Samsung Buys Harman - Connected Car Biz or Hi-Fi Pride?

[gene]

As soon as Samsung announced that it would buy Harman in an $8-billion cash deal. Analysts have been playing up the business implications of a wireless, cell phone and semiconductor company buying a top connected car technology provider. Brilliant move. But the business-side of the story could simply be the financial justification for the real reason Samsung wanted Harman – acoustic pride!

Is Samsung positioning itself to go up against Apple and Google?

Read: Samsung Buys Harman - Connected Car Biz or Hi-Fi Pride?

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

The only thing I hear about this acquisition is the implications related to car audio. However, I’m curious as to the impact Samsung will have on pro audio. Harman owns a whole slew of pro audio companies, such as AKG, Soundcraft, Studer, Lexicon, BSS, Crown, dbx, JBL, etc. etc.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[slipperybidness]

NXP is the largest player for connected cars, IOT, driver assist, car infotainment, etc. Qualcomm has long been a large player for mobile processors, and Qualcomm is about to purchase NXP.

So, Samsung will be setting themselves up to compete directly with Qualcomm, not as much as a direct competitor for Apple and Google--where do you think apple and google get their chips? And, Samsung at the deepest level is a chip manufacturer.

 

[Wayde Robson]

So, Samsung will be setting themselves up to compete directly with Qualcomm, not as much as a direct competitor for Apple and Google--where do you think apple and google get their chips? And, Samsung at the deepest level is a chip manufacturer.

True, but it becomes a sexier story to pit Samsung/Apple and Google as competitors in a new markets. Samsung's microchip division competing with other microchip companies isn't really news.

But there is something poetic about Samsung diving into a new market where they stand to compete with fellow phone makers.

 

[jinjuku]

The only thing I hear about this acquisition is the implications related to car audio. However, I’m curious as to the impact Samsung will have on pro audio. Harman owns a whole slew of pro audio companies, such as AKG, Soundcraft, Studer, Lexicon, BSS, Crown, dbx, JBL, etc. etc.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Crown is interesting piece as they are the driving force behind the Drive Core and that's in every thing from commercial audio to car audio to the Mark Levinson brand.

 

[Ryan Fuller]

You may want to make a simple correction. The cellphone fiasco was not attributed to the Galaxy S7 line, but the Galaxy Note 7 line. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge continue to be top of the line and top selling Android cellphones on the market.

 

[gene]

You may want to make a simple correction. The cellphone fiasco was not attributed to the Galaxy S7 line, but the Galaxy Note 7 line. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge continue to be top of the line and top selling Android cellphones on the market.

corrected. thx.