Samsung discusses Apple's forthcoming foldable devices and advanced AI assistants, hinting at potential competition with the Galaxy S26 [Video]
In an interview with Bloomberg, Samsung's mobile President Won-Joon Choi revealed the South Korean tech giant's strategy for staying competitive against Apple's upcoming foldable phone. The strategy focuses on solidifying Samsung's leadership in the foldable market by leveraging advanced AI integration, refining foldable hardware design, and expanding the foldable user base before Apple’s entry.
According to the interview and analysis from Recon Analytics, Samsung is pushing foldables mainstream with mature on-device AI capabilities integrated into the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7. These AI features enhance device interaction by evolving beyond touchscreens towards voice input and real-world contextual awareness through the camera.
The Galaxy Z Fold7, Samsung's thinnest and lightest foldable yet, features a re-engineered hinge, titanium materials, and a refined camera layout. These improvements aim to offer a superior user experience and device appeal compared to earlier models. For the flip-style foldable Galaxy Z Flip7, Samsung increased the cover screen size while slimming the design, allowing more use of AI-powered features without opening the phone.
Samsung's strategic positioning acknowledges Apple's ecosystem dominance and the niche size of the foldable market. The company aims not to outsell Apple’s iPhone but to cement itself as the category leader, capturing high-value consumers interested in foldable technology, growing the addressable market, and pressuring Apple to accelerate foldable and AI development.
The Fold7 launch raises the bar for smartphone intelligence through integration with Google’s Gemini AI and Samsung’s Galaxy AI, combining hardware innovation with AI to create a unique user experience that Apple has yet to match. However, Samsung is open to integrating multiple AI agents with its devices beyond just the Gemini assistant.
Choi hinted at more AI partners being revealed alongside the Galaxy S26 launch next year, but no specific partners were confirmed in the interview. Samsung may consider using the Exynos 2600 chip in next year's Galaxy Z Flip.
Samsung views the smartphone as the "central hub" for AI in the future, wanting to bring more AI to its devices beyond just Gemini. To ensure products headed for the US market can be manufactured in multiple locations due to potential tariffs, Samsung has multiple manufacturing facilities in key regions around the world, giving the company flexibility in responding to trade policies.
Despite improvements over previous models, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 face competition from China. Samsung is yet to confirm which AI agents will be integrated with the Galaxy S26.
In conclusion, Samsung's strategy for staying competitive in the smartphone market revolves around design innovation, AI integration, and market timing. By focusing on these areas, Samsung aims to maintain a competitive edge ahead of Apple’s foldable phone release and to drive growth in the foldable segment rather than trying to directly compete with Apple’s broad ecosystem dominance.
- To solidify its lead in the foldable market, Samsung is integrating advanced AI capabilities into the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, aiming to evolve device interaction beyond touchscreens and offer features like voice input and real-world contextual awareness through the camera, expanding the foldable user base.
- In the pursuit of staying competitive, Samsung views the smartphone as the central hub for AI in the future and is open to integrating multiple AI agents with its devices, such as Google’s Gemini AI and Samsung’s Galaxy AI, to create unique user experiences that leverage technology like AI and foldable hardware designs.
