MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 20, 2021 — Global payment innovation company Verrency today announced that Alon Feit, an accomplished payments executive and successful start-up founder, has joined Verrency. Mr. Feit joins Verrency’s global advisory board and will also take responsibility for Verrency’s commercial operations in Israel and selected countries within Europe.
Mr Feit is the co-founder and ex-president and CEO – Splitit Payments Ltd (Splitit), a patented card-based instalment payment solution company (BNPL), leading the company in raising US$130m in equity and US$80m as a debt facility prior to the company’s successful IPO on the ASX. He has held numerous executive leadership roles in the credit card industry for over 25 years at, Mastercard, ITAU-Unibanco Cards and Shufersal Finance.
"I have been following Verrency for a while and have really admired the way that Verrency is solving a major financial services industry problem that couldn’t be timelier – how to drive innovation and unique consumer experiences around the moment of payment for institutions with existing legacy systems and portfolios," said Mr Feit. "Their solution is truly unique in that it can be deployed on top existing payment infrastructure, offering a flexible way for financial institutions to deliver engaging payment experiences at Fintech speed. Their team is absolutely top calibre, and I am excited to be joining Verrency where I can help David and the team expand further across Israel and Europe."
"Alon’s experience in building Splitit and his understanding of the card issuing space are tremendous assets as we look to expand in Europe and Israel," said David Link, Verrency Founder & CEO. "Alon’s vision, passion and his breadth of experience in the card issuing space is precisely where Verrency operates and are invaluable as we continue our expansion. And having Alon’s experienced insights – he has just successfully grown another fintech – will be instrumental as Verrency further expands its value proposition into BNPL, personalisation and other services around the moment of payment.
Verrency’s industrial-grade platform fits on top of a bank’s, processor’s or wallet’s existing infrastructure, opening the door for rapid delivery of enhanced features and new services without the need to change existing legacy technology or to migrate portfolios. The company’s clients include financial institutions around the world from large tier 1 issuing processors to neobanks to national debit schemes, including Emirates NBD, Volt Bank, EFTPOS, and the US-based global processor FIS, among others.
About Verrency
Verrency puts financial institutions back at the centre of customer engagement. Verrency’s highly secure payments innovation platform helps issuers to acquire and retain customers and increase payment spend while increasing security, control and connectability. Verrency works behind the scenes to enable value-added services for an issuer’s customers quickly and easily without major changes to existing payments infrastructure or the need to integrate to point-of-sale systems. Verrency also enables rapid connection to third-party services via its extensive FinTech ecosystem with little to no integration. For more information, see www.verrency.com.
Earnings Release and Fact Sheet Third Quarter, Fiscal 2021
MUMBAI, India, Jan. 20, 2021 — Larsen & Toubro Infotech (BSE code: 540005) (NSE: LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, announced its Q3 FY21 results today.
In US Dollars:
Revenue at USD 427.8 million; increase of 5.8% QoQ and 8.5% YoY
Constant Currency Revenue increase of 5.3% QoQand7.4% YoY
In Indian Rupees:
Revenue at INR 31,528 million; increase of 5.1% QoQ and growth of 12.2% YoY
Net Income at INR 5,193 million; increase of 13.7% QoQ andgrowth of37.9% YoY
"We are pleased to deliver a strong quarter with 5.8% QoQ growth in USD revenues. This has been driven by healthy growth momentum across our portfolio. We continue to see strong demand for cloud-based IT solutions. Our tier 1 level partnership with the hyperscalers enables us to work closely on client outcomes and go-to-market opportunities.
"We are happy to announce two large deals with cumulative net new TCV of USD 278 million. We remain focused on building and scaling differentiated capabilities. A healthy deal pipeline and sustained client mining make us optimistic about the future."
– Sanjay Jalona, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, LTI
Recent Deal Wins
A UAE-based leader in digital transformation has selected LTI as its partner of choice to provide infrastructure and application operations support and maintenance for its existing and new customers. As part of the deal, LTI will also partner with end customers on their journey to cloud and transform operations to bring in best-shoring and automation.
A Global Fortune 500 energy company has chosen LTI as its primary partner for an application managed services agreement to create and consolidate a business-aligned IT services delivery platform across the organization and reduce total cost of ownership.
A company located in the U.S providing leading data-driven marketing, loyalty and payment solutions has selected LTI for customer-centric digital transformation initiatives to enhance customer experience, brand reputation, customer acquisition and retention and reduction in costs by virtue of streamlined operations.
An engineering, construction and mining company located in South East Asia has partnered with LTI to transform its procurement, sales, bidding, contracting and analytics functions using SAP to enable operational excellence, ensure data-driven insights and informed decision making across the organization.
LTI executed a license sale agreement for AI, Decisions and Catalog products on its Mosaic platform with a multinational banking and financial services company to bring about efficiency in their reporting with the regulators. Mosaic will serve as a unified data analytics platform enabling consolidation of all credit risk models and will be hosted in a hybrid cloud setup. As a part of the deal, LTI will be a one-stop shop providing the product as well as handling, deploying, integrating and testing services.
A leading European financial services firm has chosen LTI to manage its infrastructure operations through a leaner operating model and by leveraging the Mosaic platform to drive automation.
A leading commercial property and casualty insurance group based in Canada has selected LTI to consolidate and transform its policy administration systems and processes onto the Duck Creek platform to ensure streamlining of its operations.
A U.S. based real estate investment company has chosen LTI for providing application support, maintenance and development services along with key implementation initiatives to drive cost optimization and digital transformation.
Awards and Recognitions
LTI Recognized as a Leader in the ISG Provider Lens™ Digital Business – Solutions and Service Partners Report, US 2020
LTI Recognized as Leader and Star Performer in Everest Group’s Application and Digital Services in Capital Markets PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2021
LTI positioned in "Leaders" Quadrant within NelsonHall’s Software Testing: Quality Engineering NEAT 2020
LTI Recognized as a Leader in the ISG Provider Lens™ Public Cloud — Solutions and Services Report, Nordics 2020
LTI recognized as a Leader in Everest Group Insurance Business Model Innovation Enablement Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2021
Other Business Highlights
LTI won in the Outstanding Value Category at the Honda Indirect Procurement Supplier 2020 Awards, US. The outstanding value category acknowledges suppliers providing the most value to Honda by recognizing the total cost of ownership
LTI is now an "Elite" level partner of Snowflake, the data cloud company. LTI has also become the maiden partner for Snowcase – a program that Snowflake is launching to develop and market industry-specific solutions to accelerate cloud data transformation journey of enterprises
LTI is now a "Premier" level partner of Google Cloud
LTI is now a "Platinum" tier partner of IBM
LTI has partnered with Temenos to launch a Digital Banking Platform in the Nordic region
LTI was ranked among the top 50 companies (Rating "A") in the BW BusinessWorld India rankings for Most Sustainable Companies 2020
About LTI
LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions company helping more than 400 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 31 countries, we go the extra mile for our clients and accelerate their digital transformation with LTI’s Mosaic platform enabling their mobile, social, analytics, IoT and cloud journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivalled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 30,000 LTItes enable our clients to improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers, employees and shareholders. Find more at http://www.lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global.
MOBI Collaborates with BMW, Ford, and Others on Second Installment of a Vehicle Identity Standard for multi-stakeholder, interoperable mobility ecosystems of the future
MUNICH, Germany, Jan. 20, 2021 — We’ve all heard about rolled-back odometers and flood-damaged vehicles touted in better condition. BMW, Ford, and other transportation and blockchain leaders want to slow these practices by joining forces with an ambitious nonprofit startup developing technology to better track and protect vehicles’ true identities.
The Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (MOBI)’s member-led Vehicle Identity (VID) II Working Group released the second installment of the industry’s vehicle identity on blockchain.
The VID II Standard leverages the VID I Standard (a vehicle birth certificate) to describe the use of VID in a variety of practical use cases. The two use cases focused on by the working group (WG) are vehicle registration and maintenance traceability. Vehicle registration on blockchain allows formerly disconnected vehicle registration systems between states and countries to connect using a secure, shared, and trusted ledger. Maintenance traceability will provide a tamper-proof history to buyers, regulators, and insurers, therefore reducing vehicle information asymmetry.
"At BMW we strive to create seamless digital solutions. The reference architecture in the VID II standard is a crucial building block in the transformation to a frictionless and trusted mobility ecosystem," said BMW’s Andre Luckow, Head of Emerging Technologies.
Global mobility leaders, startups, and large technology companies authored the VID II Standard to progress multi-stakeholder, interoperable mobility ecosystems. MOBI’s VID II Working Group is co-chaired by BMW and Ford, with support from Accenture, AWS, AutoData Group, Bosch, Car IQ, DENSO, DMX, Hitachi America, Ltd., Honda, IBM, Kar Auction Services, Luxoft, Quantstamp, Ownum, and USAA.
"A secure digital vehicle identity sets the foundation for a fully automatic network for usage-based transportation services," said MOBI COO and Co-Founder, Tram Vo. "We expect this network for frictionless transfer of value in the New Economy of Movement to open up trillions of dollars of new opportunities to monetize vehicles, services, data, and infrastructure."
Additional use cases for VID include supply chain, automotive financing, electric vehicle charging, autonomous vehicle data exchange, and much more. VID II improves asset visibility, creating an anchor for additional use cases, data provenance, and autonomous economic agents.
"Ford believes this research into vehicle identity technology could lead to better ownership experiences," says Cynthia Flanigan, Director, Vehicle Research and Technology, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "We also think this technology could help simplify the purchasing process in the future."
VID II is a building block to a future with more transparent, efficient, and safer vehicle registration and maintenance. Both the buyer and seller will have a more reliable record that can open up opportunities for increased market value for the seller and an increased sense of security for the buyer. Agencies that process vehicle records will reap the benefits of efficient processing and tracking of records.
MOBI and its members hope that the VID standards, together with other MOBI standards for blockchain applications in mobility, will reduce frictional inefficiencies, improve mobility services, and enable new business models.
About MOBI MOBI is a nonprofit alliance of many of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers, along with many startups, NGOs, transit agencies, insurers, toll road providers, smart city leaders, and technology companies working to accelerate adoption and promote standards in blockchain, distributed ledgers, and related technologies.
MOBI is creating simple blockchain-based standards to identify vehicles, people, and businesses in order to securely exchange and monetize data, and pay for mobility services, with the goal of making transportation more efficient, affordable, greener, safer, and less congested. MOBI itself is technology and ledger agnostic. For additional information about joining MOBI, please reach out to Griffin Haskins (griffin@dlt.mobi) or visit www.dlt.mobi.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 19, 2021 — Medibio Limited (MEB or the Company)(ASX: MEB)(OTCPINK: MDBIF), is pleased to announce that it has received CE Mark approval for its sleep staging software, MEBsleep.
MEBsleep is a software-only medical device that analyses Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) data collected during polysomnography to verify sleep stages and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients suffering from primary or secondary sleep disturbances. MEBsleep uses artificial intelligence, deep learning algorithms and neural network methodology to analyse large amounts of raw data, including autonomic nervous system modulation throughout sleep stages, to highlight key information to assist the physician in understanding the patient’s condition.
Currently, the gold standard for identifying sleep stages in a sleep laboratory setting is a 60 to 90 minute visual assessment conducted by a clinician. MEBsleep performs the same assessment in 60 to 90 seconds, thereby providing improved efficacy for overall patient evaluation by sleep medicine technicians, under the supervision of a physician.
CE Mark approval will allow Medibio to commercialise MEBsleep across the European Economic Community. The intended users of this device are sleep technicians and researchers. The path is now clear for Medibio to accelerate its commercialization activities for MEBsleep in the EEC. The company is currently exploring commercialization paths with European academic groups and pharma companies focused on behavioural sleep medicine.
Claude Solitario, Managing Director of Medibio, said the approval was a significant regulatory milestone.
"MEBsleep is our first marketable product with CE Mark and its approval is an important step on our path towards commercialisation. Furthermore, it is also an important validation as we advance development of our depressive burden software medical device MEB-001, of which MEBsleep is a component," said Mr Solitario.
The prevalence of sleep disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and Restless Leg Syndrome, has increased appreciably in recent years, as has general awareness of their debilitating effects. Consequently, the global market for sleep aids, which was valued at US$71billion in 2018, is forecasted to grow at a compound annual rate of 7% between 2019 and 2025[1]. Europe and North America together account for more than 65% of total sales of sleep aids globally, with the United States, Germany, and the UK among the top markets.
This announcement is authorised for release to the market by the Board of Directors of Medibio Limited.
About Medibio Limited
Medibio (ASX: MEB) (OTCPINK: MDBIF) is a health technology company pioneering the use of objective measures to aid in the early detection and screening of mental health conditions. Through their Corporate Health product, the Company offers mental wellbeing solutions for businesses and are also developing products to serve the healthcare provider market. The company was founded in Australia, with offices located in Melbourne (Vic) and U.S. offices in Minneapolis, MN. Medibio is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Ltd and trades on the OTC Pink Open Market. Investors can find additional information on www.otcmarkets.com and www.asx.com.au.
Solar cell production plant in the Philippines becomes company’s fifth global facility with recognized green building standards
SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2021 — Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MAXN), a global leader in solar innovation, announced today that its Maxeon solar cell fabrication facility in Laguna, Philippines, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) Gold certification for its environmental performance and sustainable operations, making it the fifth building to meet sustainable LEED standards for the company.
LEED is a green building certification program developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and used worldwide. It is a transparent process that includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green constructions aiming to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. In particular, LEED for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) provides a framework for planning and building a holistic green edifice, giving the opportunity to implement every sustainability feature and maximizing the benefits.
"We are honored to receive this designation which is an international symbol of excellence and recognizes our efforts towards sustainability, a green environment and the preservation of human health," said Lindsey Wiedmann, Chief Legal Officer and Global Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) Executive Leader at Maxeon Solar Technologies. "We hold ourselves and our products to a higher standard, and believe in delivering solar technologies as clean as the energy they produce. We have five LEED-certified buildings, including three LEED Gold manufacturing sites and two LEED Platinum administrative buildings. We’re proud to tell our customers that every Maxeon IBC solar cell we make will now come from a LEED Gold-certified facility."
The Philippines manufacturing site received LEED BD+C Gold certification for implementing, during the planning and construction phase of the new edifice, a number of measurable strategies and solutions that aimed at achieving high performance in the certification’s six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, energy and atmosphere, innovation and design.
Some of the features that helped the plant earn its attestation include:
Sustainable site – During the site development phase, the impact of construction on the environment was minimal, with about 20% vegetated open space maintained. The site is also designed with bicycle racks, showers, and changing facilities for employees. A solar carport, roof with high reflectance index and open grid pavement contributed to a more sustainable environment.
Water Efficiency – A 50.45% reduction in water use for all plumbing fixtures over conventional use was demonstrated. The presence of native plants and turfing eliminates permanent irrigation system.
Energy & Atmosphere – In parallel to the building’s efficient energy systems such as lighting and cooling, a wafer fab facility requires a great amount of electricity for production use. Most equipment that discharges a great amount of heat were designed to recover waste heat for process water heating. The completed energy model demonstrated a 16.7% improvement over the ASHRAE standard.
Materials and resources – The site’s construction waste management plan ensured that 93% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill. The building’s envelope retains 96% of the previous building’s structure.
Indoor Air Quality – Best practices were implemented to prevent indoor air pollution during construction, and employee surveys are regularly conducted to continue to ensure staff comfort and health.
Innovation – The plan for ongoing operation includes the implementation of green cleaning and green purchasing policies, solid waste management and further reductions in water and energy use. Furthermore, a 225kWp solar panel grid-tie system was recently energized on the manufacturing rooftop.
"In all new developments, Maxeon will continue to hold itself to a high standard to protect the environment and be a leader in sustainability," added Jeff Waters, CEO at Maxeon Solar Technologies. "Each employee embraces it as their goal to preserve and regenerate our environment, and to contribute to Maxeon’s global environmental stewardship."
To learn more about Maxeon Solar Technologies’ accountability in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices, please visit https://www.maxeon.com/esg.
About Maxeon Solar Technologies Maxeon Solar Technologies (NASDAQ:MAXN) is Powering Positive Change™. Headquartered in Singapore, Maxeon designs, manufactures and sells SunPower® brand solar panels in more than 100 countries, operating the SunPower brand worldwide except the United States and Canada. The company is the leader in solar innovation with access to over 900 patents and two best-in-class solar panel product lines. With operations in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe and Mexico, Maxeon products span the global rooftop and solar power plant markets through a network of more than 1,100 trusted partners and distributors. A pioneer in sustainable solar manufacturing, Maxeon leverages a 35-year history in the solar industry and numerous awards for its technology. For more information about how Maxeon is Powering Positive Change™ visit us at www.maxeon.com, on LinkedIn and on Twitter @maxeonsolar.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: (a) the effectiveness of our environmental and sustainability efforts and our ability to achieve the expected benefits; and (b) the incorporation of sustainable or environmentally beneficial features during development of new projects or processes, or the implementation of improvements to existing projects and processes. These forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, expectations and beliefs and involve uncertainties that may cause results, performance or achievement to materially differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of these factors and other risks that affect our business is included in filings we make with the SEC from time to time, including our Form 20-F, which was declared effective by the SEC on August 4, 2020, particularly under the heading "Item 3.D. Risk Factors." Copies of these filings are available online from the SEC or on the Financials & Filings section of our Investor Relations website at www.maxeon.com/financials-filings/sec-filings. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events.
When we say ‘Premium’ today it is a little different from before. ‘Premium’ products have been flooding the market at prices that are not ridiculous. Some might even say that ‘Premium’ is affordable these days. This is also largely thanks to the higher disposable incomes from this generation, and the increasing number of middle-class income households. The combination of both fuels the increasing demands of these affordable premium products.
Sony has announced that SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 premium wireless speakers to fill that ‘Premium’ space. Both new wireless speakers come packing with Sony’s unique spatial sound technology alongside other smart features and technologies Sony employs to make their speakers sound like no other.
New Premium Speakers, New Premium Features
Source: Sony
The SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 wireless speakers features a unique ambient room-filling sound experience. They call it spatial sound, and it is a unique feature to Sony speakers. It works pretty much like Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology. In fact, the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 works best with 360 Reality Audio contents. Time to prepare your credit cards for a Tidal subscription people.
While most conventional speakers spread audio waves horizontally, the new wireless speakers fill the room with vertical and horizontal signals to really create a roomy aural experience. Of course, Sony has their own Immersive Audio Enhancement technology within the speakers to transform regular 2-channel stereo tracks into something truly breath-taking. Maybe you do not need to cancel your Spotify subscription after all in that case.
Source: Sony
Every room is different though. Sony knows this. That is why the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 features automatic sound calibration tools to optimise itself in whatever room you may leave it in the house. Simply hold the Immersive Audio Enhancement button on the SRS-RA5000 for a quick calibration of your room. Kind of like how your Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones adjusts to your ears to give you even better experiences.
The SRS-RA3000 is made to be even more portable though. It auto calibrates itself in any room when you turn it on and play your favourite tracks. Every single time you move it to a new room or a different room in your house, or even hotel rooms, the SRS-RA3000 auto-calibrates itself to suit its containing room. Both speakers are also clever speakers that adjusts its own volume so that you have a consistent listening experience without having to adjust your volume at every track.
SRS-RA5000 vs SRS-RA3000 – Which Should You Get?
Source: Sony
The Hi-Res Audio certified SRS-RA5000 is set up with a trio of vertical-firing speakers and 3 middle sited speakers for an even and well spread out vertical and horizontal audio distribution. High-magnetism neodymium magnets and mica reinforced cellular diaphragm keeps it compact to ensure that it tucks in any room seamlessly and unobtrusively. The neodymium and mica constructions also allow the SRS-RA5000 to produce clean, crisp, clear, and powerful audio to the room while remaining subtle in the room.
On the other hand, RA3000 offers a unique omnidirectional sound that you can take with you anywhere in your house. Technically because it is more compact as well, it can travel with you. Thanks to its humidity resistant construction, you can put it anywhere within the confines of your house without worrying that it will break due to water damage. Of course, refrain from dumping it into the water, it is not water resistant. It is built-in with an omni-diffuser that allows the deep audio to travel upward too, allowing the compact premium speakers to fill an entire room, in any room at your house.
Function and Set up
Source: Sony
Both speakers can connect to devices with Bluetooth and stream over Wi-Fi, but RA5000 has an additional connectivity option which is one-touch NFC ™. The SRS-RA5000 and SES-RA3000 can also be connected to your Spotify and Chromecast for convenience and flexibility in real life. Moreover, users can control music played on the speaker via voice command. Also, it comes with multi-room features with Google Home/Assistant or Amazon Alexa compatibility. Besides, users may connect the Bluetooth speaker with their television to enhance audio experience. Of course, you can control the Sony SRS-RA5000 and SRS-3000 speakers via the Sony Music app available for free on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
Price and Availability
The Sony SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 will be available in Malaysia February 2021 onward. There are no price announcements just yet, Sony promises for the prices to be revealed closer to launch date. For more information you can visit Sony’s website.
In the new era, every consumer has different needs and requirements toward television and LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled its first QNED Mini LED Television (TV). Nam Ho-jun, senior vice president of R&D at LG’s Home Entertainment Company said that the newest models of television, the QNED series, are premium level home entertainment options for the consumers. Of course, the new TV also allows consumer to improve the LCD TV space in their house.
LG Electronics claims that the new QNED Mini LED TV is the premium tier of the LCD TV line-up. It also represents a great leap forward in LCD TV picture quality. The QNED Mini LED TV is built-in with the a new panel structure that merges quantum dot and NanoCell technologies with Mini LED light source which produces a better picture performance and even wider color gamut and even better contrasts. The advanced panel is able to provide a vivid viewing experience for the user in the LCD space.
The new panel construction is supposed to produce incredible looking color thanks to the advance LED backlighting that provides better contrast and deeper black. Also, the new QNED Mini LED TV packs up to 30000 tiny LEDs, 2500 separate control zone, and advanced local dimming technology that able to enhance contrast, shadow detail, and incredible peak brightness.
The QNED Mini LED TV also boasts a contrast ratio of 1000000:1 display. The also boast excellent HDR image quality thanks to the never seen before contrast and deep blacks. Moreover, QNED Mini LED TV is equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate for some next generation console readiness. Without a doubt, the new QNED Mini LED TV is the new flagship TV from LG.
Price and availability
LG is launching 10 new 4K and 8K TVs through 2021. The largest size of TV that will be available for 2021 from LG goes up to 86-inch currently. Consumers may explore the LG’s top-of-the-line 86-inch 8K television during the CES 2021, LG virtual exhibition booth, starting January 11. For more information, you can look at LG’s CES 2021 announcement.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 series launched with two variants in the line-up. One is the more expensive, more premium, more feature packed Note20 Ultra. It is a formidable machine with great parts in them that makes for very compelling us cases. But it was superbly pricey of a machine too. It made us question everything we thought we wanted in a smartphone.
But they also launched a Samsung Galaxy Note20. No, no ‘plus’ or ‘lite’ moniker here. Just a plain old Samsung Galaxy Note20, a regular name that we are more used to. But it is not quite a Note20 Ultra though this regular one. Of course, they are bred from the same lab and factory. They have plenty of similarities at that, but they are also somehow very different devices.
The question here is of its worthiness to be called a Samsung Galaxy Note20 device. It has an S Pen, yes, but does it fit the criteria of a Galaxy Note20? It is priced like a Galaxy Note device, but is it worth that price? It looks like one, but is it worth the clad of the Galaxy Note name? Most important of all, is this a better buy than the Galaxy Note20 Ultra? Is it worth buying at all? We find out.
Design
First of all, it looks nearly exactly the same as the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. In every way, it mimics the looks and the design language of the more premium device, except in proportions. It is a smaller device compared to the Ultra.
Smaller does not mean worse though. In some eyes, including ours, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 looks better than its more premium brother. It looks like a traditional Galaxy Note unit, not a behemoth of a slate that looks a little out of place on the table. It is, in our opinion, the prettier device in the series, helped by its Cloud Green Colour scheme.
Some will argue that the Galaxy Note20 Ultra is more of a stunner. They say that it looks more stunning than the Samsung Galaxy Note20. More dramatic they say. We respectfully disagree.
Put them side by side, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra looks a little out of proportions. The Galaxy Note20 Ultra looks a little too much, overly bulky. It looks obnoxious with a bulging rear camera module somehow.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 is more subtle in that. It is a smaller device, but not by much. It is a sizeable device still, but acceptably and comfortably large. But it is not obnoxious in design. The camera at the back is built and designed like a normal device, flush into its body. There is still a small bump, yes, but not as disproportionate as the Ultra. Somehow, its body feels svelte and clean.
Everything else on the device is about the same as the Ultra though. From the placement of the speaker units, the mic holes, and even the power and volume buttons. We are pleased that the power button is now back in the correct side of the device and they stayed away from the annoying Bixby button from the Galaxy Note9.
Overall, there is not much to say about the design of the device. Except, there are more colour choices for the Samsung Galaxy Note20 compared to the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. While sometimes that makes me think that the extra colour choices are more like consolation prizes to make up for the fact that you do not get as much power, we prefer the colour choices you get from the Samsung Galaxy Note20 instead of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, somehow.
Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 packs mostly the same internals as the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra save for the RAM size, and battery size. Of course, the battery size in a direct effect of the body size. It also packs less powerful cameras compared to the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, which is quite expected thanks to the price differences. It does not mean that the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is less potent than the larger Note20 Ultra though.
Samsung, until the Galaxy Note8 at least, always had TouchWiz. TouchWiz, if you have not known yet, were very similar to OneUI that we know and love today. Technically as well, OneUI is more of an evolution of TouchWiz.
TouchWiz though, at some point was clunky, slow, and heavy on its processor. That is also why Samsung’s devices do not seem all that fast at some point even when they are packing the most powerful hardware in the field. The old TouchWiz User Interface (UI) was one that was flawed since its first developed into the ever so popular Samsung Galaxy S.
TouchWiz though was one of the best-known Android overlay UIs in the world at some point and has grown to be one of the most intuitive Android overlays there is. Plenty of the Android functionality that we know and love today can be traced back to the innovations made on Samsung’s TouchWiz. Split screens for example, was made a thing on TouchWiz with the Samsung Galaxy Note line-up.
Because of that initial flaw in design and architecture though, TouchWiz still faced stability issues from time to time and it still feels clunky. That is why OneUI was born. All these history lesson though is here for a reason.
OneUI, in its third generation, is really a platform that is still based on TouchWiz. The latest OneUI 3.0 of course is an Android 11 overlay for Samsung devices. The OneUI evolution allows Samsung to develop something that can be used on mobile interfaces and desktop interfaces. That is their DeX UI, for your information.
But if you do not turn OneUI into DeX, the experience has a lot more in common with TouchWiz UI than stock Android. Because it is Samsung, there are plenty of blacks that is built into the UI. Black, of course, shows off Samsung’s very impressive OLED technology to the world. It also makes more sense in power consumption terms.
That also means that the OneUI is just as intuitive as TouchWiz that came before, maybe even more so. Since OneUI 2.0 onward, you can have the regular Android gesture controls to move away from the traditional three button navigation layout. This is the swipe up from the bottom of the display for ‘home’, swipe up and hold for ‘recent apps’, and swipe from the left or right edge of the display for ‘back”.
Of course, you can still opt to have the traditional three button navigation layout too. You can either have them as proper buttons, or thin lines for gesture controls (swiping up), or not have the lines at all but still utilize that three-button configuration (swiping up). The choice of experience on the OneUI is one of the widest I have come to know.
Of course, if you came from other Android devices and are used to the regular Android gesture controls, you might want to switch to that in the settings. If you are more used to the three-button layout, like me, I still use them but with gestures. There is something for everyone.
There are no noticeable differences between the Samsung Galaxy Note20’s OneUI and Galaxy Note20 Ultra’s OneUI here. As far as we know, you are practically getting the same UI on both devices anyway. The only thing you do not get on the Galaxy Note20 is probably the fast display at 120Hz.
Smart Switch
Changing your smartphone is a hassle. Apple developed the iTunes to make switching iPhones from one generation to another much easier. Via iTunes, your contacts are saved, the apps you have are saved, your device settings are saved, even your home screen arrangement can be saved.
Switching Android smartphone is a little trickier than that. Android devices rely on your Google account to not just work, but for data back up as well. We are not saying that it is not great, it is just not as clean and straightforward because of device compatibilities, internet speed and more. There is the problem of switching between different Android platforms too, to make it another headache.
Samsung was one of the first Android partners to make switching smartphones a breeze with their phone cloning app, Smart Switch. We have been using Samsung devices for a long time, so we are quite familiar with the system. The thing is, it just gets easier and easier to switch from one device to another with Smart Switch, even from Apple iPhones.
Of course, Smart Switch is not a unique app on its own in the app market. There are other manufacturers who have developed their own version of phone cloning app for their own uses too. Like a lot of these apps, you can only use Smart Switch to receive data as a Samsung device. You can receive from any devices including an Apple device.
Unlike previous iteration of Smart Switch, the new version allows you to transfer data via WiFi direct too. Which also means that Samsung does not need to include a USB OTG dongle anymore in their box (they do not, by the way). It also means that transferring your data is a lot more convenient now. You just have to be patient, because it does not happen immediately. There are app compatibility problems as well, even if you are using a Samsung device to switch to the Samsung Galaxy Note20.
Performance
Thanks to Samsung’s proven Exynos 990 platform with 5G capabilities (there is a Note20 without 5G capabilities for sale in Malaysia too), the Samsung Galaxy Note20 performs just like a flagship should. Sadly, the one in Malaysia only gets the Exynos variant. There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ platform variant in another market, but the Asian market has not been getting the Qualcomm variant of the device since the Samsung Galaxy S4.
To be fair, there are some performance differences on both variants. They say that the Qualcomm tends to perform better in certain areas and is on par with the Exynos 990 in plenty of other areas. We cannot say for sure because we have could not test the Qualcomm variant. Still, The Samsung Exynos platform has been a proven platform. In that case, why would it fail us now?
Call Quality and Connectivity
If you are familiar with Samsung’s devices of the past, nothing has changed much in this feature. The only difference on our test unit is the 5G capability which we do not even get to test out because 5G connectivity is extremely limited in Malaysia. When I say extremely limited, there are no commercially viable 5G data plans just yet in Malaysia.
Making calls though is a very standard affair with the Samsung Galaxy Note20. The Phone app icon is exactly the same as before. Even the layout within the app has not changed since its first inception in the Samsung Galaxy S. There are probably minor changes like button sizes, or fonts, or even how lines look. But the general layout and look has remained consistent. There are a few things you can change with the dialer if you dig through the settings. The thing is, a plain old dialer on your smartphone has never bothered anyone anyway. It does the job, and that is the most important part.
When you do place a call or receive a call, the default volume on the earpiece tends to be a little soft. I usually keep the earpiece volume to the maximum just for clarity sake. When the person at the other end of the line is speaking to you properly with his/her device to their ears, it works perfectly, and their voice is as clear as day. You do want to be careful with volumes though, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 somehow has a slightly louder earpiece than what we are used to, same goes to the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
On our end, the other person on the other end of the line never complained about the clarity of our voice. That is even with loudspeaker turned on and the device about a meter away from us. We have used the device in a few conference calls a well, with no more than four participants sitting on a small table. Then again, smartphones are never meant to be used as the primary teleconference tool. Still, the loudspeakers are loud, louder than the Samsung Galaxy Note9 and the Samsung Galaxy Note10.
On the front of signal reception, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G is consistently getting full bars of signals in town. There are several known blind spots in town as well, in those areas, even the powerful antennas of the device do not pick up any coverage. That also means that in most of Klang Valley, you are going to get crystal clear phone calls with full bars of signal. Even if the device only shows one bar of signal, you are going to be okay for calls.
The same may not be said too much with data though. When the bars are more than half to full, you get the full beans of your data connection speed; 4G speeds. When the signals drop below that, you mostly get HSPD 3G speeds supposedly. There are times when even 3G speed is not what you get though. Still, you can send out and receive your WhatsApp or Telegram messages of you are patient enough. Even your emails might not get through immediately, so you might want to keep that in mind.
Gaming
This section has been a measuring stick for a while on smartphones. It is not just smartphones though; gaming is also a measuring stick for PCs. Since a smartphone is more like a modern pocket PC now, it is only appropriate that we use these devices for games.
Games on mobile platforms has evolved a lot though. Games on mobile platforms are a lot more demanding in terms of graphical qualities and therefore require a lot of power from the processor and GPU of the device. That also means that the SoC must have enough power to deliver smooth, great looking games properly, just like the PC.
The games we tested the Samsung Galaxy Note20 with are PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, Arena of Valor (AoV), and Sky Force: Reloaded. Among these games, the most graphics and processor intensive game is PUBG Mobile since games can take up to 20 minutes at a time and there are plenty of open world rendering to do here. Of course, there are also games like Call of Duty Mobile which is also very demanding on the GPU and CPU, but we have not gotten around to playing that game, so PUBG Mobile it is.
PUBG Mobile defaults to the highest settings available to the game on the Samsung Galaxy Note20. We did not have to fiddle with the settings any further, in this case. Framerates looks consistent and there is very little lags in terms of graphics or even input. That is an indication of good power from the SoC. The heat build up is reasonable as well without frying your hands in longer game sessions.
On games like AoV and Sky Force: Reloaded then, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 handles them like a champ. Even when the screen gets busy, there are no stutters or lags you can see on the display. There are probably one or two dropped frames, but they are not noticeable when you are in game. While there is no 240Hz response rate or 120Hz refresh rate here, you are not playing at a disadvantage in these competitive games. You still can cope and respond accordingly.
Of course, if you are coming from a faster display with an even faster response, you are going to feel that this device is a little slow when it comes to these games. Keep in mind also that the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is never really made for gaming. Gaming just complements what the Samsung Galaxy Note20 does best – productivity.
Multitasking and Productivity
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 has always been a productivity star. The first Samsung Galaxy Note in the series brought stylus back into smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 puts the power of creation in your hands.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20, as mentioned time and time again, is a very similar device to the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. It still has the very useful and iconic S Pen stylus that is now fitted to the left side of the device. It also has a large display still, a larger display than most devices today still at 6.7-inch.
The device’s display is still smaller than the behemoth that is the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. Of course, in terms of multitasking, bigger displays also mean you have more real estate to play with. That does not mean that you should not be relying on the Galaxy Note20 for productivity and multitasking.
You still have multi-window functionalities on the Samsung Galaxy Note20. Up to two apps can be open at the same time on a side-to-side or a top-and-bottom layout depending on your device’s orientation. Thanks to an ample 8GB of RAM as well, both apps can load as fast as they can be at the same time without you noticing any stutters or lags.
That also means that you can have multiple Google Chrome tabs open on the device at the same time without any page refreshing when you visit other tabs. As usual, I tend to have over 40 tabs open on Google Chrome at the same time on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 with no stability or load issues on the app, or other apps for that matter. You can even have Google Chrome and other apps open at the same time thanks to multi window. Even that does not seem to slow the device down.
Benchmark
We have said time and again that benchmarks are not everything. They do give an insight to how a smartphone and its hardware work though. Despite its scores, some budget smartphones actually feel and work better than the numbers may suggest. In certain situations too, some devices feel worse than the numbers suggests. So do take the numbers with a pinch of salt. Still, here are the numbers from the benchmarks.
The S Pen – Mightier Than Ever Before
Like the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, the S Pen found on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is made to be faster and better than before. In terms of size and shape, you can technically take the Samsung Galaxy Note10’s S Pen and slot it into the Galaxy note20’s S Pen slot, it will fit perfectly. They are exactly the same shape and size.
The S Pen on the Galaxy Note20 is much faster though. There seems to be no input lag between the S Pen and the Note20’s display. Each stroke of the almost instantly translate into lines on the display. If you think that the Samsung Galaxy Note10 had a natural feel while using the S Pen, you will get your mind blown with this device. The lines are just keeping up with the Pen however fast you write.
It is not just an improvement on the speed and latency of the S Pen that Samsung has improved though. Its gesture control now is now even more than ever. You do not need to be in the camera app only to use S Pen gesture controls. You can create customised strokes too for even more functions making the S Pen the only remote you need for your Galaxy Note20. It can even be your presentation tool when you mirror your display on a smart display or even plug the device into a display via HDMI.
All these functionalities are only possible thanks to Bluetooth though. Which also means that the S Pen is still battery operated. The battery charges when you slot the S pen into the S Pen tray of the device though, quickly at that. While only having a battery life of about 30 mins on the S Pen, you can put it into the slot and it will charge to full within a minute, less actually.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 packs a 4,300mAh battery. That is 200mAh smaller than the more premium Galaxy Note20 Ultra. While it is smaller, it is still a significant size in a smartphone. Since the battery needs to power a smaller display too, the battery life should not differ by much to the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
Samsung promises that the Galaxy Note20’s 4,300mAh battery should last about 15 to 16 hours of continuous usage. That is about one full working day for us. We have not been using the device continuously for that long, so we are not able to confirm nor deny the numbers they put up on their website.
Our typical usage of the device was a couple of phone calls in a day, plenty of WhatsApp messaging, Telegram messaging as well, Emails, YouTube videos, A little bit of Netflix toward the end of the day, taking a few photos from time to time for social media, some music playing via Spotify through our own wireless earphones (since there is no 3.5mm jack), even some games from time to time. Most of our calls never lasted more than two minutes at a time. In fact, most of our phone calls are done within a minute. In our typical use case, the device leaves the charger at 7.30 a.m. most of the time too.
In our review period, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 could last us a whole day from 7.30 a.m. all the way to 11.00 p.m. and still have more to give. We typically put the device into charge by 12.00 a.m. at the latest. Typically, the device would still have about 10-15% of battery left when we plug it in. We recon that the 10% left of the device could last another 45-minutes to an hour if you use the device conservatively, longer if you put your device in ultra-battery-saver mode.
Of course, there are some atypical situations where we use the device for plenty of videos, connect the device to smart displays for presentations, and even using the devices as our data hotspot. In those conditions the device tends to drain its battery a little faster than our typical use. In that case, the device will cry out for a charger by about 9.00 p.m. But that also depends on how extensive you use certain functions, temperature, and plenty of other things really.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy Note20’s Android based OneUI is displayed through a brilliant Super AMOLED display at 6.7-inch. Yes, that is smaller than the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. It packs less resolution too at Full HD+. You need to justify that extra MYR 900 that you are paying for on the Galaxy Note20 Ultra somehow.
It is still an HDR10+ certified display with a punch hole in the middle under a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It is still a premium Super AMOLED Plus technology. Just that you do not get the 1440p resolution.
Thing is, at this size the difference between 1080p and 1440p is so small that it is negligible. You can hardly see the difference between 1440p and 1080p at this size, which also means it does not make plenty of difference. What might make it feel different in the hands is the refresh rate of the display.
The Dynamic AMOLED 2X found on the Galaxy Note20 has up to 120Hz refresh rate. Of course, you can only use that 120Hz on 1080p Full HD+ mode on the display. In that sense, you might get a smoother sensation or feel on OneUI 3.0 on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra.
It is a minor thing though, this refresh rate, or lack of it. The interface is still a smooth operator without the 120Hz refresh rate. There tends to be a bit more blur when you are scrolling within the interface, which is a given at 60Hz. Coming down from a 120Hz also makes it feel a little clunky somehow. There is virtually no difference between the two though, just a minor difference in feel.
The colours that re on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is brilliant thanks to Super AMOLED Plus technology. It is no Dynamic AMOLED 2X, but colour contrasts are just as expectedly bright and excellent. There is hardly any colour bleeding or fringing on the display, colours still pop too.
If you put the device beside the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, you might find that the colour temperature of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra is a little more natural, and colours might be a little more vivid on the more expensive device. It is also a very minute difference though, one that you have to really pay attention to notice.
That also means that the Samsung Galaxy Note20’s display is still a brilliant one to work with. The Super AMOLED Plus still stands as a great display against other flagships in the market. We cannot complain against the display at all. Then again, we have always championed AMOLED displays thanks to their better colour contrasts, brightness, and more vivid colours. In the new Galaxy Note20 series, they are more natural. We did notice that the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra had a slightly brighter display at the maximum brightness though. Whatever it is, you should still be very satisfied with the Samsung Galaxy Note20’s Super AMOLED Plus display.
Camera
This is probably the biggest difference between the regular Samsung Galaxy Note20 and its Ultra variant. The Note20 packs a 12-Megapixel main sensor accompanied by a 64-Megapixel telephoto lens, and another 12-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter. The main camera has a lens opening of f/1.8.
This is a similar camera arrangement to the Samsung Galaxy S20. In terms of camera as well, it is way less powerful than the 108-Megapixel plus two 12-Megapixel combo that the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra has. It is still a capable camera arrangement to have though.
You still can shoot videos at up to 8K in resolution. Of course, the compromise is that you have to be using the 64-Megapixel telephoto lens. That also means you have a smaller frame to work with and you have to keep your hands really steady. Mind you, Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) does not work at 8K resolutions.
Another downside to the Galaxy Note20’s camera arrangement is that you cannot get a digital zoom of up to 50x. Instead, you get only up to 30x while hybrid zoom is only up to 3x. That is also a limitation of the megapixel count though.
The thing is you do not really need to shoot videos at 8K resolution. You never really need to shoot photos at anywhere near 10x zoom in most cases. You just need your main camera to shoot great photos at most times and you should be fine.
The 12-Megapixel photos are sort of what you can expect from Samsung’s devices today. The photos are crisp, detailed, and vivid thanks to some clever AI Scene optimisation. Of course, 108-Megapixel will give you more detail in one frame. The problem with higher resolution is also more heat collected from the sensor. There is less heat management problems with the Galaxy Note20.
We put the Samsung Galaxy Note20’s thermals to the test especially during product shoots. We shot videos at 4K resolution and photos at a maximum 12-Megapixel. We switched between video and photos for about an hour. Battery dwindled quickly but the device did not heat up to the point where there is a need for concern. Yes, there was still heat, but it is not uncomfortable, and your hands still can manage it. Of course, if you leave it on timelapse mode for extended periods, you might get the device a little too hot and the camera app automatically switches off.
All these said, photos look as amazing as before. There are enough details that you can appreciate the photos and colours still look good. We have always maintained that 12-Megapixel is usually more than enough for a smartphone. That is because most of the photos you take with your smartphone tends to be shared over social media or messenger apps. In those apps, your photos tend to be compressed and they will lose some form of detail.
Still, images still look great, even in lower light conditions. As mentioned, details are still crisp enough even for small prints. Colours are vivid and accurate, and contrasts are quite good. The autofocus also works better in smaller spaces thanks to the smaller megapixel count and shorter lens distance. We are talking in reference to the 108-Megapixel camera on the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. For the autofocus to work better, your subject must at least be in the center of your camera though. If you are shooting at a close range, you might want to cover most of your frame with your subject to get autofocus to accurately peak on your subject.
You can, however, use the video footages for your own YouTube videos or Facebook videos. You might want to back out of 8K resolution recording and stick to 4K resolution instead. You should get stellar enough videos with 4K resolution and enough light source on your set or subject anyway. You can even crop your 4K videos down for 1080p videos, and it will still look great and professional with the right tools. There will still be heat build-up, yes, but it will not be uncomfortable even if you shoot for 20 minutes.
There is even slow-motion video mode if you stick to Full HD resolution. You can shoot at 240fps at a limited Full HD resolution. While not quite 4K, 240fps Full HD slo-mo videos still can look impressive in the right areas. You can totally shoot that good-looking skateboarding video.
The front camera is now a 10-Megapixel shooter that is also capable of shooting videos at 4K 60fps if you want. We are not very good with selfies, mind you, so our sample photos are not great. Still the 10-Megapixel selfie camera is detailed enough for you to work with. You can definitely use the photo to print a passport size photo and it will still be detailed enough to work with. There is also beauty mode that you can turn on or off to your liking. We like that even in low light the photos are still usable.
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 – Maybe You Do Not Need the Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Note20 line-up is not a peculiar one in the standards of smartphones today. There is an issue of the difficulty of choice here though. Do you spend all your money on the ultra-capable, ultra-expensive, ultra-premium Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra? Or do you save some money and get the less premium Samsung Galaxy Note20 instead?
We always say that you should buy something according to what you want and what you need. You would want the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, of course. Do you need it though?
For nearly MYR 1,000 less you are still getting a very capable performer in today’s flagship standards. Yes, you get a slightly smaller, slower, and less resolution on your display. You also get a slightly less powerful camera array at a maximum of 64-Megapixel for its telephoto sensor rather than a 108-Megapixel. You get a slightly smaller battery too, thanks to the slightly more compact dimensions.
You are still getting a high-performing processing chipset that is the Exynos SoC platfrom, the same one in the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. You still get 5G readiness (MYR 3,899 for 4G only variant). There is still the great and mighty S Pen. The display is still an admirable AMOLED unit you can enjoy. You get about the same battery life. Even the photos still look great, even if you do not have 108-Megapixel to work with. You can still record 4K videos too. You get to choose the pretty looking Mystic Green variant at that.
In our eyes, most of the things we mentioned above are what you need in a Samsung Galaxy Note device. In our books then, the most important things for a Samsung Galaxy Note device is covered within the Samsung Galaxy Note20. In that case, we struggle to see the point of paying more for the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, if you do not have the extra MYR 1,000 to spend. If value is what you are looking for in this case, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is value for the Galaxy Note series.
It is January 2021 and we are back for another episode of Tech & Tonic podcast, the very first one for 2021 and it came from our own houses because Malaysia is under a second lock down (Movement Control Order). The global pandemic did not stop CES 2021 from happening though. Although everything is happening online.
The year kicked off with a bang though because Xiaomi now joins HUAWEI and DJI in the United States banned entities. Xiaomi does not have an official presence in U.S. though. They only stateside link they have is the Operating System they use (Google’s Android), their processors (Qualcomm), and few other components. In that case, what will happen to Xiaomi? We discusses a little further on this topic on the podcast.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series just launched last week too. The renders look exactly the same as the actual device except that the device looks even more impressive. The Samsung Galaxy S21 flagship series packs Samsung’s latest Exynos with 5G capabilities. The Galaxy S21 Ultra even sports S Pen compatibility and up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. All of these comes with a price though. The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at MYR 3,699 and tops out at MYR 5,899.
It is also the first Samsung Galaxy S21 series that sells without a charger out-of-the-box too. With all the shade that was thrown to Apple’s decision to not include a charger for ‘ecological’ purpose, we start questioning the motive behind not including chargers in smartphone boxes. We also discuss a little further on the fact that the S Pen now lives on in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, a sign of death in the family of Samsung. All this and more on Tech & Tonic Podcast.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Jan. 19, 2021 — SAI Digital – an Asia-Pacific focused Digital Agency that specializes in Enterprise eCommerce and Customer Experience technologies, announces full-service agency expansion in 2021. The addition of Digital Marketing and Intelligent Commerce to its service portfolio, will further fulfill its ambitious goal of providing best-in-class services for businesses across the region.
From left to right: Oliver Wilke, Jelena Golubeva, Suhas Hiwale, Smriti Dhingra, Kevin Frot.
As part of the global $250m annual revenue business, the firm has been focused on delivering customer-centric, eCommerce transformation and marketing technology solutions for its clients in a wide range of verticals, from manufacturing, retail, distribution, FMCG to automotive and banking.
CEO of SAI Digital, Suhas Hiwale mentioned, "Nine years since I first started SAI, the company has delivered stand out results for blue-chip businesses across the globe. We pride ourselves as eCommerce experts, with our strategic partners such as SAP, Sitecore and Adobe. 2020 has been one tough year for everyone, especially businesses. However, as more businesses are adopting eCommerce as their primary channel in response to the pandemic, they will have to provide a seamless experience to their consumers. Our expansion into Intelligent Commerce, Creative and Digital Marketing would definitely support our clients in reaching new heights."
Intelligent Commerce is an aspiring move for SAI Digital to unleash the full power of Artificial Intelligence and boots its capabilities across key functions of eCommerce, like assortment planning and competitive analytics, while leveraging a seamless, personalized experience for all users thereby promising exponential growth for businesses.
The new appointments of Smriti Dhingra as SAI Digital’s Director of Experience Management Services together with Oliver Wilke – Agency Sales Director, Jelena Golubeva – Digital Marketing Manager and Kevin Frot – Creative Director will help businesses to thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
"Throughout my career, I have always envisioned how the creative application of technology can solve business problems and pioneer new products and services. I look forward to joining SAI Digital’s team of creative and digital solution experts and applying my experiences to drive the next phase of the agency’s evolution and growth," said Smriti Dhingra.
With a hard-earned background of building business strategies for both startups and global brands, from Indo-China to the Middle East, she brings both leadership and expertise to further fulfill SAI’s significant footprints in the region while putting its name on the international marketplace.
ABOUT SAI DIGITAL
SAI Digital is a customer-centric, eCommerce technology agency that is part of a global conglomerate with over $250m in annual revenue with international offices spanning nine countries including Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, England, Japan, India, Canada and America. Full services included: Intelligent Commerce, Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Experience Management, Branding and Creative Services and E-commerce Campaign Management.
For more information, please visit: sai-digital.com
