Latest news with #consumer electronics
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Sharaf DG opens its largest outlet in Abu Dhabi
Sharaf DG, the region's leading consumer electronics retailer, has announced the opening of its largest store at Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi. This is its 22nd store in the UAE and 7th in the Abu Dhabi region, joining existing locations at Abu Dhabi Mall, Dalma Mall, Mushrif Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Al Ain Mall and Al Jimi Mall. This strategic expansion reinforces the brand's commitment to making technology accessible and affordable for a large customer base, said Sharaf DG in a statement. Earmarking a significant milestone, it is poised to serve as a premier destination for consumers seeking the latest AI product experience, smart home technology, and electronics alongside DG Help, their end-to-end service solutions arm, operating as an authorised service provider for Apple, Samsung, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Huawei and Nothing at Times Square Center, Al Ain Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall and now Reem Mall, it stated. Speaking at the opening, CEO Nilesh Khalkho said: "The opening of our largest store in Abu Dhabi with an expansive 36,000 sq. ft retail space approximately and 34 brand experience zones is a testament to our dedication to growth, innovation, and customer centricity." "With over 5,000 products represented by more than 350 brands, and an extensive range of appliances and televisions, customers are in for an unmatched shopping experience," he stated. Celebrating over two decades of successful operations, Sharaf DG's journey has been marked by growth and excellence. Over the years, Sharaf DG has celebrated many key milestones such as reaching its millionth customer benchmark and launching the DG Members loyalty program, he added. According to him, the company's first major achievement was opening Dubai's largest electronics store spanning 55,000 sq. ft at Times Square Centre. "Our goal has always been to deliver the best prices, exceptional service and the latest technology products and we are excited to bring this vision to life in one of Abu Dhabi's most prominent shopping destinations," he added.- TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Phone Arena
4 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
HMD, licensee of the Nokia phone brand, is hanging up on the U.S. phone market
On Threads, Wired's Julian Chokkattu shared a statement from HMD that was released a few days ago. The company is known for licensing the Nokia name since 2016 for use on Android smartphones, feature phones, tablets, and accessories. In the statement, HMD says that it is "scaling back" its U.S. operations. Noting that it has a priority to ensure a seamless transition for its customers and business partners, HMD says it will honor warranties, continue to provide service for existing products, and provide full support globally. The company says that the "challenging geopolitical and economic environment" has led it to cut back on its U.S. operations. We assume that these "geopolitical and economic" issues are related to the tariffs that the U.S. is imposing on products being imported into the United States. While the company is using the phrase "scaling back," it seems more likely that this statement marks the end of HMD's business selling phones and other related consumer electronics in the U.S. HMD also mentioned that it deeply values the contributions of its U.S. colleagues who are affected by the company's action and says that it will continue to help support them during the transition. Some of the Nokia phones built by HMD brought back older, popular Nokia feature phones that were big hits before the iPhone took smartphone popularity to a new level. Those included the Nokia 3310 (originally released in 1997 and re-released by HMD in 2017) and the Nokia 8110 (launched in 1996 and re-released in 2018 as the Nokia 8110 4G). The latter was the "Banana phone" used in "The Matrix." The Nokia 3310 re-issue brought back the iconic "Snake game made famous with the original release. The five 12MP cameras on the back of the 2019 Nokia 9 made by HMD. | Image credit-PhoneArena In 2019, HMD brought back the PureView name originally used on the Nokia 808 PureView in 2012. The Nokia 9 PureView had so many issues, we gave it a 4 out of 10. The processor in this 2019 flagship was from 2018; there were issues with the camera software, and the battery quickly ran out of power during a typical day. In January 2024, HMD decided to stop using the Nokia name and sold its new phones under the HMD moniker, which stands for Human Mobile Devices. The Wired's Julian Chokkattu shares HMD's goodbye message to the U.S. on Threads. | Image credit-Threads HMD's licensing agreement with Nokia ends in 2026. Unless another company wants to give the name another shot in the highly competitive smartphone market, it appears that Nokia will soon join BlackBerry as two early leaders in the smartphone industry that couldn't keep up with the changes to the device that were first made by by Apple in 2007. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Samsung is looking into more AI devices - potentially including earrings and necklaces
Samsung is looking into new wearable devices, potentially including earrings and necklaces, amid an industry-wide push to develop new types of AI-powered consumer electronics. AI could enable a new wave of devices that allow users to communicate and get things done more quickly without having to take out a phone, Won-joon Choi, chief operating officer for Samsung's mobile experience division, told CNN this week. For Samsung, these types of new devices could be something you wear around your neck, dangle from your ears or slip on your finger. 'We believe it should be wearable, something that you shouldn't carry, (that) you don't need to carry,' he said. 'So it could be something that you wear, glasses, earrings, watches, rings and sometimes (a) necklace.' Choi's comments underscore the opportunity tech giants see to develop new hardware products around AI, a technology that some say is expected to be as impactful as the internet itself. AI services like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini have moved beyond basic text prompts and are getting better at handling complex tasks. That's led tech giants to look into devices that require less manual input than smartphones, which largely require typing and swiping on screens. That search is already in full swing, starting with smart glasses. Meta has touted its AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses, of which 2 million have been sold since 2023, as a success. The Facebook parent also recently acquired a minority stake in Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica, according to Bloomberg, further indicating the company's interest in AI-powered wearable gadgets. Samsung, Google and Snap are also developing smart glasses, while OpenAI and ex-Apple designer Jony Ive are collaborating on a mysterious new AI device for next year. When CNN asked Choi whether Samsung is actively looking into developing earrings or other smart jewelry, like a pendant or bracelet, Choi said the company is 'looking at all kinds of possibilities.' 'What do you wear? Glasses, earrings… necklaces, watches and rings, something like those,' he said. However, that doesn't mean those possibilities will become products. Samsung and other tech companies routinely develop prototypes and evaluate new technologies internally without bringing them to market. Some tech startups have already unsuccessfully tried to develop new AI gadgets to replace smartphones at certain tasks. The Humane AI Pin, created by a pair of Apple veterans, flopped because of its high price and buggy performance. The company shut down the product and sold parts of itself to computing giant HP in February. Another device called the Rabbit R1 also launched to a lackluster reception last year, although it's undergone significant updates since then. And a startup called Friend created an AI necklace that's meant to be a digital companion, although its launch has been delayed until the third quarter of this year. Samsung's approach, unlike some of these options, will involve a device that's a companion to your phone rather than a standalone product, similar to the company's smartwatches, according to Choi. And the company's upcoming smart glasses, which it hasn't revealed many details about yet, could be just the start. 'We are actively working on glasses, but some people do not want to wear glasses because they change their look,' he said. 'So we are also exploring other types of devices.'
CNN
5 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Samsung is looking into more AI devices - potentially including earrings and necklaces
Samsung is looking into new wearable devices, potentially including earrings and necklaces, amid an industry-wide push to develop new types of AI-powered consumer electronics. AI could enable a new wave of devices that allow users to communicate and get things done more quickly without having to take out a phone, Won-joon Choi, chief operating officer for Samsung's mobile experience division, told CNN this week. For Samsung, these types of new devices could be something you wear around your neck, dangle from your ears or slip on your finger. 'We believe it should be wearable, something that you shouldn't carry, (that) you don't need to carry,' he said. 'So it could be something that you wear, glasses, earrings, watches, rings and sometimes (a) necklace.' Choi's comments underscore the opportunity tech giants see to develop new hardware products around AI, a technology that some say is expected to be as impactful as the internet itself. AI services like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini have moved beyond basic text prompts and are getting better at handling complex tasks. That's led tech giants to look into devices that require less manual input than smartphones, which largely require typing and swiping on screens. That search is already in full swing, starting with smart glasses. Meta has touted its AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses, of which 2 million have been sold since 2023, as a success. The Facebook parent also recently acquired a minority stake in Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica, according to Bloomberg, further indicating the company's interest in AI-powered wearable gadgets. Samsung, Google and Snap are also developing smart glasses, while OpenAI and ex-Apple designer Jony Ive are collaborating on a mysterious new AI device for next year. When CNN asked Choi whether Samsung is actively looking into developing earrings or other smart jewelry, like a pendant or bracelet, Choi said the company is 'looking at all kinds of possibilities.' 'What do you wear? Glasses, earrings… necklaces, watches and rings, something like those,' he said. However, that doesn't mean those possibilities will become products. Samsung and other tech companies routinely develop prototypes and evaluate new technologies internally without bringing them to market. Some tech startups have already unsuccessfully tried to develop new AI gadgets to replace smartphones at certain tasks. The Humane AI Pin, created by a pair of Apple veterans, flopped because of its high price and buggy performance. The company shut down the product and sold parts of itself to computing giant HP in February. Another device called the Rabbit R1 also launched to a lackluster reception last year, although it's undergone significant updates since then. And a startup called Friend created an AI necklace that's meant to be a digital companion, although its launch has been delayed until the third quarter of this year. Samsung's approach, unlike some of these options, will involve a device that's a companion to your phone rather than a standalone product, similar to the company's smartwatches, according to Choi. And the company's upcoming smart glasses, which it hasn't revealed many details about yet, could be just the start. 'We are actively working on glasses, but some people do not want to wear glasses because they change their look,' he said. 'So we are also exploring other types of devices.'
CNN
5 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Samsung is looking into more AI devices - potentially including earrings and necklaces
Samsung is looking into new wearable devices, potentially including earrings and necklaces, amid an industry-wide push to develop new types of AI-powered consumer electronics. AI could enable a new wave of devices that allow users to communicate and get things done more quickly without having to take out a phone, Won-joon Choi, chief operating officer for Samsung's mobile experience division, told CNN this week. For Samsung, these types of new devices could be something you wear around your neck, dangle from your ears or slip on your finger. 'We believe it should be wearable, something that you shouldn't carry, (that) you don't need to carry,' he said. 'So it could be something that you wear, glasses, earrings, watches, rings and sometimes (a) necklace.' Choi's comments underscore the opportunity tech giants see to develop new hardware products around AI, a technology that some say is expected to be as impactful as the internet itself. AI services like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini have moved beyond basic text prompts and are getting better at handling complex tasks. That's led tech giants to look into devices that require less manual input than smartphones, which largely require typing and swiping on screens. That search is already in full swing, starting with smart glasses. Meta has touted its AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses, of which 2 million have been sold since 2023, as a success. The Facebook parent also recently acquired a minority stake in Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica, according to Bloomberg, further indicating the company's interest in AI-powered wearable gadgets. Samsung, Google and Snap are also developing smart glasses, while OpenAI and ex-Apple designer Jony Ive are collaborating on a mysterious new AI device for next year. When CNN asked Choi whether Samsung is actively looking into developing earrings or other smart jewelry, like a pendant or bracelet, Choi said the company is 'looking at all kinds of possibilities.' 'What do you wear? Glasses, earrings… necklaces, watches and rings, something like those,' he said. However, that doesn't mean those possibilities will become products. Samsung and other tech companies routinely develop prototypes and evaluate new technologies internally without bringing them to market. Some tech startups have already unsuccessfully tried to develop new AI gadgets to replace smartphones at certain tasks. The Humane AI Pin, created by a pair of Apple veterans, flopped because of its high price and buggy performance. The company shut down the product and sold parts of itself to computing giant HP in February. Another device called the Rabbit R1 also launched to a lackluster reception last year, although it's undergone significant updates since then. And a startup called Friend created an AI necklace that's meant to be a digital companion, although its launch has been delayed until the third quarter of this year. Samsung's approach, unlike some of these options, will involve a device that's a companion to your phone rather than a standalone product, similar to the company's smartwatches, according to Choi. And the company's upcoming smart glasses, which it hasn't revealed many details about yet, could be just the start. 'We are actively working on glasses, but some people do not want to wear glasses because they change their look,' he said. 'So we are also exploring other types of devices.'
