Samsung holds final talks on Google TV venture

Samsung Electronics is holding final talks with Google about launching a television using the US search giant's software platform next year, an executive of the South Korean company said Tuesday. Yoon Boo-Keun, president of the visual display division, declined to elaborate on the timing of the launch saying only that Samsung would not unveil the new model at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. Samsung is the world's largest maker of flat-screen televisions, but wants to offer more high-tech models such as smart TVs to boost profits amid global competition on prices. The Google TV will let users surf the Internet, check email and create social networks just as they do on computers and smartphones. Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt visited South Korea this month and met executives from Samsung and LG Electronics. Analysts believe the US giant wants to further expand the reach of its Android operating system into televisions through partnerships with the world's two largest television makers. Samsung hopes to sell 45 million flat-screen televisions this year, including 12 million smart models.