back to article Bite us, Apple: Samsung hauled in $8.3bn in Q4

Samsung Electronics has released its pre-earnings guidance ahead of revealing its full figures for 2012, and the topline figures for the quarter show that money has been pouring in for the South Korean tech titans. Sales for the last three months of 2012 brought in approximately 56 trillion won ($52.7bn) for Samsung with an …

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  1. Matt Bucknall

    Giving away Tab 2s with everything probably helped. I took the bait.

    1. Peter 48

      red herring

      that may have appeared as an incentive on paper, but it was actually poor value, as it required you to trade in a phone that actually had a greater resale value in the second hand market. Plus giving away devices doesn't normally boost your profits, so either way that wouldn't have worked.

      1. Matt Bucknall

        Re: red herring

        I didn't have to trade in anything. Bought a new camera from Amazon, got a Tab 2.0 with it for free + £50 cash back. Looks okay on paper to me.

        1. David Ward 1

          Re: red herring

          While good on paper for you, I am missing how that increases Samsung’s profits

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: red herring

          If they can afford to 'give' you a Tab 2.0 and £50 cash back either the camera was seriously overpriced or they are desperate to buy sales at any cost.

          1. Matt Bucknall

            Re: red herring

            Well of course it was overpriced - That's how retail works! You think I don't know that a camera I pay £400 for costs bugger all for Samsung to manufacture?

            There is barely anything inside a tablet computer. In the quantity Samsung makes stuff, the mark up they put on wholesale would cover the production cost of a 7" tablet several times over.

            Televisions, phones, tablets and cameras are all essentially the same thing in different form factors these days and are becoming better at inter-operating. Samsung giving away tablets with purchases of other Samsung gear both makes it more likely that a consumer would chose a Samsung product over some other make - Especially at Christmas.. and it also means that a consumer with two inter-operating Samsung products (e.g. a tablet and camera) is likely to buy another Samsung product (e.g. a television) later on or maybe even at the same time.

  2. NoneSuch Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    And this is in the middle of a global economic meltdown.

    Well done you.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Why congratulate them unless you're a shareholder making money as a result?

      Also note that xmas is paid for on plastic or via overdrafts in many families.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Trollface

        > Also note that xmas is paid for on plastic or via overdrafts in many families.

        Then SPEND FASTER

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        If Xmas needs to be puton plastic then those families should be re-prioritizing Xmas, as in skip it until they can afford to celebrate it.

    2. Charles Calthrop

      what does a sliver badge mean next to your username?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Meanings

        Quantity.....not necessarily quality

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is it time for Apple...

    ...to get into refrigerators and dishwashers?

    1. Jack Project

      Re: Is it time for Apple...

      If they did it would soon follow that they had invented them in the first place.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it time for Apple...

      Samsung better be careful - it's making huge profits from mobiles and tablets and think some other divisions wen down. The may make some of the better / best Android phones and tablets for now but next time it could as easily be Motorola (Google's own), Sony or one of many others. They also have no / little ongoing revenue stream whereas Apple have a loyal following (i.e. people who would buy another / would recommend an iPhone etc.) and continue to earn money from iTunes / app purchases etc.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is it time for Apple...

        Google is who they need to watch. With Google putting out much cheaper phones it is undercutting Samsung and offering the latest OS too.

        1. Will Godfrey Silver badge

          Re: Is it time for Apple...

          However, this will still have more impact on Apple than on Samsung. Apple doesn't have the diverse range of products providing steady income.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Is it time for Apple...

            You mean diverse range of products making very little - mobile is probably propping up the other divisions now. For instance Samsung are probably the biggest customer or its own OLED displays and prob also CPUs and flash. So when their mobile volumes drop off when (insert almost anyone else) make a better phone they will all suffer.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Is it time for Apple...

            Samsung make money from selling the phone today - stop buying phones and it hits them immediately. Apple make money from selling the iPhone today and crucially media / apps you buy over the following 2-3 years until you come to upgrade. At upgrade time the Android user buys another Android or other phone (possibly to Samsung) whereas the Apple user buys another iPhone.

        2. Neil Greatorex
          Coat

          Re: Is it time for Apple...

          With Google putting out much cheaper phones

          Surely Google are just HTC re-badgers.

          1. b166er

            Re: Is it time for Apple...

            Nexus 4 is LG I think, who are having a big marketing drive at the moment, staring at Samsung with envy.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is it time for Apple...

        @AC 18:40

        You seem to be under the impression Samsung does only consumer electronics. Apple does ONLY consumer electronics. Samsung produces things that are even more tangible, like heavy industry machinery and plant. You know, stuff that really keeps the economy moving.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it time for Apple...

      Why there is little or no margin. The problem for Samsung phones / tablets is like my Samsung fridge - when I bought it - it was a decent price / spec but next time I would have no hesitation in buying another make.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it time for Apple...

      Besides, there are already a lot of manufacturers making brushed metal finished refrigerators with rounded corners.

      1. ShadowedOne
        Joke

        Re: Is it time for Apple...

        That's as may be, but they are only imitation rounded corners, Apple is the only official supplier of true Rounded Corners..

        1. Adam 1

          Re: Is it time for Apple...

          Well my refrigerator not only has rounded corners, it is also cool. There's no way they will avoid a fine this time.

          1. noboard
            Joke

            Re: Is it time for Apple...

            Plus if you Photoshop the fridge it will look like an iPad. Also Samsung lawyers will not be able to differentiate between the fridge and an iPad.

            Open and shut case.

            1. Kevin Johnston

              Re: Is it time for Apple...

              Sadly you are mistaken....an iPad does not have a light come on whenever you open it

  4. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. cashxx

    They should feel so proud

    Copying another company to make 8Billion.......I feel proud for them!!

    1. Neil Greatorex

      @cashxx

      Are you in the right place?

      Best you check your bookmarks, this is El Reg not Macforums..

    2. b166er

      Re: They should feel so proud

      8 of your 9 posts are pro Apple, suck it up fanboi

      /I was not trolled

      1. jai

        Re: They should feel so proud

        /I was not trolled

        you replied = you were trolled

        (unless, of course, you were yourself trolling with that statement, in which case, fair play, i bit)

    3. Frumious Bandersnatch

      Re: They should feel so proud

      re: Copying another company to make 8Billion.......I feel proud for them!!

      As it says in the article headline: bite me.

  6. Toothpick
    WTF?

    What's this article got to do with Apple?

    The article itself is about how much Samsung made in Q4 and fuck all to do with Apple. If the article had sales and/or financial comparisons between the two companies then fair enough. But it doesn't. There wouldn't be half as many comments if the headline had just been "Samsung hauled in $8.3BN in Q4".

    It's another of those now regular limp stories designed to wind up both sides of the Apple and Android camps.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: What's this article got to do with Apple?

      Artful trolling is artful.

    2. 6 inches long, handle.
      Happy

      Re: What's this article got to do with Apple?

      The strategy News media companies now-a-days use to generate revenue is mistakenly slipped out of it's news room by The Onion :)

      http://www.theonion.com/articles/this-article-generating-thousands-of-dollars-in-ad,27564/

  7. Seanie Ryan
    WTF?

    surprised

    what do you expect from Anna?

    publicly hates apple, but cant help but put their name in her story headlines to get more hits.

    Whether you love or hate Apple, you cant help but be disgusted by the amateur journalism displayed by her dependance on them for clicks.

    Next story Title : BMW sell TONNES more cars than APPLE ! Cupertino just CANNOT win.

    muppet-tess

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This is probably why Google did the Nexus 4

    They don't want Samsung (or any one OEM) to dominate the Android market too much, otherwise Google could lose control of it. It isn't as though the Android market needs Google branded phones to push the market in the right direction anymore. It did with the first couple iterations of Nexus, but not anymore.

  9. Fab De Marco

    Apples and Oranges

    I hate Apple as much as the next guy, but this truly is headline grabbing stuff. If you were comparing samsungs mobile arm against apple then fair enough, but if you are looking at Samsung electronics, then compare with LG, Sony, etc. Someone that has their fingers in as many pies as samsung (mobile, TV, Home appliances, etc)

  10. the-it-slayer
    Gimp

    "jack of all trades, master of none"

    Well done Samshun, but their cheap plastic phones will still end up in the gutter after 12-18 months use when fandroids get fed up and want the next big stat crunching device. Anyway, Samsung seem to be what they say as a "jack of all trades, master of none". There's nothing amazing about their kit in any sector, but it does the job. Does that create innovation? No because too many fingers in too many pies makes you have to spread resources.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "jack of all trades, master of none"

      Jack of all trades still makes them $8 billion a quarter ! In spite of it and despite that, it means they know a lot more about consumer behaviour & business THAN a muppet like you.

      FFS, with all the economic ills, they manage such performance. Any American or European company can achieve this? Nokia went down the tube by taking their eye of the ball.

      And Fanbois like you will also buy the next shiny (S) thing that Apple will dish out and you will happilly empty your pockets and undergarmrents forr the privilege.

      Where is it mentioned in Samsung corporate manifesto that they have to be master of ANYTHING ?

      1. the-it-slayer
        Happy

        Re: "jack of all trades, master of none"

        @Anon - Shame fandroids can't appreciate anything more than copycat piece of tat with a few extra numbers on it and few doors wide open. Samsung and most others (minus Sony) make the most boring products on the planet.

        Oh, the fanboi image selection was just get irritant reactions from the likes of you. No fanboi here. Still using a 2+ year old iPhone 4 that's going strong and last longer (I genuinely liked the iPhone 4 when it was released and blew away anything else that existed at the time - anything prior to 3GS was a waste of time to me) than the plastic tat you most like will bin in 6 months. Good quality and imaginative products require some investment. Hardly the attitude of Samsung nor their customers supposedly. Again, $8 billion is just a number. Doesn't dictate how good their products at all. Just know how to gullible suckers who are anti-Apple for countless, pointless reasons.

        Smile!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "jack of all trades, master of none"

      Jack of all trades = diversification, something that usually saves a business from going under when consumers eventually tire of the "master" product because something shinier comes along.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    AND ALSO

    They are the only company standing up to Apple bullying evry inch of the way.

    Congrats Samsung.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: AND ALSO

      What? Because they believe copying products is a right? Get over.

      1. KjetilS

        Re: AND ALSO

        [citation needed]

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: AND ALSO

          I think this is the only site you need...

          http://samsungcopiesapple.tumblr.com/

          :)

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