Pyeongtaek facility may be set aside for fabricating DRAM wafers rather than NAND Flash wafers as originally intended. It would also be probable that DRAM production at the Pyeongtaek facility will be wholly on the 18nm process. As for Line 17, there is still some space for further capacity expansion.
If Samsung follows through with the aforementioned plans, its DRAM output for the entire 2018 is forecast to increase by 80,000 to 100,000 wafers. Under the same scenario, Samsung’s total DRAM production capacity would also shoot up from 390,000 wafers per month at the end of 2017 to nearly 500,000 wafers per month by the end of 2018. In terms of annual bit supply growth for 2018, DRAMeXchange originally forecast Samsung’s at 18%. However, the annual growth rate for next year could go up to 23% if Samsung carries out capacity expansion.
Taking Samsung’s plans into account, the annual bit supply growth in the global DRAM market for 2018 could reach 22.5%, which is noticeably higher compared with the estimated rate of 19.5% for 2017. This also suggests that the supply gap may be filled next year. Furthermore, SK Hynix and Micron will likely to follow Samsung’s initiative and expand their capacities to maintain their market shares. The activities from the three major suppliers will add new variables into the market.
DRAMeXchange’s latest analysis finds that Samsung’s capacity expansion plans, while could bring relief to the current tight supply situation, are mainly about checking the runaway profit growths of competitors. With supply increasing, profitability of suppliers will return to their usual levels. Furthermore, the NAND Flash market will likely see a milder oversupply situation than initially expected for next year if major memory makers focus more of their investments on DRAM production. In this case, the slide in the average selling price of NAND Flash may also become more moderate. Thus, Samsung’s capacity building could impact DRAM market in 2018, but it might not be negative to the long-term development of the industry as a whole.

Робот-пылесос Samsung POWERbot Star Wars Limited Edition поступил в продажу

Вчера на рынки Южной Кореи и США поступили две модификации роботов-пылесосов серии POWERbot™ VR7000 Star Wars Edition, дизайн которых напоминает облик героев культового фантастического киносериала "Звёздные войны" (Star Wars) - Дарта Вэйдера, а также имперского штурмовика.
Новинки появились в продаже незадолго до старта проката очередной серии киносаги, получившей название "Последний джедай". В разработке роботов-пылесосов участвовали даже фанаты "Звёздных войн", что явилось новаторской идеей Samsung.  
Девайсы отличаются повышенной мощностью (применены технологии CycloneForce и Edge Clean Master), а также более компактными размерами, что позволяет производить уборку в труднодоступных местах. Кроме того, роботы получили достойную интеллектуальную начинку на базе операционной системы TIZEN, что позволяет им выстраивать наиболее рациональный алгоритм перемещения и поведения в различных нестандартных ситуациях (фирменные решения Visionary Mapping™ Plus и FullView Sensor™ 2.0).
Кроме того в течение ближайших месяцев старшую модификацию этого робота-пылесоса, имеющего встроенный модуль Wi-Fi, можно будет интегрировать в единую экосистему Интернета вещей (IoT) Samsung Connect (после обновления программной прошивки "умных вещей" Samsung последнего модельного ряда). Благодаря этому управлять гаджетом можно будет дистанционно с различных смарт-гаджтов вендора: телевизоров, мобильных трубок, холодильников серии Family Hub, часов серии Gear S3 и Gear Sport. Более того, в течение 2018 года ожидается внедрение голосового управления роботами за счёт появления новой версии цифрового интеллектуального помощника Bixby 2.0.  
Впервые модель Samsung POWERbot™ VR7000 была представлена на крупнейшей выставке потребительской электроники CES 2017 в Лас-Вегасе (США), где получила награду за инновации.
Согласно предварительным информационным утечкам, в серии продуктов Star Wars также ожидается выход эксклюзивной версии флагманского смартфона Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition.

See How Star Wars POWERbot™ Vacuums Strike Back on Dirt

The force is strong with this one

Samsung Electronics released the Star Wars Limited Edition POWERbot™  robot vacuum cleaner earlier this month to the US market. To create this sci-fi cleaning appliance, Samsung worked closely with Star Wars enthusiasts during the product planning, design and production stages to ensure authenticity.
The new Star Wars Limited Edition shares the same innovative technology as Samsung’s original robot vacuum POWERbotTM VR7000, but it also packs a host of special features and unique designs that cater to diehard Star Wars fans worldwide. Learn more about the features native to the Star Wars Limited Edition POWERbotTM, as well as its exceptional smart cleaning technologies, to understand the power of the dark side.

Meticulously Realistic Design

What sets the Star Wars Limited Edition POWERbotTM apart from the original VR7000 is the unforgettable design of the two available models. The Darth Vader edition was crafted from premium materials to closely resemble Sith Lord Darth Vader’s all-black mask, while the Stormtrooper version is a near-perfect replica of the white helmets worn by the ground force of the Galactic Empire. Both models stand ready to rid the galaxy of dirt, and hard to reach spaces under sofas and chairs thanks to its slim 97mm height.
In an effort to produce an authentic product that would be accepted as true in the eyes of Star Wars fans worldwide, Samsung collaborated closely with super fans at every step of development, from product planning, design and production, to marketing, and distribution – a first-of-its-kind approach to building and launching a product designed by the fans, for the fans.

May the Voice be with You

Both models not only meticulously resemble their respective imperial characters, they also sound like them too, thanks to voice feedback with real dialogue and sound effects from Star Wars movies.
The Darth Vader model features a myriad of realistic sound bites and effects, including Vader’s infamous breathing sound, a light saber sound effect, and quotes like “You are powerful”. The Stormtrooper is not to be outdone and also features many authentic sounds, including commands such as “Let’s go!” and “Stop that!” And for those who need a little extra motivation to get out of bed in the morning, you can set your robot vacuum cleaner to wake you up to the soothing beats of the Imperial March!
The Automatic Charge function automatically moves a unit that’s low on power back to its docking station and while returning to base to charge battle-weary batteries, the Darth Vader model triumphantly plays the powerful Imperial March, while the Stormtrooper model plays the Star Wars main theme.

Smart and Powerful Cleaning with Darth Vader

Star Wars Limited Edition POWERbotTM features strong functionality from the original version of the VR7000, including its innovative smart cleaning features.
But thanks to its mastery of the dark side, it’s now more powerful with up to 20 times the suction power of the original, which beats most other conventional cleaning units. Controlling the devices is easier than ever too, with intuitively designed operation buttons and a handy remote controller for the Darth Vader edition only.
With the FullView Sensor™ 2.0, your POWERbotTM VR7000 can accurately scan and avoid the smallest of obstacles so corners are no longer an issue. Also built into the clever robot vacuum is the Edge Clean Master, which provides a more efficient way to clean along walls meaning you won’t have to. Additionally, an Auto Shutter automatically activates and drops down to create a barrier that allows for greater dust suction near edges. When the POWERbotTM transitions from hard floors onto carpets or rugs, the unit’s Intelligent Power Control automatically increases its suction power to suck up unwanted dust deeply embedded into your carpet.
Unique to the Darth Vader model only is its Wi-Fi connectivity and accompanying Samsung Connect App that allows you to control your robot vacuum cleaner from a mobile device anywhere with connectivity. With just a touch, you can start or stop your device, check the cleaning history or schedule cleaning times to ensure that your house is clean. Even while you’re away, you remain deeply connected to Darth Vader.
Star Wars Limited Edition POWERbotTM will continue its cleaning invasion on October 30, 2017, when the full suction power of the dark side is released upon Korean homes*. Sales of the unique robot vacuums are set to hit intergalactic homes soon after the initial invasion begins.