Samsung's recent acquisitions of Viv and Harman provide clues on what the company is planning for its future devices. Samsung's chief of its automotive division just hinted the company would release smartphones with Harman high-end audio technology in 2018.
Acquisitions Reveal Clues To Future Devices
It is never too early to begin work on future generation smartphones, and acquisitions always have a way of providing some clues as to what smartphone makers are working on adding to future devices.
Apple's 2014 acquisition of Beats Music and Beats Electronics for $3 billion paved the way for Apple Music, and the audio technology found in the popular Beats by Dr. Dre accessories brought high-end audio to Apple's iOS and Mac lineup. Most recently, Apple launched Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones that use the same W1 chip found in the company's highly anticipated wireless AirPods, which use a proprietary chip using ultra-low-power Bluetooth that provides long battery life and ability to automatically sync between iOS devices and Macs seamlessly.
Samsung has also provided some clues on what we can expect to see in its future smartphones through recent acquisitions. The company recently purchased Viv, an AI company from the makers of Siri. Reports have claimed that Samsung is planning on replacing its S Voice virtual assistant with an enhanced AI assistant that will be so impressive it will have its own button on the side edge of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S9 And Galaxy Note 9 To Feature Harman High-End Audio In 2018
Samsung most recently acquired Harman for $8 billion in order to gain entry into the automotive market, something Apple and Google are also actively pursuing.
"HARMAN perfectly complements Samsung in terms of technologies, products and solutions, and joining forces is a natural extension of the automotive strategy we have been pursuing for some time," said Oh-Hyun Kwon, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics.
"As a Tier 1 automotive supplier with deep customer relationships, strong brands, leading technology and a recognized portfolio of best-in-class products, HARMAN immediately establishes a strong foundation for Samsung to grow our automotive platform. Dinesh Paliwal is a proven global leader and, in our extensive discussions, we have developed deep respect for him, his strong senior leadership team and HARMAN's talented employees. HARMAN's sustained track record of rapid growth fueled by technology leadership and an unmatched automotive order pipeline reflects its commitment to innovation and customers."
It appears Samsung is also planning to use Harman's high-end audio in future Galaxy smartphones.
"If we are to adopt Harman's high-end audio technology for the Galaxy S series phone, the first model could come in 2018," the chief of Samsung's automotive division, Park Jong-hwan, stated at a press conference.
If Samsung does include Harman audio in next-generation Galaxy smartphones, expect it to debut on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9, which is likely to be announced in 2018.
