Russian church head warns that smartphones could bring the Antichrist

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MOSCOW — The head of the Russian Orthodox Church says the data-gathering capacity of devices such as smartphones risks bringing humanity closer to the arrival of the Antichrist.

In an interview shown Monday on state TV, Patriarch Kirill said the church does not oppose technological progress but is concerned that “someone can know exactly where you are, know exactly what you are interested in, know exactly what you are afraid of” and that such information could be used for centralized control of the world.

“Control from one point is a foreshadowing of the coming of Antichrist, if we talk about the Christian view. Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the world wide web that controls the entire human race,” he said.

Samsung blames profit plunge on ‘fiercely competitive’ phone market

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Samsung Electronics surprised the market on Tuesday with an estimated 29 percent drop in quarterly profit, blaming weak chip demand and a “fiercely competitive” smartphone market in a rare commentary issued to “ease confusion” among investors already fretting about a global tech slowdown.

The South Korean firm also said profit would remain subdued in the first quarter due to difficult conditions in memory chips, but that the market is likely to improve in the second half of the year as customers release new smartphones.

Weaker earnings at the world’s biggest maker of smartphones and semiconductors adds to worries for investors already on edge after Apple Inc last week took the rare move of cutting its quarterly sales forecast, citing poor iPhone sales in China.

China boasts the world’s biggest smartphone market, but a slowing economy, exacerbated by a trade war with the United States, has seen demand for gadgets drop across the tech sector. Growing support for domestic champions has also impacted foreign brands, with Samsung’s market share falling to 0.9 percent from a high of 18.2 percent in 2013.

Still, the South Korean firm’s chips power the handsets of most major makers, including Apple and China’s market leader Huawei Technologies. Its memory and processor chips account for over three-quarters of overall profit and about 38 percent of sales.

For October-December, Samsung estimated operating profit of 10.8 trillion won ($9.67 billion), missing the 13.2 trillion won average of 26 analyst estimates in an I/B/E/S Refinitiv poll. It also estimated an 11 percent fall in revenue at 59 trillion won.

Samsung also said a “stagnant and fiercely competitive smartphone market” pressured income and that the firm would continue to innovate its product line such as with foldable handsets and models capable of fifth-generation (5G) networking.

“If Apple’s not selling, then is it Samsung that’s selling well? It is not. The smartphone market is already saturated,” said senior analyst Greg Roh at Hyundai Motor Securities.

“Apple’s iPhones have not been selling well in China… That’s even worse for Samsung because that would drag its chip prices down,” Roh said, referring to Apple as a Samsung chip client.

Roku to launch premium video channels business

Roku Inc. is taking a page from Amazon Prime’s playbook by expanding The Roku Channel to include content from Showtime, Epix and other premium channels.

A maker of streaming devices, Roku said Wednesday that its new service, Premium Subscriptions, will allow users to add up to 25 subscription channels to the free content that Roku already offers.

Amazon Prime’s Channels began offering a similar service four years ago to enable subscribers to stream content from HBO and other premium channels on an à la carte basis.

Both services are selling convenience — a single platform that seamlessly bills customers for renting or buying entertainment from dozens of additional content providers.

Apple is expected to adopt the same strategy by incorporating premium channels in an update of its streaming, according to press accounts.

Roku said that, by the end of January, customers will be able to subscribe to its new channels with a click that taps into existing Roku accounts and consolidates added charges in a single monthly statement.

“We’re focused on making it easy to find great entertainment of all types on the platform and adding Premium Subscriptions is a natural evolution for The Roku Channel,” said Rob Holmes, a Roku’s VP.

Roku shares rose 6.1 percent Wednesday, to $32.52.

Tesla shares tumble after production figures disappoint

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Tesla shares skidded as much as 10 percent after the company said it will hand out a $2,000 discount on all cars it sells this year — even as it posted disappointing deliveries for the most recent quarter.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s electric-car maker on Wednesday revealed it delivered 90,700 vehicles in the quarter ended Dec. 31. That was more than triple the 29,870 it delivered in the year-earlier quarter, but it still missed Wall Street’s forecast of 92,700.

But it was the company’s price cut — a markdown meant to offset the pain of a $7,500 federal subsidy on electric cars which on Jan .1 got cut in half to $3,750 — that really spooked Tesla investors.

That’s because many Tesla bulls had been betting that a big backlog of car orders would keep the company relatively immune from price pressures this year.

“That raises some questions, especially if demand is really as strong as they claim,” Garrett Nelson, an analyst at CFRA, said of the price cut.

On Wednesday, it was Tesla’s margins that provoked worries. As the lower-priced Model 3 becomes an increasingly big percentage of Tesla’s overall mix, the discount will eat into profits all the more, according to Nelson.

“The margins on those vehicles, we can assume, will be significantly lower,” Nelson said. “To expand margins, they’re going to have to keep driving down production costs per vehicle.”

The automaker said it delivered 63,150 Model 3s, 13,500 Model S sedans and 14,050 Model X SUVs in the quarter. Wall Street analysts had forecast 64,900 Model 3 deliveries, 14,200 for the Model S and 13,600 for the Model X.

Tesla said it boosted production during the quarter, churning out 86,555 vehicles, up 8 percent from 80,142 during the third quarter.

Tesla had signaled in October that its production rates would improve, saying that the number of labor hours to build the Model 3 fell by more than 30 percent from the second to the third quarter.

Shares of Tesla closed down 6.8 percent Wednesday, to $310.12.

Are Smartphones With Multiple Cameras Over The Top?

While the global smartphone market is said to be slowing down, smartphone makers are doing their best to come up with new hardware features in hopes of attracting more consumers. One of which is the inclusion of multiple camera lenses, which appear to be too gimmicky or over the top. 

Smartphone camera technology has been rapidly evolving since last year. This 2019, it’s bound to reach greater heights with new handsets debuting with more lenses. In particular, HMD Global is preparing a phone with seven cameras all in all: two up front and five at the back. 

Renowned Twitter leaker Evan Blass and MySmartPrice recently shared images and videos showcasing the upcoming Android One phone that’s currently dubbed the Nokia 9 PureView. From the looks of things, the rear lenses of the device have this spider-like configuration, according to Engadget. 

There’s currently no official information on how the rear cameras work or what software tricks and features they sport, but it’s clear that HMD is taking cues from the original PureView devices like the Lumia 1020. Thus, the five lenses could work together in capturing more details for every photo. 

With more lenses onboard, the Nokia 9 PureView could easily attract photography enthusiasts. Android Police believes that at this point the inclusion of five rear cameras is more of a marketing gimmick than just coming up with an advanced camera module for higher-quality photos. 

So far, HMD seems to be the only one working on a seven-camera handset. But Samsung Electronics is trailing right behind it with a rumored six-lens smartphone, believed to be the Galaxy S10 Plus variant of the upcoming Galaxy S10 series. Renders shared by @OnLeaks (via 91mobiles) seemingly showed the handset sporting four rear lenses and two front snappers. 

The South Korean giant is also the first one to debut a phone with four camera lenses. The Galaxy A9 is a mid-range handset with an array of four distinct back lenses and a lone selfie shooter. The rear camera module comprises a 24-megapixel primary lens with Phase Detection Auto Focus, an 8-megapixel ultrawide secondary lens, a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and a 5-megapixel lens with depth sensor. 

It’s not surprising why smartphone makers are trying hard to advance their camera technologies. Considering that more consumers are using their smartphones to document and capture special moments on a regular basis, manufacturers are inclined to come up with smartphone photography technology that could challenge professional DSLR cameras in some aspects.

As of late, smartphone camera technology is far from becoming up to par with DSLR cameras. But given the leaps and bounds of the former in recent years, it’s highly likely for smartphone cameras to be just as good as high-end cameras in 10 years time, according to TechRadar. 

For now, multi-lens smartphones may seem over the top. But it’s actually a stepping stone toward a future where smartphones could easily rival DLSR or mirrorless cameras. 

More smartphones are debuting with more camera lenses this year. Photo: Getty Images/Josep Lago

Apple vs. Samsung: iPhones Dominated Premium Smartphone Market In Q3

Amid rumors that Apple’s (AAPL) new iPhones have been suffering sluggish sales, a new report has claimed that the iOS-running smartphones dominated the premium smartphone market in the third quarter of 2018, beating Samsung’s latest Galaxy S and Note offerings. 

Counterpoint Research’s Market Monitor recently disclosed that collected market data showed Apple’s iPhones as the most in demand handsets in the premium segment. This segment, which is composed of devices valued at $400 or higher, represents 22 percent of the global smartphone market. 

According to the report, Apple’s new iPhones captured 47 percent of the premium market segment in the third quarter, which is twice than Samsung’s 22 percent share. Huawei came third with 12 percent, then other Chinese brands followed suit. Vivo and Oppo got 5 percent each, while Xiaomi secured 3 percent. 

Looking at the specific price segments, Apple did not really secure the top spot in the $400 to $600 segment, which accounts for 46 percent of the premium smartphone market. Apple only had a 21 percent share, while Samsung secured the lead with a 25 percent share. Huawei trailed behind the two with 17 percent. 

However, Apple definitely beat Samsung in the $600 to $800 bracket for having 61 percent of shipments compared to the latter’s 21 percent. The Cupertino giant’s dominance in the premium smartphone market is strongly felt in the $800-or-more category with its 79 percent share. 

Based on the collected data, Apple’s iPhones performed the best in the following regions: North America, the Middle East and Africa, Western Europe, China and the Asia-Pacific. Meanwhile, Apple only came second in Latin America, Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The tech giant only came third in India, behind OnePlus and Samsung, as pointed out by AppleInsider. 

There are 40 manufacturers competing in the premium smartphone market at present. However, this segment is largely dominated by a few companies including Apple and Samsung. In fact, the five biggest players in the segment account for around 89 percent of shipments. 

It’s important to note that Apple has decided to no longer disclose unit-shipment data for its products. CFO Luca Maestri justified this move saying, “The number of units sold in any 90-day period is not necessarily representative of the underlying strength of the business.”

Apple’s iPhones reportedly dominated the premium smartphone market in the third quarter. Pictured: The new Apple iPhone XS (L) and iPhone XS Max (R) are displayed during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California. Photo: Getty Images/Justin Sullivan