THE POWERS THAT BE

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fa des to myth, and even my this long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again .– Robert Jordan

The quote is from the Wheel of Time series of fantasy books, but nevertheless rings true in the world of tech. And in this particular context, it’s the rise of South Korea as the technology superpower of our times. The star of Japanese electronics has been fading for some time now and most of the European giants have been sold off to new owners, many now under the rule of the Eastern dragon.

In this issue of HWM, we explore the rivalry between LG and Samsung as they battle head on with their latest flagship smartphones. What about Apple you say? What about the growing influence of Chinese brands such as Xiaomi and Huawei? Well, for one, they aren’t into white goods.

There is a noticeable shift in home electronics from Japanese and European brands to being predominantly Korean. Beyond smartphones and TVs, this includes everything from washing machines and refrigerators for your kitchen to robotic vacuum cleaners and air conditioners for your bedroom. The Koreans are also at the forefront of pushing new technologies to market in display, IoT, healthcare and wearables. We’ve been seeing fresh innovations and ideas from them that break the conventional mold such as LG’s Styler cabinet that automatically refreshes your clothes and a Samsung smart belt that tracks wellness without looking like a steam punk monstrosity.

Where do we go from here? I guess you’ll just have to keep reading HWM to find out.