The launch of Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 was eclipsed by the company's unveiling of its smartwatch, the Samsung Gear. The regional launch was no different, which is a shame because the watch is hideous and the Note is impressive.
Fans of the Note family will be familiar with the overall layout, but the Note 3 is wider at 5.7 inches, slimmer and lighter, weighing 168 grams. It now has a 13-megapixel rear camera, which takes great shots, but is not as impressive as some of the other camera phones in lowlight conditions.
The S Pen has been boosted to improve the note-taking experience, with many tasks just one click away. As the adage goes, the pen is mightier than the sword but in this day and age, the (S) pen is mightier and far more effective than a finger when it comes to note-taking, crossing out completed tasks and doodling.
Its ability to recognise handwritten notes (in Arabic too) is breathtaking. You can quickly scrawl a number, highlight it and the Note will dial that number and make the phone call.
Overall the Note 3 is a great device that enables and feeds into a creative, productive environment.
Now the Gear. This is a horrendous device: big, clunky and simply premature. It works alongside the Note 3 as an accompanying gadget to quickly answer calls, check emails at a glance and worryingly, take pictures. While Samsung's intentions were probably innocent when adding a camera to the watch, it probably won't be used in such a way. They are advertising the camera facility as a way to quickly take pictures of something you want to remember, be it a name on a business card or a colour you think will look great on your walls. Samsung is calling this "memography"; most people, however, will call it stalking, or a gross invasion of privacy.
It is worrying just how discreetly you can take pictures of people without their noticing. Samsung claims to comply with industry requirements by having a loud shutter sound. But imagine being in a mall or at a party – no one will hear it. It is illegal to take someone’s picture here without their permission, but that doesn’t usually stop people, and the Gear only makes it that much easier.
Samsung has its say:
Hayssam Yassine, the head of the telecoms group at Samsung Gulf Electronics, talks about his company’s latest gadgets.
How well do you expect the Note 3 to do here?
We’re very excited. When the Note category was created by Samsung, there was a lot of scepticism with the larger screen, but it has been a successful strategy, everybody is following it. We believe the Note 3 will improve our market share.
What improvements have you made?
If we talk about the hardware there have been major improvements. The outer design is stronger with soft texture and nice etching. It is lighter, slimmer with stronger battery and a 3GB Ram, which is the first in the industry. The S pen has also been improved with action notes and it recognises handwriting, including Arabic.
Which market segment are you targeting the Samsung Gear at?
Everybody is likely to buy a Gear. It has many uses: you can use it as a pedometer, control your music, take pictures, check emails. It is creating a new culture of communication, we call it the “smart freedom”. If your phone is in your bag, you don’t have to search for it, you can just answer calls with the Gear. The primary customers will be the trendsetters, people who like new technology.
Some have raised concerns about the camera. It enables people to take pictures quite sneakily, no?
We have followed the international requirements, so when you take a photo it makes a very big sound, you cannot reduce it. Plus there are other competitors’ watches with cameras.
What’s next?
Samsung is committed to bringing the latest technologies and provide the right products that best meet consumer needs. We hope to build on this and grow in the future. We are a very innovative company and right now our R&D teams are coming up with new technologies.
thamid@thenational.ae
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
GAC GS8 Specs
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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