The Tech Media Minute: Samsung's Big Day and Apple's Woes

Samsung’s big year

It looks like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge flagship smartphones are just what to company needed to get past its recent woes. On Thursday, the South Korean manufacturer announced that its operating profit in the second quarter of 2016 would reach $7 billion, which is up 17 percent year over year, according to BGR.

Over at Apple, things haven’t been as rosy. In April, the company announced that iPhone sales had dropped in a quarter for the first time. Apple will announce its third quarter results on July 26. With the “iPhone 7” set to arrive this fall, iPhone sales numbers for this quarter could also be disappointing.

Apple adjusts its back to school promotion

Cupertino added the iPhone and iPad Pro to the company’s annual back-to-school promotion because of decline sales, according to Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi, who spoke with Computerworld.

The inclusion of the iPhone (6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus) and the iPad Pro (9.7-in. and 12.9-in.) was notable because Apple’s smartphones and tablets were not eligible purchases for 2015’s back-to-school promotion.

Through Sept. 2, customers who purchase an eligible iPhone or iPad Pro will receive a discount on a pair of Beats headphones.

Google to release own smartwatch

Alphabet is getting ever-closer to becoming a hardware company. Late last month, The Telegraph reported that Google would soon announce its first smartphone. Android Police now notes that a Google-built smartwatch is also arriving before the end of the year.

They note:

“A reliable source has told us that Google is currently building two Android Wear devices – possibly Nexus-branded – for release some time after the latest Nexus phones are announced. One watch will be larger, sportier, and more fully-featured (LTE, GPS, heart rate), the other will be smaller and lack the aforementioned mobile data and GPS.”

On days like this, it’s best to #GiveMeHopeIn5Words.

Also being discussing on Twitter this Thursday:

• #PhilandoCastile
• Kevin Turner
• #WorldChocolateDay
• #ThursdayThoughts
• #tbtXPN
• #AINow
• WhiteWave
• Serena
• #VeteranWellbeing

Today, July 7 is Chocolate Day and National Strawberry Sundae Day.

The Yes Yes and Yes (YxYY004) conference begins tomorrow, July 8 in Palm Springs, California.

Rewind: On this day in 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii. The former Kingdom of Hawaii become the nation’s 50th state in 1959.

Have a few more minutes? Check out these other stories making news:

• Hey, granddad, here’s a Millennial’s guide to Snapchat, New York Daily News
• Why I’m Sick of Apple Upgrades, Thrillist
• Barclays hopes that ‘poor man’s Apple Watch’ might help bPay compete with Apple Pay, 9to5Mac

Want even more? Check out Tech Media Extra.

(Image: EverythingApplePro)