Samsung Enlists Spotify and Fortnite to Fend Off Apple
*By Michael Teich*
Samsung is partnering with Spotify and Fortnite to boost slumping smartphone sales and maintain its lead over Apple.
The leading smartphone maker unveiled the new $1,000 Galaxy Note 9, and announced the viral, battle royale video game's first Android version will be available exclusively on Samsung devices. The deal may appeal to the game's 125 million players and encourage them to buy the new phone instead of Huawei or Apple devices.
Samsung is hoping the new Galaxy Note 9 will do better than the Galaxy S9, which slumped, allowing smartphone rivals to catch up. Samsung's second-quarter shipments fell 11 percent from a year earlier to 70.8 million units, according to IHS Markit. With a similar price tag to Apple's iPhone X, Samsung's new phone is going after the same high-end market.
In addition to gamers, Samsung is hoping music lovers will opt for the Galaxy Note 9 by making Spotify its go-to music partner. Samsung will integrate the Spotify app into its Smart TVs and speakers, and will make it available when customers set up their new phones.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/first-look-at-the-new-samsung-galaxy-note-9).
Cheeze, Inc. is a media platform that hopes to help photographers to tell stories through the use of NFT’s. Simon Hudson, founder and CEO of Cheeze, Inc. joined Cheddar News to explain the process as well as teasing its "Women of Authenticity" display for Women’s History Month. "We've made it very simple and focused very hard on reducing all of the friction to bring their items to the blockchain." Hudson explained. He also addressed reports that cloud software giant Salesforce could be getting into the NFT marketplace.
Samsung unveiled its latest product lineup, including a new family of Galaxy S22 smartphones featuring the S22 Ultra with a larger screen, more powerful camera, and the Samsung S Pen stylus. The company also revealed its latest tablet, the Tab S8 Ultra, featuring a 14.6" screen, expanded storage, and 4K video capability. Cheddar News was able to showcase each device as Allison Johnson, reviews writer at The Verge, joined Closing Bell to discuss the new releases, the standout features, and more.
