BERLIN ― Samsung Electronics aims to lead the “smart” revolution in electronics from TVs to phones, from mobile computers to home appliances, its president Choi Gee-sung said on Sunday.

“Now we must create new innovation and value for our consumers to open up their wallets and to generate a new momentum which leads to fresh technology and experiences,” he said in a press conference in Germany.

“This indicates that we have become the creator, not the follower, which is what we were in the past.”

Samsung plans to sell up to 1,000 light-emitting diodes, or LED TVs this year to secure the No. 1 position, according to Choi.

The firm also plans to take the lead in the newly-rising smart TV industry by strengthening cooperation with other global companies for better TV application content on its Samsung Apps store.

“We will continuously expand the number of TV apps, which are scheduled to be serviced in 107 different nations, to further globalize the world’s first TV apps store,” he said.

Involving Samsung’s new tablet PC Galaxy Tab, which was unveiled for the first time at Germany’s electronics tradeshow the IFA last week, it will complete the smart mobile revolution, following the success of its smartphone Galaxy S, said Choi.

“Galaxy Tab, which satisfies (consumers) with a large screen and portability, will enable them to enjoy media content ― like books, newspapers and movies as well as social networking services ― in a real, convenient and independent way,” he said.

Samsung Electronics will continue to make early investments, strengthen its premium products and aggressively enter new markets for more growth, said Choi.

He added that the company has seen changes since the return of its chairman Lee Kun-hee in April.

“The difference between firms that have their chairmen present and those that don’t could be clearly seen when looking at the situation of some Japanese firms,” he said. “There’s more energy in the company since our chairman has come back.”

As an exemplary case, Lee decided the scale and time to make large investments ― 30 trillion won ($25 billion) worth of investments for next year.

“This is what’s important in business management,” said Choi. “Our president is making the big decisions, which is something that could not be done by a management specialist.”

LG focuses on easy, fun, user-friendly TVs

BERLIN -- LG Electronics seeks to transform the global TV market with new smart TVs that are easy, better and fun to use, Kang Shin-ik, president of home entertainment business, said Sunday.

Operating on its own NetCast 2.0 platform, exclusively designed for LG smart TVs, it will provide a user-friendly environment, allowing exposure to TV applications with a single click, according to Kang. The company will also introduce a magic motion remote control for the new TVs, which operate by recognizing the hand movements of the user.

“We’re planning to concentrate on the development of differentiated smart TVs by permitting users to enjoy the fun and easy contents which will be offered unlimitedly,” he said in a press conference with local reporters, held in Germany.

LG’s smart TV will also aim at offering a variety of two-way communication methods for its consumers, he said.

“Unlike personal devices such as mobile phones and PCs, it’s critical for us to allow users to find the program in a more convenient way for TVs as they have a wider scale of contents,” said Kang. “That’s the reason the user interface has to change.”

As a result, LG Electronics plans to apply its smart TV functions to one-third of its TV line-ups for next year.

Expressing his interest in Google TV, which is a smart TV running on Google’s open platform and Web browsing system, he said it was completely up to LG Electronics to make the final call.

“We’re interested in Google TV and we’re currently meeting with Google,” he said. “Putting priority on our own platform, we’re considering Google TV as another option.”

If the company gives the green light to Google TV, it is expected to be launched next year, he added.

Kang, however, said the key issue to watch for is whether Google TV, which could be made by any manufacturer, and smart TVs powered by individual operating systems could co-exist.

He also expressed strong confidence in running against Apple TV, stating that he sees no need for hundreds and thousands of TV applications, for it is used differently from mobiles.

LG Electronics is also seeking to sell over 40 million flat-screen TV sets worldwide by next year.

“For profitable growth, we will have both high-end and low-end products,” he said.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)

Korea Herald correspondent