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Samsung’s New 2010 Appliances

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Samsung’s new home appliance product line for 2010 includes a front-loading washer with a spacious 5.0 cu.ft. capacity and a new intense PowerFoam cleaning technology, a new Four-Door Refrigerator with a unique mid-drawer positioned at counter height that opens to the outside and has independent temperature control, a new line of side-by-side refrigerators highlighted by the best in class energy efficiency, and the first hybrid induction range.

The new washer,  offers a spacious 5.0 cu.ft. capacity to help get more wash done in less time. It also features the newly improved Vibration Reduction Technology Plus, which reduces rattling and noise, making it so  families hardly know they’re on and allowing them to put their laundry machines anywhere they prefer. Samsung hopes to eliminate the need for all those stain-treatment sticks with the new PowerFoam feature that pre-dissolves detergent into powerful foam for a more thorough washing. In addition, PureCycle alerts consumers with a gentle chime after 40 washes and allows consumers to clean their machine with the press of a button using hot water, not harsh chemicals. These are both available in colors stainless platinum or white, and prices range from $1,399-$1,549.

Samsung’s Four-Door Refrigerator  offers a counter-height FlexZone Drawer with Temperature Control and SmartDivider that is accessible to everyone in the family. The flexible mid-drawer opens separately from the exterior of the refrigerator, ensuring that no cold air is lost from the main refrigerator or freezer compartments. The drawer itself can be temperature-controlled to store different types of food including snacks, party platters, deli meats, or beverages, and the Smart Divider allows families to adjust how the drawer is organized. It’s proprietary Twin Cooling System Plus keeps food  fresh by eliminating odor transfer and maintaining optimal humidity levels in each compartment. It is available in stainless platinum, stainless steel, black and white for $2,699-$2,999.
Samsung’s new Energy Efficient Side-By-Side Refrigerators, are among the most energy efficient refrigerators on the market. Through a combination of  features such as a proprietary insulation system, electric temperature sensors, LED tower lighting, and Samsung’s Twin Cooling System, the new side-by-side refrigerators can use up to 30 percent less energy than Department of Energy minimum standards. It is available in black, white, stainless steel, stainless platinum for $999-$1,799.

Samsung’s Latest Includes New Induction Range – Lower Laundry Pricing

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Samsung Electronics America will add induction technology to its cooking appliance line this fall.

Details are sketchy, but the company said the freestanding model will be produced entirely in-house.

“It’s gorgeous,” said James Politeski, sales and marketing VP for Samsung digital appliances. “The controls are intuitive, more accessible and very cool.”

Joining the induction unit will be Samsung’s first gas-fueled ranges. Two models are also set to ship this fall, along with a $600 speed oven that features microwave and electric heating.

In laundry, Samsung has added a step between its opening price point $999 front-load washer and its $1,499 front-load steam washer. The new, Energy Star-rated WF419 (suggested retail $1,199) also features steam cycles and Samsung’s vibration-reduction technology (VRT), plus 4.3 cubic feet of capacity and a diamond-patterned drum surface that’s gentler on fabrics.

Samsung also lowered its opening price point in front-load laundry to $699 in a Lowe’s-exclusive model that could join the open line next year depending on marketplace conditions. Senior marketing manager Jeffrey Armstrong said the company is hesitant to play in the promotional arena after establishing Samsung as a premium appliance brand — a strategy that has paid off with a 100 percent increase in first-quarter laundry sales.

In refrigeration, Samsung showed three French door models with dual ice makers, a feature it described as an industry first. The dual system includes an external filtered water and ice dispenser in the refrigerator and an additional ice maker in the freezer to provide twice the ice-making ability of standard units.

Tops in Customer Satisfaction

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According to a new study by J.D.Powers and associates, Customer satisfaction was highest among owners of LG and Samsung washer and dryers than other brands.

This is LG’s third consecutive year in the firm’s 2008 Laundry Appliances Study, while Samsung ranked highest among all clothes dryer manufacturers.

The study measured customer satisfaction with washers and dryers based on performance in six factors: ease of use; features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity); performance (including energy efficiency, noise level and how well the appliance functions); styling and feel; warranty; and value.

According to Twice.com, LG achieved a score of 831 on a 1,000-point scale, performing particularly well in four of six factors: performance, features, ease of use, and styling. Following closely in the washer rankings with a score of 829 was Samsung, which performed consistently well across all factors. Sears’ Kenmore Elite brand ranked third with a score of 819, performing well in the ease of use and features factors.

Samsung scored highest in customer satisfaction with clothes dryers (833), performing particularly well in the performance and warranty factors. LG followed Samsung in the rankings with a score of 829, scoring high in ease of use, styling and feel, and features. Kenmore Elite followed with a score of 815.

The study found that while effective cleaning or drying performance is the most important driver of overall satisfaction, energy efficiency is also critical to the majority of consumers (see story above). Laundry appliance owners also cited capacity and price as the two most important considerations in selecting a washer or dryer, J.D. Power reported.

GE CEO cites five potential bidders for appliances

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General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt on Wednesday named five non-U.S. appliance manufacturers, including China‘s Haier, South Korea‘s LG Electronics, Sweden’s Electrolux, Mexico‘s Controladora Mabe and Turkey’s Arcelik, as potential bidders for the company’s century-old appliances business.

The chief of the second-largest U.S. company by market capitalization said it was “obvious” who would be interested in the unit, which last year sold $7.2 billion worth of refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances.

“The players have become somewhat obvious,” Immelt told reporters in South Korea. “It is Haier in China, it is LG in Korea, it’s Mabe in Mexico, it’s Arcelik in Turkey.”

In Beijing, he added another name to the list of suspects: “Whether LG or Haier or Electrolux or others participate remains to be seen.”

None of those companies confirmed their interest.

After stunning investors in April with an unexpected drop in quarterly profit, GE said this month it would look to sell or spin off its appliances unit, saying the business was too focused on the United States.

Analysts and investors have estimated the business, which is No. 2 in the U.S. behind Whirlpool Corp. could sell for $4 billion to $8 billion. Whirlpool is the world’s largest appliance maker.

Immelt’s comments could be an effort to see if there are other interested bidders who have not yet made themselves known to the company, said Peter Sorrentino, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Huntington Asset Advisors, which manages $6.5 billion in assets and holds GE shares.

“I wonder if he’s not tapping tree trunks with a stick trying to figure out if there’s bees in there,” Sorrentino said.

STILL ‘EARLY ON’

Immelt’s remarks came just a week after he told investors GE that the company was “seriously” considering spinning off the appliances unit.

“The appliance process is still very early on, and much still has to be decided,” Immelt said in Beijing on Wednesday.

GE’s well-known brand name could appeal to a foreign appliance manufacturer looking to build its profile in the United States while capitalizing on lower-cost production.

Goodmorning Shinhan Securities analyst Steve Lee said, “I doubt LG Elec would be interested in pursuing this deal, since there’s little the company can gain. There’s a lot of overlap between the businesses with little premium potential for LG.”

Lee said Immelt’s comments could be aimed at drumming up interest from a small pool of potential candidates with deep-enough pockets to buy the business.

Advice for Buying a High-Def TV

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If you are shopping for a high-def TV, you’ll need to decide which type you’d like. Will you go for LCD(liquid crystal display), plasma, or HD rear projection microdisplay? Let us offer some information and advice to make your decision a little easier.

LCD

These televisions are thin and lightweight with bright picture contrast. That is good in a room with a lot of light. The largest screens are 46 inches and the picture quality is not quite as good as a plasma TV.

Plasma

These have the most lifelike picture, with 180 degree viewing angles. They are quite large screens, with nothing smaller than 42 inches.

HD Rear Projection

Cathode ray tube rear projetion sets are being phased out, but new hi-def flat screen have great picture quality. They are not meant hanging on the wall.

Your new TV can be wall hung and all the cable and wires hidden – no TV cabinet necessary. Although it is a job for a do-it-yourselfer, it requires some know how. Sets over 32 inches will be at least a two person installation job. Mounting requires a mounting kit with costs ranging from$100 to $200. Kits that swivel and tilt will cost more.

Before you go shopping, decide how large a screen you’d like, LCD is the best choice for for 42 inches and under. Plasma or rear projection are better for larger sets.

You can get a a high definition television without spending a fortune, or you can really blow a wad on one if you are inclined. For example, there is Samsung’s Slimfit which we found selling for $380. This has CRT technology and is only 16.5 inches deep. A pricier choice could be Sony’s Bravia which is 40″ wide and retails for about $1600. If you have the money, the Pioneer PDP-6010FD has two million pixels on an almost 60 inch screen. It also has four independent HDMI 1.3 inputs and a new room light sensor for adjusting to the viewing surroundings. This one will set you back about $4,000.

High definition televisions have a picture quality that is superior to analog TV and next year, over-the-air TV will be phased out. Analog televisions will require converters. If you are in the market for a new television , a high-def TV might just be the way to go.