History of Samsung Electronics. Samsung plant in the Kaluga region

The history of the Samsung industrial group, one of the monsters of the modern global economy, began in 1938, then in a united Korea. An enterprising resident of the town of Daegu, the merchant Byong Chul Lee decided to expand his business and, together with Chinese partners, founded a rice trading company. Things were going well, the company was developing new areas of activity, the staff was growing, and in 1948 it was decided to give the company a fashionable "American" name: Samsung Trading Co. There is no unambiguous version about the origin of the word Samsung (pronounced "samson"), but the most common version that it means "three stars" in Korean. Perhaps the choice of name is related to the three sons of the company's founder, Byong Chul Lee, one of whom, Kun Hee Lee, heads the industrial group at the present time.

In 1969, the firm made a breakthrough into the advanced electronics industry practically from scratch. Together with the Japanese company Sanyo, Samsung Electronics Company “SEC” was created, which specialized in the production of semiconductors and after a few years became the property of Samsung.

A major step forward in the history of the company occurred in 1969, when it, together with the Japanese company Sanyo, opened in South Korea workshop for the assembly of black and white Japanese TVs. Already in 1973, a full-fledged large-scale production of a variety of consumer electronics, and the joint venture was completely taken over by Samsung Trading Co and became Samsung Electronics Corporation.

Having started its activity in the consumer electronics market almost from scratch, in a few years Samsung Electronics has taken a prominent place in it. By adopting Sanyo's technology and then focusing on semiconductors, the corporation has grown over time to become one of the world's largest and best-known electronics manufacturers.

In August 1973, the corporate headquarters moved to Suwon (South Korea), and by December, the construction of a consumer electronics plant was completed. Later, the Korean company Semiconductor Co. joined the corporation, initiating the mass production of washing machines and refrigerators.

By 1978, a sales office was opened in the USA, export volumes of Samsung Electronics exceeded 100 million US dollars. In 1979, the first home video recorders were released.

In 1980, Korea Telecommunications Co. joined the corporation, which was then renamed Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co.

In 1983, the production of personal computers began (model: SPC-1000). And in 1983, a 64M DRAM chip with a memory capacity of 64 MB was released, SAMSUNG was the first to release a player capable of reading ordinary CDs, CD-ROM, VIDEO-CD, PHOTO-CD, CD-OK player. A year later, a sales office was opened in England and a plant for the production of VCRs in the USA, and the construction of the largest plant for the production of microwave ovens (2.4 million units per year) was completed.

In 1986, the Korean Management Association awarded Samsung Electronics the " Best Company of the year". The same year was marked by the release of the ten millionth color TV set, the opening of sales offices in Canada and Australia, research laboratories in California and Tokyo (Japan). In the fall of 1988, a representative office appeared in France, and the corporation merged with Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co.

By 1989, Samsung Electronics was ranked 13th in the world in terms of semiconductor products and opened factories in Thailand and Malaysia. In 1992, factories were launched in China and Czechoslovakia, and the company itself was included in Group A, according to the international credit rating. In order to improve the management structure, in December of the same year, Samsung Electronics switched to a unified presidential management system.

In December 1991, the development of personal mobile telephone devices was completed.

In August 1992, the development of a mobile telephone system was completed.

The company's early logos featured three stars. But in 1993, Samsung, having considered the former logo as inconsistent with the image of an international corporation, decided to replace it. It was then that the modern emblem familiar to us saw the light - a dynamically inclined blue ellipse with the name of the company written inside. Excellent design and a large-scale advertising campaign have done their job: the logo has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Advertising students at top universities are now studying the Samsung logo change as an example of an exceptionally successful rebrand.

In 1994, sales reached 5 billion US dollars, and in November, the Mukoonhwa Factory branch was opened using the labor of the disabled. By 1995, exports exceeded US$10 billion, and in February Samsung Electronics acquired a 40.25% stake in computer company AST Co. (USA).

In September 1996, Samsung Electronics products were recognized as conforming to the ISO-140001 standard.

In May 1997, the company becomes the first exporter of CDMA equipment to Shanghai (China). The company has been selected as an “Olympic Partner” in the “Manufacturers of Wireless Communication Equipment” category.

In June, personal communication devices (PCS) were shipped to Sprint Co. (USA). And in July, the world's lightest 137g CDMA cell phone was developed.

By 1998, the corporation took over the main market share of liquid crystal monitors and began mass production of digital TVs. Samsung in 1998 released new model DVD player, where specially developed ADAT technology allows you to view discs recorded in the NTSC system on PAL and SECAM TVs without loss of picture quality. Diamond heads were introduced into them, the number of which reached six. In March, the development of the world's lightest personal telephone device (PCS, Model SPH-4100) was completed. In January 1999, Samsung Electronics received the "Best Consumer Electronics Company" award given annually by Forbes Global magazine.

Samsung Electronics is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment and digital convergence technologies. About 70 thousand people work in 87 offices of the company in 47 countries of the world. The company has four main divisions: Digital Media Network Business, Device Solution Network Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Network Business.

Samsung has manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Portugal, China, and Thailand. Samsung is also the largest manufacturer of cathode ray tubes (Samsung Display Devices Co “SDD”) and has factories in Korea, Malaysia and Germany.

Together with the American company General Instruments, they developed equipment for high-definition television. Samsung is still lagging behind Japanese firms, but is developing faster than them.

Labor productivity is measured at Samsung not by the quantity of products produced, but by their quality.

The most profitable for Samsung was the production of semiconductors. Samsung has mastered the production of 64-bit microprocessors with a clock frequency of 800 MHz, which is designed for digital image and sound processing in televisions, camcorders and video recorders.

During the period 2000-2002, Samsung Electronics' position in the world ranking rose by 8 points, and the brand value increased by 30%.

Samsung Electronics knows that its future depends on its customers, so its main task is to satisfy their needs. The main idea of the corporation's business development is the ability to offer the consumer exactly the product in which he is most interested.

An equally important task for Samsung Electronics is the desire to increase the profit of shareholders. To this end, the company continues to work, seeking to expand its position in the global market as a global corporation.

Samsung Electronics sees itself as a leader in the “Revolutionary Digital Convergence Era”; our task is to turn this vision into reality by turning our company into a digital one - Digital-? Company, - this is how the essence of the philosophy of Samsung Electronics is formulated on the official website of the corporation. The company began to put this philosophy into practice in the 1990s in all areas of its activity, including the production of televisions.

Samsung Electronics is always looking for ways to change and improve the world. The company's efforts are aimed at protecting the environment, supporting culture and sports, and developing social programs that are beneficial to society.

Today it is difficult to find an industry in which Samsung divisions are not involved. Literally everything is produced under this brand: from microwaves and toasters to digital cameras and stereos, from cars to ocean-going ships and aircraft. In the domestic market of South Korea, Samsung Group is also engaged in financial transactions, insurance and security activities, as a result of which it forms more than 50% of the country's total budget. Almost half a million employees work in the corporation's offices around the world, and the South Korean city of Suwon, where the headquarters of Samsung Electronics is located, has long been called "Samsung City".

March 10th, 2018

The image shows a warehouse in the city of Daegu, from which the history of Samsung began.

Few people probably know that Samsung began as a shop selling vegetables. The founder of the company is Lee Byong Chul. Lee's shop sold vegetables and herbs grown in nearby fields. The company brought in good money - so Lee decided to move to Seoul, where he started processing sugar, and later founded a textile factory. Lee tried to make the word "diversification" his slogan. Samsung was involved in many things - the insurance business, security, retail.

Now Samsung, in addition to the production of various electronics, is engaged in the production of polymers, oil refining, makes tankers, military equipment and even cars (which are called Samsung). The company is also engaged in finance, insurance, textile production, owns a chain of hotels, resorts and amusement parks.

Let's remember how it all happened.

The ability to balance on the edge of a knife, instantly respond to changes and be always on the alert - these are the distinguishing qualities Samsung. Many Korean companies went under, unable to withstand all sorts of “cleansing” and persecution, and Samsung not only survived, but also became a transnational corporation.

According to the biography of the founder of Samsung Lee Byong Chul, you can shoot an action movie in the spirit of Jackie Chan. In 1938, Li Biong named his small trading company " Three stars» ( Samsung Trading Company). It is said that this was done in honor of Li's three sons.

Samsung Group logo "Three Stars" (late 1980s - 1992)

At that time, this company did not even think about any high technologies, quietly supplying rice, sugar and dried fish to China and Manchuria. It looked like a protest against dependence on Japan, and Samsung gained a reputation as a patriotic entrepreneur. During World War II, the United States landed on Korean peninsula and liberated South Korea from the Japanese. By this time, Li Biong had a large production plant rice vodka and beer. This product sold well american army and Li Biong's business went uphill. In 1950, a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula between the communist North and the pro-American South. And for this, the North Korean communists put Lee Byong-chul's name on the death list as an accomplice of the puppet regime.

If Lee hadn't smelled the fried food, reinvested all the profits, and turned all the proceeds into cash, then Samsung would have died. How the money stuck in the wine box survived is a separate story. The car in which they were transported was confiscated, the house in which they were hidden was completely burned down, and wooden box just pissed off! And Samsung, as they say, has risen from the ashes.

The second time Lee was on the death list was under Park Chung Hee. Formally, for illicit enrichment on government supplies and economic sabotage, but in reality for having rubbed shoulders with the Japanese, trying to learn from the experience of the zaibatsu (chaebol in Korean, but in our opinion something like a powerful clan).

After a sincere conversation with General Li, not only was he not shot, but he was appointed head of Korean businessmen. Samsung has become a concern, mastering government orders and enjoying all sorts of subsidies and benefits.

In the 60s, the Li family expanded their business: they built the largest factory in Asia for fertilizer production, founded the Joong-Ang newspaper, built ships, hotels, universities and hospitals, and set up a citizen insurance system.

In 1965, South Korea re-established diplomatic relations with Japan. Lee Byong-chul reached an agreement with the Japanese leadership on technological support electronic industry that originated at that time in South Korea. As a result, in 1969, together with the Japanese company Sanyo, Samsung-Sanyo Electronics (SEC). She began to specialize in the production of semiconductors and a few years later became the property of Samsung. In 1970, cooperation with Sanyo Electric led to the merger of companies and the creation of a corporation Samsung Electronics.

In general, everything that happened before the 70s somehow weakly correlates with the image of a modern corporation, and Samsung-Sanyo Electronics, the first joint Korean-Japanese enterprise, can rightly be called its real predecessor. True, cooperation with those same zaibatsu was not the most successful - the Japanese clamped the latest technology and shared only obsolete ones, and the prices for components were driven up. This is one of the reasons Sanyo was removed from the company's name - it's just that the Koreans have learned how to make semiconductors themselves.

Since August 1973, the company's head office began to be located in Suwon (South Korea), and in November the construction of a plant for the production of household appliances was completed. At the same time, the Korean company Semiconductor Co.. joins the corporation, as a result of which the mass production of washing machines and refrigerators began.

In 1977, the company's export volumes exceeded 100 million US dollars. In 1978, the first Samsung office in the United States opens. In 1979, the first home video recorders were released. However, half of the cost of goods had to be given to the Japanese for the use of their technology and design. In addition, in other countries, Samsung products were sold under foreign brands or at very low prices.

As a result of the economic crisis that swept South Korea in the late 70s, Samsung Electronics began to incur losses. In response to this, Lee Kun-hee, the son of the founder of the company, decided to reform the company. He reduced the number of subsidiaries, stopped subsidizing departments, put the quality of products at the forefront. These transformations had a positive impact on the company's financial condition - revenues of Samsung Electronics have grown again. At this time, the company joined Korea Telecommunications Co., which was renamed Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co.

By the end of the 70s, Samsung Electronics had become the flagship enterprise of the Lee empire, and in the late 80s, Korea economic crisis and the company became unprofitable.

Samsung again had every chance to cease to exist, but this did not happen, since Lee the second (Kun Hee) developed a rescue plan long before the crisis. It was planned to change everything, with the exception of wives and children. key point in perestroika there was a shift in priorities - quality became more important than quantity. Perestroika lasted 10 years and was crowned with success. One company after another went bankrupt: Hanbo, Daewoo, Huyndai, and Samsung increased exports and established itself in the global high-tech market.

Samsung announced its first computer in 1983.

In 1983, Samsung Electronics launched its first personal computers (Model: SPC-1000). In the same year, the following were released: a 64M DRAM chip with a memory capacity of 64 MB; a player that could read conventional CDs, CD-ROM, VIDEO-CD, PHOTO-CD, CD-OK. In 1984, a sales office was opened in England, a plant for the production of audio and video equipment in the USA, as well as a plant for the production microwave ovens(2.4 million pieces per year).

In 1986, Samsung Electronics received the title of " Best company of the year» from the Korea Management Association. In the same year, the company produced the ten millionth color TV set, opened sales offices in Canada and Australia, research laboratories in California and Tokyo. From 1988 to 1989, the company opened representative offices in France, Thailand and Malaysia. By 1989, Samsung Electronics was ranked 13th in the world in semiconductor manufacturing. In autumn 1988, the corporation merged with Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co..

In the 90s, Samsung Electronics intensively expanded its activities. In order to improve the management structure, in December 1992, a unified presidential management system was introduced at Samsung Electronics. In 1991-1992, the development of the personal mobile devices, and also developed mobile phone system. In 1994, the sales volume reaches 5 billion US dollars, and in 1995 the export volume exceeded 10 billion US dollars.

1995 can be called a turning point in the history of Samsung - the beginning of the transformation of the company into a high-quality brand. The symbol of this moment is a photograph in which 2,000 employees smash defective Samsung products to smithereens - 150,000 fax machines, mobile phones and other devices. Samsung Group survived the last Asian crisis in 1997 with a new president, Jong-Yong Yun. Sacrificing his tail to save lives, Yoon liquidated dozens of second-hand businesses, fired a third of the staff, breaking the practice of hiring for life, and staked on emerging digital technologies.

As you can see, while other companies were doing research and one after another released the world's first novelties - a CD, a transistor receiver, a video camera, etc., Samsung survived, struggled and developed. So it cannot be said about this company that in some distant year it came up with something innovative, and everyone fell in love with it. Hit Samsung products fall precisely on the current millennium.

It's even hard to imagine that this company once produced B/W TVs and other products at "reasonable" prices. Today, Samsung has become one of the most innovative and successful players in the consumer electronics and semiconductor market. It is the world's leading manufacturer of memory chips, flat panel displays and color televisions.

The company was a pioneer in the development of SDRAM, the ultra-fast memory chips used in personal computers, and the special memory chip used in the Sony PlayStation 2 game console. A credit card-sized camera phone! Third generation phone that receives satellite TV programs! World's smallest multifunction printer! And what is most surprising, in the summer of 2005, the value of the Samsung brand surpassed Sony for the first time! This was calculated by one of the British research companies.

By 1998, Samsung Electronics held the largest share of the LCD monitor market and began mass production of digital televisions.

In January 1999, Forbes Global magazine awarded Samsung Electronics annual prize awarded Best Consumer Electronics Company».

In the TV market, Samsung definitely surpassed not only Sony, but also Philips, and did it back in 2003. At CeBIT in 2004, Samsung wiped everyone's nose by presenting the world's largest 102-inch plasma panel (more than two meters!), In line for which even the head of Oracle Larry Alison. The LCD TVs of the new models were reviewed by magazines and experts, noting this in various categories such as "Best Buy" and "5 points". And the LN-57F51 BD LCD TV was even named a representative new era TVs. Still, with it, even the room does not need to be darkened, since the quality of the picture does not depend on the ambient light.

It didn't take a week for Samsung to announce something outstanding. Like the world's first mobile phone with a built-in five-megapixel camera (now, of course, this is no longer shocking) or the same.

No company has such a set of proprietary technologies as Samsung. A little boastful, but it seems to be true, since Samsung is a real manufacturing company, not a sticker label on other people's products. Suffice it to say that Samsung is the only company in the world that manufactures laptops and monitors in its own factories without relying on OEMs.

But Samsung is not only a high-tech factory, as it may seem, but also a recognized R & D center.

Byong Chul Lee, founder of Samsung Trading Co.

Byong Chul Lee died in 1987 of lung cancer. In one of the Samsung offices in honor of blessed memory a memorial bust of bronze and marble was erected to its founder.

Commemorative bust of the founder of the company

From the date of Byong Chul Lee's death to the present (with a break in 2008-2010), the board of directors of Samsung is headed by the founder's youngest son, Lee Gon Hee. His appointment to the post of head of the board of directors went against all Eastern traditions, according to which the eldest son inherits most family property.

Founder's Son - Lee Gun Hee

At the end of 2012, Lee Gun Hee appointed his son Jay Lee to the post of deputy board of directors, effectively recognizing him as the heir to the Samsung empire.

Jay Lee is the heir to the Samsung empire

The post of CEO and Vice President of Samsung Electronics Co is held by Kwon Oh Hyun, who took office by decision of the company's Board of Directors on June 8, 2012.

Kwon oh hyung - CEO and vice presidentSamsung Electronics Co.

Today Samsung Electronics is a transnational corporation with offices in 47 countries and employing 70,000 people. The company occupies a leading position in the production of semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, as well as in the field of digital convergence technologies. The company consists of four main divisions: Digital Media Network Business, Device Solution Network Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Network Business. In 2005, the company had sales of $56.7 billion and net income of $7.5 billion.

But look how history could turn. After all, Samsung could be the first to buy Android!

Let's remember 2005. There are no smartphones yet (at least not as we know them now), operators control all content, a complete mess with operating system versions, and what works for Motorola is unlikely to run on Samsung. App developers are running from smartphones like fire, and those who want to do it are forced to literally write new code for each model separately, often more than 100 variants at once.

The revolution, however, is in the air. Andy Rubin starts working on an operating system that was originally intended for digital cameras but has since taken over smartphones. He started out as an engineer at Carl Zeiss but later worked on operating systems for handheld computers. He had the experience and support of several other engineers. In October 2003, he launches the Android project, but a year later the startup runs out of money and begins looking for investors.

We all now know that eventually Ruby comes to Google and everyone lives happily ever after. But few people know that at first Rubin went with the newborn Android to Samsung. The entire team of eight Android engineers flew to Seoul for a meeting with what was then the largest phone maker.

Rubin had a meeting with 20 Samsung executives where he introduced Android, but instead of being enthusiastic or just asking questions, the answer was silence.

What army do you want to create this with? You only have six people. Are you stoned? - that's what they said. They made fun of me in the boardroom. This happened two weeks before Google bought us,” writes Rubin.

In early 2005, Larry Page agreed to meet Andy, and after the Android presentation, he not only agreed to help with money, he decided that Google would buy Android. The entire mobile industry was changing before our eyes, and Page and Brin watched with concern, afraid that giants like Microsoft would seize the initiative.

The history of the Rubik's Cube and how it developed

The Beginning of Samsung - Daegu Trading Post, 1938

Semiconductors are better than rice

A real breakthrough in the history of the company occurred in 1969, when she, together with the Japanese company Sanyo, opened a workshop in South Korea to assemble black and white Japanese televisions. Already in 1973, a full-fledged large-scale production of various consumer electronics was established in the city of Suwon, and the joint venture completely passed under the control of Samsung Trading Co and became Samsung Electronics Corporation.

Having started its activity in the consumer electronics market almost from scratch, in a few years Samsung Electronics has taken a prominent place in it. By adopting Sanyo's technology and then focusing on semiconductor manufacturing, the corporation has grown over time to become one of the largest and most famous electronics manufacturers in the world.

Difficulties in translation

There is no unequivocal version about the origin of the word samsung (pronounced "samson"), but the most common version is that it means "three stars" in Korean. Perhaps the choice of name is related to the three sons of the company's founder, Byong Chul Lee, one of whom, Kun Hee Lee, heads the industrial group at the present time.

By the way, the image of three stars was present on the early logos of the company. But in 1993, Samsung, having considered the former logo as inconsistent with the image of an international corporation, decided to replace it. It was then that the modern emblem familiar to us saw the light - a dynamically inclined blue ellipse with the name of the company written inside. Excellent design and a large-scale advertising campaign have done their job: the logo has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Advertising students at top universities are now studying the Samsung logo change as an example of an exceptionally successful rebrand.

When developing a new emblem, it was not without oriental philosophy. According to Samsung marketers, “the elliptical shape of the logo symbolizes world movement in space, expressing the idea of constant renewal and improvement.

amateur photography

The business strategists of Samsung Electronics began to think about the fact that entering the market of amateur photographic equipment could bring considerable profit back in the mid-1970s. The result of reflection was the appearance of the first Samsung camera in 1979. The SF-A didn't have a lot of charisma: it was just a good flash camera that anyone could use. But the company did not seek to create a technical masterpiece - the main goal was the production of simple cameras for the mass consumer. And the mass consumer responded with interest, since the first Samsung cameras were inexpensive for their class, quite reliable and easy to manage.

The further development of Samsung compact cameras kept pace with the development of photographic technologies: more powerful flashes appeared, motors for rewinding film, an automatic DX code reading function, red bulbs, which were attributed to protection against the “red evil eye”, finally, full-fledged autofocus and lenses with variable focal length- zooms. Acquiring all these innovations, Samsung products, however, did not particularly stand out among other cameras, but at the same time, in terms of functionality and quality, they did not lag behind the “classmates” models of the leading manufacturers in this area.

When developing amateur compacts, Samsung engineers were well aware that obtaining really high-quality images is impossible without the use of high-end optics. But starting the production of good optical glass from scratch is an extremely troublesome task that requires serious financial and intellectual resources. As a result, Samsung chose a different path: in 1995, it entered into a partnership agreement with the legendary German optical manufacturer Schneider-Kreuznach, whose name, displayed on the lens barrel, was a guarantee of quality for any person familiar with photography. Since then, the lenses of all top models of Samsung cameras have appeared with an unpronounceable combination of letters of the German alphabet.

Of course, no one made these lenses in Germany and then screwed them onto Korean cameras. The production of branded "Schneider" optics was established at Samsung factories under license and under the strict control of the German concern. As we know, already in the digital age, the Japanese went down the same path: Panasonic, which entered into an agreement with Leica AG, and Sony Corporation, which widely uses Carl Zeiss optics.

It is interesting that in the late 1990s, Samsung tried to compete with the "top five" (as a group of Japanese companies, leading manufacturers of photographic equipment were called at that time: Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta and Pentax) in the SLR camera segment, releasing its first SLR - non-autofocus Samsung SR4000 with Schneider-Kreuznach optics.

The camera turned out to be very good, with thoughtful controls and a “grasping” body, and in addition to the standard fifty dollars, the Schneider optical line included three more zoom lenses. But, despite the obvious advantages, the camera traditionally did not have any bright features, which is why it was “lost” among copies of more eminent photographic manufacturers.

In the photo market, Samsung was still perceived only as a manufacturer of amateur compact cameras. So, at the end of the “film era” in Russia, three cameras from the Samsung model range were sold everywhere. The first and simplest is the Fino 40s with a 30mm f/4.5 fixed lens, flash and automatic film advance. The second, more functional, is Vega 700 with an optical zoom covering focal lengths from 35 to 70 mm. And the third, the most “tricked out”, is the Vega 290W, the main features of which can be considered a universal zoom lens with a focal length of 28–90 mm and the ability to control the shutter speed manually (bulb), which is dubious for such a camera. Agree, in order to be considered a serious photo producer, this is clearly not enough. But, as we can now see, Samsung had everything yet to come.

Digital Philosophy

“Samsung Electronics sees itself as a leader in the 'Revolutionary Digital Convergence Era'; our task is to turn this vision into reality, turning our company into a digital one - Digital-ε Company”, - this is how the essence of the philosophy of Samsung Electronics is formulated on the official website of the corporation. The company began to put this philosophy into practice in the 1990s in all areas of its activity, including the production of photographic equipment.

In 1994, the relatively compact digital camera Samsung SSC-410N was introduced to the public. The camera, shaped more like modern binoculars or a small video projector, was equipped with a 1/3-inch CCD-matrix with a resolution of 768 x 484 pixels, a zoom lens with an equivalent focal length of 40-120 mm and a built-in 4 MB memory module. However, this device went into production only in 1997, and a year before that, a compact digital camera of a more traditional design appeared in photo stores - the Samsung Kenox SSC-350N, which was also produced under the Apple and Fujifilm brands.

A CCD-matrix with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels was responsible for registering images in the Kenox SSC-350N, information was recorded on a removable memory card in SmartMedia format. Otherwise, the device was quite simple even for its time: a plastic case, a lens with a fixed equivalent focal length of 38 mm, a shutter speed range from 1/4 to 1/5000 s, and the only possible ISO value was 100 ISO. But it was one of the first digital cameras costing less than $1000, so Samsung can safely be considered a pioneer in the production of digital photographic equipment - with the only caveat that the Kenox SSC-350N was not the company's own development.

The range of Samsung digital compacts, which could already really claim commercial success, was first presented at the PMA 2002 exhibition. a more functional Digimax 350SE, also equipped with a 3-megapixel sensor, and the 4-megapixel Digimax 410 closed this list.

In October 2004, gadget lovers were happy to learn that Samsung Electronics released the world's first camera phone with a 5-megapixel matrix resolution, and the following spring, the first Korean phone with a 7-megapixel camera appeared. But with the production of the actual cameras, things were not so great: they improved, but still remained only one of many. In order for the Korean corporation to be talked about as a prominent photo producer, it was necessary to release a bright, truly innovative product. The development of such a product, or rather, a series of them, Samsung Electronics specialists began in 2005.

chocolate interface

After conducting numerous market researches, the dream camera development team took three main opinions of potential consumers as a guideline:
- I don't know anything about photography, but I still want to look like a professional;
- I like the slim and elegant design;
- the camera is conservative in its essence.

In other words, it was necessary to create a series of technically flawless cameras with an outstanding design, which, nevertheless, would leave no one in doubt that it was the camera in your hands.

Orientally loyal to their corporation and westernly motivated developers literally settled in their office and became like zombies, raving about things that no one understands. More than five hundred sketch ideas were developed, tailored to specific specifications; they all turned out quite bright, but a catchy design alone was not enough: innovative solutions were required in the very principle of camera control.

Remembering this period, the developers admit that they survived only thanks to the chocolate that they consumed then in huge number. One day, one of the "office prisoners" was sitting at his desk, staring at the chocolate bar he had begun, and suddenly said: "We can make the menu navigation buttons look like a chocolate bar, consisting of nine smaller slices." Everyone took it as a joke, but then seized on the idea, which at first seemed to be the product of a completely exhausted imagination. This is how the principle of controlling the camera using touch buttons located along the LCD screen was born, which is significantly different from the usual four-button joysticks used in most other cameras.

This original, completely new user interface, coupled with a beautiful memorable design and rich functionality, made the Samsung NV (New Vision) series cameras one of the brightest new cameras in the market in 2006.

Almost in the lead

Today, Samsung Electronics is one of the world's largest manufacturers of cameras. In 2006, the company released under its own name the first digital SLR Samsung GX-1S, the result of a partnership agreement with Pentax. Despite the fact that the GX-1S is almost exact copy model *ist DS2 from Pentax, its release speaks of the company's intention to win the attention of advanced amateur photographers. This became completely clear after Samsung's debut in the semi-pro segment with the 10-megapixel GX-10 SLR, also developed by Pentax. Amateur photographers have appreciated these efforts and are increasingly considering Korean cameras with a proprietary blue border as full-fledged and very competitive devices. This could not but affect the popularity of Samsung's compact cameras, presented in four series.

The recently updated NV series continues to bring together high-quality functional cameras with outstanding design and innovative controls, which at first, however, may seem too unusual.

The i-series is the most compact and stylish accessory camera for fashionistas, but not for photography enthusiasts. The universal L-series is a collection of high-quality fully automatic cameras. The S-series combines both the simplest digital compacts, which do not allow much intervention in the shooting process, and functional cameras with the ability to enter settings manually.

In general, the modern range of Samsung compact cameras is extremely diverse. Most cameras, despite their modest size, fit comfortably in the hand due to the presence of a characteristic protrusion. Many models are produced in a classic black design, which cannot but please photographers of the old school, and simply lovers of the classics or the retro style that is fashionable today.

Well, and most importantly, almost all cameras (with the possible exception of the i series) belong to the case when a memorable design does not prevent the device from being really easy to operate and quite functional. Samsung's compact cameras have finally acquired a distinct personality: today it is difficult to confuse them with any other.

Good day, dear visitors. In this article, we will find out where the production and assembly of the Samsung Galaxy S8 takes place. Most people know that the epicenter of the lowest prices for labor services is in China.

Therefore, Samsung has not bypassed this market. But where else besides China, Galaxy S8 smartphones are produced, this will be discussed further.

Where is the Galaxy S8 assembled?

Samsung factory

The original S8 smartphones are produced in three Asian countries:

Korea.
Vietnam.
China.
India.

Samsung was born in Korea, so many potential buyers near the lying countries are trying to buy Korean flagships, trusting this country. In fact, the location of the assembly of the smartphone does not matter, the production system is the same everywhere.

Does the quality of the Galaxy S8 depend on the country of manufacture

Did you order the delivery of the new Galaxy S8? 🙂

Let's be honest, now we are on the verge of debunking a myth, producing a bad product in China. Previously, everyone was one hundred percent sure that consumer goods were produced in China, and so it was. Now, the quality of goods from the Middle Kingdom is reaching a new level.

But since, the quality assurance will still be defended in the minds of consumers around the world, for another ten years. Manufacturers do not try to focus on the fact that smartphones are assembled in China, after all, reputation does its job.

However, in no way does the manufacturer's country affect the level of build quality of the Galaxy S8. Absolutely at all plants and factories, the highest, world level of compliance with standards, a single technology for the production of smartphones, is observed. Here, the quality does not depend on whether a top-end premium gadget is assembled, or an inexpensive phablet. All of them are carefully checked, because the good name of the whole company is at stake.

So, if you come across not a Korean, but let's say a Chinese or Vietnamese model, do not shy away from it, the quality of the company is the same. Here are the essential facts in its favor:

The parts that are used in the assembly of the Galaxy S8 are absolutely identical for all countries and factories operating in them.
Basically, all production and assembly processes are performed by mechanized robots. However, there is also a share of human labor. The workers lovingly put all the components and accessories of the Galaxy S8 into boxes.
The enterprises have technical and laboratory quality control. The production line is regularly checked and tested for defects and possible malfunctions. Therefore, getting such models on sale is negligible.

So, summing up our review, we can safely say that the country of production does not affect the high quality of assembly and production of the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone. If you have a case for this, your opinion, we are waiting for it in the comments 🙂

Slogan: Digitally Yours

Samsung Group- one of the largest conglomerates in the business world, in its homeland, in South Korea, the word "chaebol" is used for such firms. Chobol is a large financial and industrial group, predominantly owned by one family and associated with government circles.

Leading division of the corporation Samsung rightly is Samsung Electronics, a world famous manufacturer of LCD panels, DVD players, mobile phones, memory modules used in computers, phones, players. Corporations Samsung also belong Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung SDS, Samsung Securities, Samsung C&T Corporation. Until 2000, the composition Samsung also included a division Samsung Motors, now owned Renault.

Samsung Group was founded in Daegu, Korea on March 1, 1938. Its founder, entrepreneur Byung-Chull Lee (1910-1987), whose start-up capital was only 30,000 won ($2,000), named the firm Samsung (Samsung Trading Co.), translated from Korean - "three stars", on the first logos of the company, these three stars are present in different variations. One of the most plausible versions about the origin of the name says that the entrepreneur had three sons. (Judging by the further development, none of the three sons turned out to be a fool, which, in fact, distinguishes the Korean fairy tale from the Russian folk tale.) This version is also supported by the fact that the company, in the spirit of many Asian firms, remained a family business, transferring and multiplying capital among the circle of relatives (and making a relative of those who managed to enter the business, stand out: intra-clan marriages are one of the traditions of business in Asia). Entrepreneur, according to some reports, never received degree, became one of the most famous and most respected people in Korea, the Korean equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the Ho-Am Prize, established by Samsung and awarded for outstanding achievements in science and technology, is named after him.

The company experienced its second birth in 1951. After the war and predatory actions on the part of the warring parties, the business was completely destroyed, but it is impossible to destroy the entrepreneurial spirit, and starting from scratch, Byong Chul Lee revived the company, achieving even greater prosperity in just a year. Whatever the entrepreneur did, his sphere of interests included: the production of sugar, wool, other consumer goods, retail, insurance, broadcasting, publishing business, securities trading. In the 1960s Samsung expecting unprecedented success. In order to revive the Korean economy, a policy of development of large national companies was pursued, the state subsidized, supported and helped selected corporations in every possible way, actually creating greenhouse conditions for them, eliminating competition and giving them broad powers. Creator Samsung managed to get close to government circles, which provided the corporation with unlimited opportunities for growth and expansion.

In the 1970s, Samsung enters the semiconductor market, seeing the promise of this direction and the rapid development of the industry. Created Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, a company that included several smaller branches Samsung Group involved in electronics ( Samsung Electron Devices, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Corning, Samsung Semiconductor and Telecommunications).

In 1969, the division Samsung — Samsung Sanyo launches the first batch of black-and-white TVs. 5 years later, the company begins to produce refrigerators and washing machines. After another 5 years - the release of microwave ovens and air conditioners. In 1978, a representative office of the company was opened in the USA. Having managed to become the first in Korea ( Samsung accounts for one-fifth of Korea's total exports), Samsung begins the path to gaining world leadership. In the 1980s Samsung entering the personal computer market. In 1991, the first mobile phone was developed Samsung, and in 1999 - the first smartphone. In 1992, the company began developing its first DRAM memory chip, then it was about a capacity of 64 MB, now chips with a capacity of 64 GB are being produced. In 1998, the mass production of digital TV sets developed at the company's research center begins. Year after year Samsung expands its presence in the global market, holding the lead in sales of cell phones and televisions.

In 1993, the year of the 55th anniversary of the company, an updated logo appeared. Samsung- tilted ellipse of blue color, with the inscription inside. The new logo successfully reflected the company's entry into the international arena, a kind of application for world leadership. Visually it seems that the word Samsung located inside the orbit of a celestial body, undoubtedly the corporation is a kind of universe, but at the same time this universe is open to the world, just look at the letters "S" and "G"— they are in contact with the outer space. One of the highlights of the logo is the spelling of letters "BUT" without a dash, repeated many times later, this technique still remained familiar Samsung.

Today the advanced division Samsung Group - Samsung Electronics became a world leader in the production of electronics and home appliances. Samsung Heavy Industries- division engaged in shipbuilding - the second in the world. The corporation is headed by Lee Kun Hee, son of the founder. It is to him that Samsung owes its success in the modern world, having assumed the duties of the head of the conglomerate after the death of his father in 1987, Lee Kun-hee abandoned the idea of \u200b\u200bmass production of low-quality goods, the so-called budget quality, and focused the company's efforts on the production of high-quality products, innovative and ahead of market trends. . Brand Samsung benefited a lot from such a decision, because those who considered the company's products to be of insufficient quality, in recent years, discover the world of household appliances and electronics with an exceptional combination of "price-quality", and if we add here the high level of service provided by the company, then alternatives to products The company is practically non-existent.