Samsung feels the pressure, Apple and Verizon prepare for product launches
5 things to know today …
1. Samsung is preparing to cut thousands of jobs, according to a Korean news source. (Update 9/10: Samsung says it is not cutting jobs, but will instead relocate certain employees.) The world’s largest smartphone maker has been losing market share to Apple and to Chinese vendors with lower cost structures. Samsung employs almost 100,000 people at its headquarters in South Korea, and is reportedly planning to eliminate roughly 10% of those jobs, targeting public relations, finance and human resources.
2. Meanwhile reporters have been analyzing Apple’s job postings and have found 86 openings for experts in machine learning. A concentration on artificial intelligence is consistent with Apple’s expected focus on Siri, which is thought to be getting a bigger role in Apple TV. Apple has a new product launch event planned for tomorrow in California.
3. Today could be launch day for Verizon’s streaming video service. The nation’s largest carrier is expected to launch streaming video under the Go90 brand, focusing on live streams and leveraging LTE Multicast. LTE Multicast is a more efficient way to use wireless spectrum when streaming video content. Unfortunately, the iPhone 6 and 6S do not support LTE Multicast, but again Apple is expected to launch new iPhones tomorrow.
4. Amazon may be backing off its ambitions to launch a smartphone, but the online retail giant seems to still be committed to the tablet market. The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon will launch a $50 tablet in time for the holidays. Amazon’s least expensive Kindle e-reader currently retails for $79.
5. And Google continues to push its way into Amazon’s territory. AmazonFresh has started grocery delivery in several cities, and now Google is reportedly getting ready to deliver groceries in two U.S. cities. Google groceries would be a partnership with Whole Foods and Costco, according to Bloomberg. San Francisco and another unnamed city are expected to be the first to get Google groceries.
