Samsung Electronics plans to double the number of mobile devices featuring AI powered by Google’s Gemini this year, aiming to reach 800 million units in 2026, its co-CEO T.M. Roh told Reuters. The move positions the South Korean tech giant to strengthen its partnership with Google and gain an edge over rivals in the intensifying global race for artificial intelligence adoption.
By the end of 2025, Samsung had deployed Gemini-backed AI features across roughly 400 million devices, including smartphones and tablets. Roh said the company intends to integrate AI “into all products, all functions, and all services as quickly as possible,” reflecting Samsung’s ambition to expand AI capabilities beyond mobile phones into TVs, home appliances, and other consumer electronics. The strategy is also part of Samsung’s effort to reclaim market leadership from Apple while fending off growing competition from Chinese rivals.
Alphabet’s Google recently launched Gemini 3, which it claims leads industry benchmarks for AI performance. In response, OpenAI accelerated development of its GPT-5.2 model, highlighting the heated competition to capture consumer attention in AI. Roh noted that awareness of Samsung’s Galaxy AI brand jumped to 80% from 30% in just a year, signaling rapid adoption of AI features among users. Popular applications include search, generative AI tools for images, productivity, translation, and summarization.
Despite its ambitious AI plans, Samsung faces challenges from a global shortage of memory chips, which pressures margins on smartphones and other devices. Roh said no company is “immune” to the crisis and acknowledged the possibility of price increases to offset rising costs. Market analysts predict that the shortage may shrink the global smartphone market in 2026 and drive higher device prices.
Foldable phones, pioneered by Samsung in 2019, have grown more slowly than expected due to engineering complexities and limited applications, but Roh expects the segment to go mainstream within two to three years. Samsung currently controls nearly two-thirds of the foldable market but faces intensifying competition from Apple, which plans to launch its first foldable device this year, and Chinese rivals including Huawei.
