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[News Article] Apple dethrones Samsung as No. 1 smartphone vendor for first time in history

Apple dethrones Samsung as No. 1 smartphone vendor for first time in history BY JIN EUN-SOO, Korea JoongAng Daily - Apple, for the first time ever, has dethroned Samsung to become the No. 1 smartphone vendor in 2023. The Cupertino, California-based company sold 234.6 million units last year, a 3.7 percent increase over the previous year, according to market tracker IDC. Apple was the only company of the three largest smartphone manufacturers to display positive growth last year amid a struggling smartphone market. Samsung Electronics shipped 226.6 million units in 2023, a 13.6 percent decrease from the previous year. Apple accounted for 20.1 percent of the global market while Samsung accounted for 19.4 percent in 2023. IDC attributed the results to the growing market for premium smartphones, a segment in which Apple dominates. “Apple's ongoing success and resilience is in large part due to the increasing trend of premium devices, which now represent more than 20 percent of the market fueled by aggressive trade-in offers and interest-free financing plans,” said Nabila Popal, research director of IDC's Worldwide Tracker team.  The firm also noted that high-quality competitors in the Android space are pulling Samsung customers away. “Apple certainly played a part in Samsung's drop in rank, but the overall Android space is diversifying within itself,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president of IDC's Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers division.  “Huawei is back and making inroads quickly within China. Brands like OnePlus, Honor, Google and others are launching very competitive devices in the lower price range of the high end.” The most recent year that Samsung didn't top the manufacturer list was 2010. Nokia held first place that year; Apple didn't make the top five. Chinese brands continued to sell well: Xiaomi, Oppo and Transsion all followed Samsung on the list. Xiaomi sold 145.9 million units last year, while Oppo and Transsion shipped 103.1 million and 94.9 million, respectively.  The overall smartphone market shrank last year. Global shipments declined by 3.2 percent on year in 2023 on-year, totaling just 1.2 billion units.  Source: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-17/business/tech/Apple-dethrones-Samsung-as-No-1-smartphone-vendor-for-first-time-in-history/1960475 

2024.01.19

[News Article] Hyundai, Kia take nine honors at U.S. Good Design Awards

Hyundai, Kia take nine honors at U.S. Good Design Awards BY SARAH CHEA, Korea JoongAng Daily - Hyundai Motor and Kia took nine prizes at the United States' 2023 Good Design Awards, highlighting their design competitiveness in the global auto scene. The Korean automakers received awards in the categories of transportation and interactive media; Hyundai took six, Kia took two and Hyundai subsidiary Genesis took one. The Ioniq 6 drew attention for its sleek exterior and stylish interior design, while Grandeur was recognized for its futuristic exterior styling and interior that maximizes comfort and luxury, according to Hyundai.  The N Vision 74, Hyundai's first hydrogen-powered sports car, achieved a “grand slam,” in Hyundai's words, with its recent victory. It has now won all four major design awards, including honors from the iF Product Design Awards, the International Design Excellence Awards and the Red Dot Design Awards. The Good Design Awards, which were founded in 1950, evaluate products for innovative design, new technologies, function, energy efficiency and sensitivity to the environment. The selection is done jointly between the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies in Europe. Hyundai also won awards in the Interactive Media category for its ‘Seon,’ connected car Navigation Cockpit infotainment system, and the ‘Hyundai Sans UI,’ its mobility-exclusive font. Kia's EV9 and the company's car infotainment system, named Ki, were honored in the same category. Genesis also won an award in the transportation category for its Genesis X Convertible concept. Source: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-17/business/industry/Hyundai-Kia-take-nine-honors-at-US-Good-Design-Awards/1960543 

2024.01.19

[News Article] 어플라이드, 구글과 차세대 AR 디스플레이 기술 공동개발

어플라이드, 구글과 차세대 AR 디스플레이 기술 공동개발  조선비즈 황민규 기자 - 어플라이드 머티어리얼즈가 첨단 증강현실(AR) 기술 구현을 위해 구글과 협업한다고 16일 밝혔다. 이번 협업으로 양사는 어플라이드의 재료공학 솔루션 분야 기술과 구글의 플랫폼∙제품∙서비스를 결합해 차세대 AR 경험을 위한 경량화된 비주얼 디스플레이 시스템을 개발한다. 양사는 이번 협업을 통해 다양한 세대의 제품, 애플리케이션, 서비스 개발을 가속화하는 것을 목표로 한다. 어플라이드 머티어리얼즈 CTO 오피스의 포토닉스 플랫폼 사업부 부사장 겸 총괄책임자 폴 마이스너(Paul Meissner) 박사는 “어플라이드 머티어리얼즈는 최첨단 고성능 광학 기술을 도입해 획기적인 신제품을 가능케 하는 우수하고 경량화된 솔루션 개발에 주력하고 있다”며 “어플라이드의 글로벌 엔지니어링 역량과 구글의 검증된 플랫폼∙제품∙서비스를 결합함으로써 미래 AR 제품 분야에서 무한한 가능성이 열릴 것”이라고 말했다. 샤흐람 이자디(Shahram Izadi) 구글 AR 부문 부사장은 “구글은 컴퓨팅 플랫폼을 통해 전 세계 사용자에게 가치를 제공하기 위해 최선을 다하고 있다”며 “차세대 비주얼 컴퓨팅 환경을 구현할 핵심 기술 및 프로세스 개발을 위해 어플라이드와 협력하게 돼 기쁘다”고 밝혔다. 출처: https://biz.chosun.com/it-science/ict/2024/01/16/TMNAXLXXWBB4HJ55N6WIP53PI4/  

2024.01.16

[News Article] Pedal to metal at Hyundai’s brutal desert test track

Pedal to metal at Hyundai’s brutal desert test track   BY SARAH CHEA, Korea JoongAng Daily - About a two-hour ride from Las Vegas, sits Mojave Desert, the largest desert in California. Driving one more hour through the vast desert, camouflaged Hyundai Motor EVs and SUVs were being tested at its 17.7 million-square-meter (190.5-million-square feet) California Proving Grounds, where all Hyundai and Kia cars must be examined before hitting the North American roads. It’s the “most suitable ground to test vehicles in extreme conditions,” in Hyundai’s words, with the average temperature staying at 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit), going up to 54 degrees Celsius in summer and dropping to zero degrees in winter. “We test cars on various major areas including off-road driving, safety and cars’ functions based on U.S. regulations at Mojave proving grounds,” said Lee Sung-yop, vice president at Hyundai America Technical Center during a recent media tour.   Taking on the wheels of a Sorento SUV on a four-kilometer off-road track, which was full of holes and bumpy roads, the car smoothly passed the section without any big shakes. There was gravel and sand everywhere, but the car was not agitated by the road conditions, leaving this reporter without any motion sickness at all. The Mojave proving grounds now have seven off-road tracks, from just one in the beginning, and is planning to have more in the future. “SUVs account for 60 percent of our sales in the North American market while 20 percent are for pick-up trucks, which means testing on off-road driving is essential,” Lee said. The track comes with 12 test sites including a 10.2-kilometer high-speed circuit and a 5.3-kilometer course to evaluate the powertrain. More than 300 cars are examined at the proving grounds every day. This reporter then switched seats to the Genesis GV70 to run the high-speed circuit — an EV with a top speed of 200 kilometers per hour. Sharp curves and steep hills were not enough to stop the EV, with the cornering and handling being unexpectedly smooth and gentle. Making circular turns and pressing brake pedals to their maximum made this reporter feel like the main character from “Fast & Furious." Every car must run more than 30,000 miles or more than 4,000 laps of the circuit to pass the test. “EVs weigh over 400 kilograms more than gasoline cars, which require various running and heat control tests,” Lee said. Hyundai mainly conducts tests on days with over 45 degrees Celsius and solar radiation that has an intensity of more than 1,000 watts per square meter. When testing the latest Ioniq 5N, a high-performance model based on the Ioniq 5, it was a very important criterion to make the car’s temperature exceed 60 degrees, Hyundai said. Opened in 2005, the Mojave grounds are the No. 2 proving grounds in terms of size and performance in North America, with the location only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles compared to other big three U.S. automakers who all have their grounds in Michigan. Hyundai invested 80 billion won ($60.9 million) for the construction.   Hyundai attributes the Mojave proving grounds for its latest success in the U.S. market. Hyundai Motor and Kia were the fourth-largest car-making group in the United States last year, beating Stellantis for the first time in its history. The carmakers sold a record 1.65 million cars in the U.S. market last year, up 12.1 percent on year. It's the first time their combined sales exceeded 1.5 million. Source: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-15/business/industry/Pedal-to-metal-at-Hyundais-brutal-desert-test-track/1958768 

2024.01.16

[News Article] 르노 브랜드 CEO, 韓공장 방문…"올해 전환기, 한국서 맞을 것"

르노 브랜드 CEO, 韓공장 방문…"올해 전환기, 한국서 맞을 것" 지디넷코리아 김재성 기자 - 르노코리아자동차는 파블리스 캄볼리브 르노 브랜드 최고경영자(CEO)를 포함한 주요 르노 경영진이 지난 10일∼12일 한국을 방문했다고 14일 밝혔다. 르노 경영진은 방한 기간 르노테크놀로지코리아와 부산공장, 서울사무소 등을 찾아 신차 개발 계획인 '오로라 프로젝트'를 점검하고 임직원들을 격려했다. 캄볼리브 CEO는 이 프로젝트를 점검하면서 "르노는 올해 한국 시장에서 새로운 전환기를 맞이할 것"이라고 전했다. 오로라 프로젝트는 르노그룹의 인터내셔널 게임 플랜 아래 한국에서 처음 선보일 차량 모델의 개발 코드명이다. 르노코리아는 '오로라1' 모델을 준비해 올해 하반기 국내외에 출시한다는 계획이다. 르노코리아에 따르면 오로라1은 하이브리드 중형 스포츠유틸리티차(SUV)로, 새로운 프랑스 디자인 트렌드와 최신 E-테크 하이브리드 구동 시스템이 콤팩트 모듈형 플랫폼(CMA)과 결합한 모델이다. 캄볼리브 CEO는 "새 하이브리드 모델은 한국과 글로벌 소비자들의 높은 눈높이를 충족시켜주고 한국 시장은 물론 르노의 글로벌 시장 전략에도 중요한 차량이 될 것"이라고 강조했다. 앞서 르노그룹은 지난해 10월 발표한 르노 인터내셔널 게임 플랜을 통해 2027년까지 유럽 이외 세계 시장을 공략하기 위해 모두 8종의 신차를 글로벌 허브 5곳에서 출시한다고 발표했다. 한국은 하이엔드 D, E 세그먼트 차량 개발 및 생산 허브 역할을 담당하게 된다. 출처: https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20240114125844 

2024.01.16

[News Article] 맥도날드, 100% 재생패트 컵·뚜껑 전 매장 도입

맥도날드, 100% 재생패트 컵·뚜껑 전 매장 도입   이데일리 김정유 기자 - 한국맥도날드는 국내 외식업계 최초로 100% 재생페트(rPET)로 만든 플라스틱 컵과 뚜껑(리드)를 전국 매장에 도입한다고 15일 밝혔다. 맥도날드는 다음달 중 전국 매장에서 선데이 아이스크림 주문 시 재생페트 컵과 리드를 제공할 예정이다. 현재는 서울 수유점과 인천 연희DT점에서 선도입해 제공 중이며 연내 모든 커피 메뉴까지 친환경 재생페트 용기로 순차 전환할 계획이다. 단, 드라이브 스루(DT)나 테이크 아웃 주문 시 적용되며 매장 내 취식할 경우에는 다회용 컵이 제공된다. 맥도날드가 도입하는 재생페트 컵과 리드는 국내에서 별도 분리배출된 투명 페트병을 세척, 분쇄, 용융하는 가공 과정을 거쳐 재탄생시켰다. 선데이 아이스크림 컵과 리드 1세트에는 수거된 500ml 투명 페트병 약 2.5개가 사용된다. 재생페트는 신생 플라스틱대비 비용이 높지만 약 59%의 탄소 절감 효과가 있다. 맥도날드는 재생페트 함유량을 가장 높은 수준인 100%로 제작한다. 더불어 맥도날드는 내년까지 모든 패키지에 재활용과 재사용 가능한 소재로 전환하는 것을 목표로 하고 있다. 앞서 2020년에는 업계 최초로 빨대가 필요 없는 음료 뚜껑인 ‘뚜껑이’를 도입했으며 2022년부터는 매장 내에서 다회용기를 제공하기도 했다. 회사 관계자는 “외식 업계 최초로 시행하는 만큼 이번 도입이 플라스틱 자원 순환 체계에 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 뿐 아니라, 고객들의 환경친화적인 인식 제고에 보탬이 될 것으로 예상하고 있다”라며 “앞으로도 세상에 좋은 일이 맥도날드에도 좋은 일이라는 믿음으로 업계 선도 기업의 역할을 다하기 위해 꾸준히 노력할 것”이라고 말했다. 출처: https://www.edaily.co.kr/news/read?newsId=01597366638758048&mediaCodeNo=257 

2024.01.16

[News Article] Hyundai Motor, Kia gear up to break sales record in U.S.

Hyundai Motor, Kia gear up to break sales record in U.S. Luxury, eco-friendly cars expected to lead growth in 2024  By Lee Min-hyung, The Korea Times - Hyundai Motor and Kia are gearing up to renew their combined sales record in the U.S. this year by extending their winning streak with value-added luxury and eco-friendly vehicles. The U.S. is emerging as a key strategic market for Korean carmakers, after they surprised the market with a robust sales growth of 12.1 percent in 2023 from a year earlier. This is a record high, and they expect the sales growth to continue even throughout 2024, as demand increases gradually for electric vehicles (EV) and other cash cow vehicle models sold by Genesis, the luxury vehicle brand of Hyundai Motor. Decent sales of recreational vehicles have also propped up their sales, according to Hyundai Motor. A spokesman at the carmaker said Hyundai and its smaller affiliate Kia are no longer considered price-competitive vehicle manufacturers, but rather brands with strong identities. “Customers from the U.S. are no longer hesitant to purchase vehicles from Hyundai Motor and Kia, mostly due to their enhanced brand power, as was shown by the recent sales growth,” an official from Hyundai Motor said. The company remained confident over setting a new sales record this year again by pursuing a strategy of selling value-added and eco-friendly cars. Last year, the two carmakers achieved outstanding sales growth of 52.3 percent in sales for eco-friendly vehicles, including EVs. Their sales portion accounted for 16.8 percent in 2023, a five-fold growth from three years earlier. Hyundai and Kia are having more influence in the U.S. eco-friendly vehicle market, according to data, topping 20 percent market share for three consecutive years since 2021. This is twice as high as their global market share of around 10 percent. Sales for Genesis vehicles are also on a gradual rise in the world’s largest economy. Genesis made its debut in 2015, and its accumulated sales in the U.S. topped 250,000. The figure is estimated to top the symbolic level of 300,000 sometime before the end of the third quarter of this year. Genesis aims higher with the planned launch of its GV80 Coupe and GV80 facelift, which recently made their debut in Korea. As demand for SUVs remains aggressive in the U.S., Genesis expects the launch of the luxury SUVs to help boost Hyundai Motor Group's overall sales there. Source: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/01/419_366771.html 

2024.01.16