Quantcast
Jump to content

PreCentral: HP announces new HP Slate 7 tablet; the damn thing runs Android


News Reporter

Recommended Posts

HP announces new HP Slate 7 tablet; the damn thing runs Android

We

link hidden, please login to view
, but it still stings. HP today announced and unveiled at MWC in Barcelona their reentry into the tablet market with . The seven-inch tablet has a 1024x600 screen, a 1.6GHz Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a meager 8GB of onboard storage (though it may be augmented by an included microSD slot). And, in typical HP fashion, it also includes integration and an .

The kicker: . And not even the latest version of Android, no, it runs Android 4.1.1, and almost entirely unmodified from stock - the ePrint integration is an app - not the newer Android 4.2 that's been in the public since November 2012 (4.1.1 landed two months earlier than that). The Slate 7 also has no integrated GPS, no NFC, and no cellular radios to speak of. It's also around 11mm thick. The marquee feature of this low-end, moderately chunky (for 2013) disappointment of a tablet? The price: a surprising $169.

The Slate 7 compares most closely with the , and though the Nexus 7 is $30 more expensive, it has a much better processor, is thinner, has a better screen, and . The Slate 7 also compares well to , though it had a better rear camera. And a better screen. And . And an option for cellular integration. . Though in the TouchPad Go's defense, it was supposed to come out 18 months ago.

If you're wondering if this new Slate 7 might be a for , we have but one question to ask you: "With such pathetic specs, why bother?" There's a reason the Slate 7 will retail for $169, and that's because it's not that appealing of a tablet. It's likely the Slate 7 will be plenty open, if HP hasn't gone out of their way to lock it down, so putting Open webOS on it might not be that big of a leap (depending on the manufacturer of the processor and their receptiveness towards open source, that is). But today following the announcement, "With such 2010 specs, why would you bother?" Why, indeed.

Our dear friend Phil from Android Central went at MWC, and while he found the specifications and screen of the tablet in person as underwhelming as we have from a distance, he was at least impressed by the industrial design, even if it is a bit on the chunky side (see: price). The Slate 7 is perhaps a look into where HP's industrial design would have taken webOS tablets had HP on after instead of in .

And with that, we're not going to bother discussing the Slate 7 at any more length . The tablet is due on shelves at US retail stores in April, which means we should expect it to be canceled around June anyway.

mf.gif


a2t.imgun78z7GI0GM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By News Reporter
      Highest Annual Revenue in History With Home Appliance and
      Vehicle Components Showing Growth for Eight Consecutive Years

      SEOUL, Jan. 25, 2024 — LG Electronics Inc. (LG) announced its financial results for the year 2023, disclosing a consolidated revenue of KRW 84.2 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 3.55 trillion. This marks the third consecutive year of achieving record-breaking annual revenue. The operating profit is also solid, approaching levels seen during the prior period of pent-up demand.
      Despite challenging external factors such as an economic slowdown and reduced demand, LG’s core business of home appliances and the burgeoning vehicle components business have demonstrated remarkable resilience, maintaining continuous growth for eight consecutive years. The combined revenue of these businesses exceeded KRW 40 trillion last year, a substantial increase from KRW 18 trillion in 2015. Over the same period, the proportion of these two businesses in the total revenue has risen from 32.5 percent to 47.8 percent.
      The performance is attributable to LG’s strategic efforts to enhance its business portfolio. The company successfully expanded its B2B business by identifying market turning points early on and integrated new business models, including subscription services, into existing frameworks. Furthermore, LG’s innovative content and service business model, leveraging its extensive user base of hundreds of millions of products globally, has also contributed to securing robust profitability.
      Looking ahead, LG is committed to a continual transformation from a mature business-oriented structure to a future growth-oriented one. In this year, the company will concentrate its capabilities on breaking through limits to maximize its business potential. Guided by the newly established Overseas Sales & Marketing Company, LG will strive for additional growth and expanded product coverage, particularly in emerging markets where there are greater growth opportunities.
      The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company achieved an annual revenue of KRW 30.14 trillion, marking eight consecutive years of growth and ushering in the era of KRW 30 trillion. Introducing new business models including subscription services and expanding the B2B share in areas such as HVAC, components and built-in solutions contributed to this growth. The operating profit recorded an increase of over 76 percent compared to the previous year, reaching KRW 2.08 trillion.
      In the coming year, the Company will accelerate a shift in its business model towards future readiness, including Direct-to-Consumer initiatives. It aims to expand the deployment of home appliance operating systems and extend subscription services to international markets. Additionally, there will be a swift progression in building smart home solutions that reflect the value of “Zero Labor Home.” In terms of products, the Company will seek to maintain its strategic approach of solidifying the premium leadership of key products, such as washing machines and refrigerators, while swiftly expanding region-specific lineups. To sustain continuous growth in the B2B sector, especially in areas like HVAC, the Company plans to strengthen its capabilities by establishing a complete, local business operation that encompasses product development, production and sales, with a focus on the evident electrification trends in regions such as North America and Europe.
      The LG Vehicle component Solutions Company achieved an annual revenue of KRW 10.1 trillion and operating profit of KRW 133 billion. In its 10th year since establishment, the Company not only surpassed the KRW 10 trillion revenue mark but also demonstrated eight consecutive years of growth since it began disclosing performance results in 2015. The share of total consolidated revenue has increased to 12 percent. This year, the Company aims to drive both external growth, leveraging a substantial order backlog, and qualitative growth in its operations. In in-vehicle infotainment, the Company is dedicating efforts to secure capabilities in the area of software-defined vehicles in response to the needs of OEMs. Drawing upon its differentiated technology accumulated in the home appliance and IT sectors, the Company will seek to further enhance the in-vehicle customer experience. In the e-Powertrain area, focus will be on strengthening product capabilities and early stabilization of overseas production bases to enhance responsiveness to customer demands. Additionally, in headlamps, there are plans to expand premium product orders while simultaneously improving operational efficiency.
      The LG Home Entertainment Company recorded an annual revenue of KRW 14.2 trillion and operating profit of KRW 362 billion. The webOS platform-based content and services business solidified its position as a new source of revenue, showing a significant increase in operating profit compared to the previous year. The revenue slightly decreased amid a relatively slow recovery in demand for premium products like OLED. In anticipation of a progressive recovery in TV demand this year, the Company will seek to strengthen both the top-tier OLED lineup and the QNED lineup, following a dual-track strategy to lead the premium market. Simultaneously, the Company is accelerating its transformation into a media and entertainment powerhouse. In the current year, the webOS platform business is slated for nurturing as a significant revenue-generating venture in the scale of trillions.
      The LG Business Solutions Company recorded an annual revenue of KRW 5.4 trillion and operating loss of KRW 42 billion. The revenue saw a slight decrease compared to the previous year due to delays in IT demand recovery and reduced investments from key enterprises. Increased investments in future growth areas such as robotics and electric vehicle charging had an impact on profitability. In this year, the Company is positioning itself with a competitive lineup of IT products, including gaming monitors and the LG gram Pro, and will actively seek to find business opportunities targeting distinct verticals such as government agencies and schools. As a leader in LG’s B2B business, it aims to accelerate the shift from supplying single products to integrating and providing adjacent solutions. With a significant proportion of new businesses within the organization, investments will be prioritized for future preparations rather than short-term management performance.
      Earnings Conference and Conference Call
      LG Electronics will hold a Korean / English conference call on January 25, 2024, at 16:00 Korea Standard Time (07:00 GMT/UTC). Conference call participants are instructed to pre-register online to receive a private PIN. To participate in the conference call, dial +82 31 810 3130, enter passcode 6418# and then the PIN. The corresponding presentation file will be available for download at the LG Electronics website before the call.
      # # #

      link hidden, please login to view
    • By ajmboy
      So LG has put webOS on TVs, projectors, and now cars with webos auto. Does anyone thing LG will ever produce a webos powered smartphone or tablet? I know samsung has tried with tizen and it was only with the palm pre 2 and touchpad from HP that we saw webos on these types of devices. Just curious on what everyone thingks. Here's what webos used to look like..
       
      HP Touchpad
       
    • By News Reporter
      Company Aims for Further Growth and Changes
      to Enhance Customer Value in Rapidly Changing Global Market

      SEOUL, Nov. 24, 2023 — LG Electronics (LG) today announced organizational changes to take another leap forward towards achieving the Future Vision 2030 announced in July. The changes are being implemented to strengthen organizational capabilities and business competitiveness to realize the vision of transforming into a Smart Life Solution Company that connects and expands various spaces and experiences of customers beyond home appliances.
      A key piece of the forward-thinking strategy is the newly-established Overseas Sales and Marketing Company, which will report directly to LG CEO William Cho. The company will be led by Thomas Yoon, who previously served as the president and CEO of LG Electronics North America.
      The Overseas Sales and Marketing Company will play a crucial role in accelerating change and growth as well as enhancing LG’s global brand power by discovering and developing opportunities to create customer value. The new organization will manage overseas sales subsidiaries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia; Global Marketing Group; and the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Sales Business Group.
      The company will not only seek to strengthen executive capabilities in the overseas operations of strategically critical businesses including B2B operations, but also provide necessary support to bolster qualitative growth of all other business units by aiding the development of overseas sales expertise as well as accelerating the advancement of platform-based businesses and innovative D2C business models. The D2C Business Sales Group will take on the role of expanding customer contact points by strengthening Online Brand Shop (OBS) activities and customer data-based digital marketing capabilities.
      While maintaining its agile and responsive decision-making system across all four business units, LG will aim to spur further development of original technologies in each business unit and support the company’s business transformation.
      The Home Appliance & Air Solution (H&A) Company will establish an engineering sales division under the Air Solution Business to enhance the engineering capabilities to maximize business synergy in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), its core B2B business area. In addition, the Home Beauty Business will be transferred from the Home Entertainment Company to the H&A Company to create synergy with existing strong product lineups in ‘Home’ spaces.
      The Home Entertainment (HE) Company is set to further accelerate its transition to become a media and entertainment powerhouse. To strengthen the smart TV operating system webOS, the webOS SW Development Group will be established for direct reporting to Park Hyoung-sei, president of the HE Company. Also, the eXtended Reality (XR) Business Division will be established directly under the headquarters.
      Leading the company since 2019, president Park has been promoted in recognition of his contribution to upgrading the company’s business portfolio, improving profitability of premium product lineups and growing the webOS platform while solidifying the company’s position in the global OLED TV market.
      The Vehicle component Solutions (VS) Company will set up the Global Customer Strategy Division directly under its headquarters to establish an integrated strategy for order and sales management and strengthen marketing functions to accelerate the growth of the business.
      The Business Solutions (BS) Company will expand sales and business operations in major regions such as North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia. The current B2B India Business Department will be upgraded into the B2B India Business Division to maintain continuous growth in the country.
      All appointments are effective Dec. 1 with promotions going into effect on the first day of the new year.
      # # #

      link hidden, please login to view
    • By News Reporter
      High Performance, Strong Profitability Reflect Progress in Advancing Busines
      Portfolio, Accelerating B2B Business and Procuring New Growth Engines

      SEOUL, Oct. 27, 2023 — LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced third-quarter 2023 consolidated revenue of KRW 20.7 trillion and operating profit of KRW 996.7 billion, both the second highest third-quarter figures in the company’s history. The noteworthy performance was driven by both the company’s core home appliance business and vehicle solutions, one of its future growth engines. Home appliances more than doubled its operating profit year-over-year while vehicle solutions recorded an all-time high operating profit.
      The strong performance reflects the company’s smooth progress in the execution of its future vision for 2030, leading to solid revenue and profits despite a prolonged economic slowdown. The fundamentals of LG’s 2030 vision, announced last July, is to focus on B2B expansion, non-hardware business model innovation as well as the development and acquisition of new growth engines with the aim to go beyond a home appliance company to truly become a Smart Life Solutions company capable of connecting and expanding diverse spaces and experiences.
      The revenue growth was greatly bolstered by expansion in B2B, including automotive parts and HVAC systems – a key factor behind the second highest third-quarter figure in the company’s history. Revenue in B2B grew significantly to account for approximately 35 percent of overall revenue this year.
      B2B segments are less influenced by economic conditions compared to B2C, and stable revenue and profits can be expected once the business is properly set up. Another merit is the lock-in effect that can help promote the development of a strong long-term relationship with clients and customers. LG plans to develop additional growth opportunities in the area by going beyond merely supplying B2B products to expand into providing high added-value business solutions in connection to the supplied products. The goal will be to boost B2B revenue to over KRW 40 trillion by 2030.
      Third-quarter operating profit increased by more than 30 percent both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter. A key contributor to the high profitability was the company’s business model innovation – combining non-hardware solutions such as content and subscription services with traditional hardware products such as home appliances and TVs. In the past, a one-off revenue was recorded when a product was sold. This has now transformed into generating recurring revenue from the use of solutions on platforms installed in the millions of products used by consumers of LG devices.
      In developing and acquiring new growth engines, LG aims to focus on investing in promising businesses that not only show high potential but can also create synergy with existing businesses. Investment into electric vehicle charging is a prime illustration of such strategy. The company has plans for global expansion beginning next year in collaboration with diverse partners.
      The seamless operation and solid progress of the company’s 2030 vision’s three pillars – leading growth of company (B2B), generating profit (non-hardware) and boosting enterprise value (new growth engines) – is a strong demonstration of LG’s advancement toward achieving Triple 7 (average growth rate and operating profit of 7 percent or more and enterprise value to EBITDA ratio of 7 or more).
      LG will continue to focus on accelerating its business portfolio transformation efforts into the fourth quarter, seeking to maintain high-growth in B2B with vehicle component solutions taking the lead, while at the same time growing sales of key product lineups as the end-of-year peak season approaches. Simultaneously, the company plans to optimize efficiencies through enhanced demand forecasting to support stable profitability going forward.
      The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company generated third-quarter revenue of KRW 7.46 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 504.5 billion. The operating profit more than doubled year-over-year, attributable to strong competitiveness in overall business operations including manufacturing, procurement and logistics. Revenue maintained strong versus last year’s third quarter, aided by strategic repositioning of product lineups in response to softened demand as well as expansion of B2B lineups including HVAC, parts and built-in appliances. LG plans to leverage the electrification and decarbonization trend in HVAC systems to accelerate its B2B growth momentum. For example, in the United States, the company recently committed to a series of actions supporting California’s goal to install six million electric heat pumps by 2030. LG is also actively expanding its HVAC portfolio with new Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems. In the fourth quarter, the company will seek to spearhead a paradigm shift in home appliances with the LG ThinQ UP 2.0 expanding business into services and subscriptions. Four upgraded features for the ThinQ UP have already been released in North America, accelerating the speed of customer experience innovation.
      The LG Vehicle component Solutions Company’s third-quarter revenue was KRW 2.5 trillion and operating profit KRW 134.9 billion – the highest among all third-quarter revenue and operating profit. The company is accelerating its pace of growth based on stable management of its supply chain and an order backlog that is expected to reach KRW 100 trillion by the end of the year. The business unit is expected to exceed KRW 10 trillion in annual revenue for the first time this year, setting the stage to become a key driving force in LG’s overall growth. Growth is still expected to be high due to the accelerating transition to electric vehicles and soaring demand for high added-value parts, despite some concerns of a temporary slowdown of demand in the automotive parts industry. In light of such developments, LG plans to maintain its growth momentum by focusing on high added-value projects and acceleration of regional production at the LG Magna plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
      The LG Home Entertainment Company recorded third-quarter revenue of KRW 3.57 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 110.7 billion. The company maintained its profitable growth by effectively managing marketing expenses despite increased LCD panel prices, while also diversifying profit sources based on the growth of content and services business built on its smart TV platform. The company is accelerating its transition from a product-based business to a platform-based media and entertainment business as the content and services market continues to grow. To this end, in addition to expanding collaboration with various content providers, the company is upgrading TV operating systems to expand the content experience of customers. The number of TVs powered by webOS, the foundation of LG’s content and services business, is expected to reach 300 million units by 2026.
      The LG Business Solutions Company’s third-quarter revenue was KRW 1.33 trillion with an operating loss of KRW 20.5 billion. Both revenue and profitability weakened due to the softening of demand for IT products. As challenging business conditions persist, the company continues to innovate customer experiences with premium IT lineups such as commercial displays and foldable laptops that provide customized solutions, while also making progress in fostering the electric vehicle charger business, one of LG’s new growth engines.
      Earnings Conference and Conference Call
      LG Electronics will hold a Korean / English conference call on October 27, 2023, at 16:00 Korea Standard Time (07:00 GMT/UTC). Conference call participants are instructed to pre-register online to receive a private PIN. To participate in the conference call, dial +82 31 810 3130, enter passcode 6418# and then the PIN. The corresponding presentation file will be available for download at the LG Electronics website before the call.
      # # #

      link hidden, please login to view
    • By News Reporter
      Record Revenues, Strong Profitability Provide Solid Foundation for
      Pursuing Mid- to Long-term Growth Through Advancement of Business Portfolio

      SEOUL, July 27, 2023 — LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced second-quarter 2023 consolidated revenue of KRW 20 trillion with operating profit of KRW 741.9 billion.
      The company recorded the highest second-quarter revenues in company history. The second-quarter results underscore the success of the company’s strategy to drive continuous growth while strengthening its business competitiveness. The record revenue reflects the company’s actions to fundamentally improve its business structure by pursuing new platform-based service businesses and continuously expanding the business-to-business (B2B) segments. Profitability also was strong, although operating income was 6.3 percent lower than the second quarter last year, primarily due to a one-time second-quarter 2023 provision.
      The company plans to drive further profitability improvements by optimizing efficiencies and by preemptively meeting market demands through enhanced demand forecasting and manufacturing competitiveness. LG also plans to continuously strengthen its online brand store and direct-to-consumer businesses.
      The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company generated second-quarter revenues of KRW 7.99 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 600.1 billion. Despite intensified market conditions, the business unit recorded strong profitability on the back of increased sales of high-demand products such as air conditioners and energy efficient heat pump-enabled products. The operating profit increased by 40 percent from the previous year, reflecting efficient cost structure management. The company will leverage its high-efficiency innovations including heat pumps and ESS as demand for green technologies grows in Europe, North America and around the world.  At the same time, the company sees the electrification trend as an opportunity for future growth in the HVAC business. In the third quarter, the company will launch new LG ThinQ UP 2.0 home appliances featuring hyper-personalization, subscriptions and services. Certain mass-tier appliance lineups also will be expanded in response to market changes. The company plans to lead a paradigm shift in the home appliance industry by combining service-based business models with differentiated product competitiveness, while continuing efforts to increase efficiencies in production, purchasing and logistics for stable profitability.
      The LG Home Entertainment Company recorded second-quarter revenue of KRW 3.15 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 123.6 billion. As challenging business conditions persist for the worldwide consumer electronics industry, the company continued to focus on improving operational efficiency and improving profitability by growing the content and service businesses based on LG’s webOS smart TV platform. The company intends to transform its TV business portfolio into a “media and entertainment service provider” by expanding content, services and advertising in differentiated products. The business unit also intends to solidify LG’s leadership in the ultra-large-screen TV market with the launch of the 97-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED M, the world’s first “wireless” consumer TV with Zero Connect technology. Also driving the premium TV market are expanded sales of the company’s popular new Lifestyle Screens.
      The LG Vehicle component Solutions Company‘s second-quarter revenue was KRW 2.66 trillion, the highest second-quarter revenues in company history. However, an operating profit was KRW 89.8 billion excluding non-recurring expenses such as one-off provision, achieving the highest second-quarter operating profit in terms of business performance. But after the company’s operating profit margin included the one-time provision of KRW 151 billion, related to General Motors’ recall of the Chevy Bolt EV, it resulted an operating loss of KRW 61.2 billion. This provision reflects the increases in material costs that occurred during the recall period.
      The business unit will continue its growth momentum by focusing on expanding its high value-added and high-performance business. The company’s order backlog is expected to reach KRW 100 trillion by the end of the year, leading to sequential sales conversion resulting in profitable growth. In particular, in terms of profitability, it is positive that the company is experiencing economies of scale from sales expansion. As steady increase of electric vehicle demand is expected in the future, the company will actively seek new opportunities in future mobility areas, such as autonomous driving, software solutions and content, while securing stable profitability by expanding the portion of high value-added and high-performance products supplied to key automotive customers around the world.
      The LG Business Solutions Company saw improved second-quarter revenues of KRW 1.33 trillion with an operating profit of KRW 2.6 billion. Both revenue and operating profit declined slightly from the same period last year due to the persistent softening of demand for IT products. From the third quarter, demand for IT products is expected to show a gradual recovery compared to the first half. In the midst of this, LG plans to actively expand sales of monitors and laptops equipped with gaming features and OLED displays. In the commercial display business, the company will seek opportunities for further growth with customized solutions for various vertical markets, from hospitality and health care to education, retail and corporate.
      Earnings Conference and Conference Call
      LG Electronics will hold a Korean / English conference call on July 27, 2023, at 16:00 Korea Standard Time (07:00 GMT/UTC). Conference call participants are instructed to pre-register online to receive a private PIN. To participate in the conference call, dial +82 31 810 3130, enter passcode 6418# and then the PIN. The corresponding presentation file will be available for download at the LG Electronics website before the call.
      # # #

      link hidden, please login to view
×
×
  • Create New...