Samsung, LG broaden global partnership

LG Electronics’ organic light-emitting diode TV

South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have been beefing up partnerships with global firms in their efforts to pursue convergence and innovation.

Such collaboration efforts can be seen at the 2014 IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics fair, which kicked off in Berlin Friday. The two tech firms are showcasing high-tech gadgets that they have codeveloped with their global partners. 

Samsung worked hand in hand with Oculus VR, a virtual-reality headset maker, on the Gear VR, virtual-reality goggles which can be paired with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 phablet. 

Samsung Gear S smartwatch

Oculus VR, which was acquired by Facebook in March this year, showcased its digital goggles, named Oculus Rift, at the CES trade show in Las Vegas in 2013. 

The collaboration between Samsung and the startup received attention as the partnership also means strengthened ties between the tech behemoth and Facebook.

In an interview with tech news outlet TechCrunch, Oculus VR CEO Bredan Iribe said that the firm was “laser-focused” on collaboration with Samsung, denying the possibility of further partnership with other smartphone manufacturers for a while. 

Samsung also teamed up with luxury pen maker Montblanc in developing styluses and flip covers for the newly unveiled Galaxy Note 4.

Jewelry brand Swarovski ― another Samsung partner ― made straps for the new standalone smartwatch Gear S. 

“Samsung and Swarovski share a commitment to bringing high-quality, highly desirable products to the consumer market,” Swarovski executive vice president of global marketing Christoph Kargruber said in a statement. 

“Together we will continue to write the success story we began with the ‘Swarovski for Samsung’ collection.”

Samsung’s local rival LG Electronics also showcased a wide range of products based on collaborative efforts on a global level, including a Swarovski-studded organic light-emitting diode TV and a smart home services platform with Google’s Nest, at the Berlin trade show.

Market watchers said the increasing number of collaborations, especially with fashion brands, shows that the tech giants are putting more emphasis on design, which is playing a critical role in drawing in aesthetically inclined consumers.