Samsung recently announced its plans to acquire connected car tech firm Harman, in a deal worth $8 billion – the company's largest ever acquisition.
The move prompted many to speculate that Samsung could use Harman audio technology in its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone – due to arrive in 2017, possible at MWC in February.
Harman produces various types of connected technologies for vehicles, including "embedded infotainment, telematics, connected safety and security."
However, a new report from The Investor suggests Samsung won't be integrating Harman tech into its Galaxy S phones until at least 2018.
Park Jong-hwan, Senior Vice President and head of Samsung’s car parts division, said: "It will take time for the acquisition process to be completed, including the planned shareholders’ vote. After that, we could ramp up efforts for business synergies.
"If we are to adopt Harman’s high-end audio technology for the Galaxy S series phone, the first model could come in 2018."
Based on those comments, then, it looks as though Sammy won't be integrating Harman tech into the Galaxy S series until it comes time for the Galaxy S9, if that's even what it will be called.
However, just how much Park Jong-hwan, who heads up the car parts division, knows about the company's mobile plans remains unclear.
Oh-Hyun Kwon, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics, said when the Harman acquisition was announced: “Harman perfectly complements Samsung in terms of technologies, products and solutions, and joining forces is a natural extension of the automotive strategy we have been pursuing for some time."
It seems that Samsung's deal was more aimed at branching out into automotive tech, rather than integrating Harman systems into other products, then.
That said, the company did release a statement that included a line about how "mobile, display, virtual reality and wearable products" will be able to "deliver a fully differentiated audio and visual experience for customers".
Just what Samsung is planning with regards to Harman remains a mystery for now then, but it has said at a recent news conference in Seoul that it doesn't plan to move into the car manufacturing business, according to The Investor's report.
