Samsung Plans to Expand Gemini AI Across 800 Mln Devices
Samsung Electronics plans to double this year the number of its mobile devices equipped with artificial intelligence features powered by Google’s Gemini, its co-CEO said, a move that could strengthen the U.S. tech firm’s position as competition in AI accelerates.
The South Korean company had deployed Gemini-based AI functions across about 400 mln devices including smartphones and tablets by last year and aims to raise that total to 800 mln in 2026.
«We will apply AI to all products, all functions and all services as quickly as possible,» T M Roh told Reuters in his first interview since becoming co-CEO in November.
Boost for Google amid AI race
As the largest supporter of Google’s Android ecosystem, Samsung’s strategy is expected to give a significant lift to Google, which is competing with OpenAI and others to attract consumer users to its AI models.
Google unveiled the latest version of Gemini in November, highlighting strong performance benchmarks for Gemini 3. OpenAI later accelerated development and launched its GPT-5.2 model.
Samsung is seeking to reclaim ground lost to Apple in the smartphone market while fending off competition from Chinese rivals across phones, televisions and home appliances, all overseen by Roh. The company plans to roll out integrated AI services across consumer electronics to widen its lead in AI features, though Apple was expected to be the world’s top smartphone maker last year.
Rising adoption of Galaxy AI
Roh said consumer adoption of AI is likely to accelerate, noting that awareness of Samsung’s Galaxy AI brand rose to about 80% from roughly 30% in a year. He said search remains the most common AI use on phones, with growing demand for image editing productivity translation and summarisation tools.
A global shortage of memory chips has supported Samsung’s semiconductor business but squeezed margins in smartphones, its second-largest revenue source. Roh said no company is immune to the impact and did not rule out price increases, calling some effects inevitable as chip prices rise. Industry researchers expect the global smartphone market to shrink next year as costs are passed on to consumers.
Foldables yet to go mainstream
Roh said growth in the foldable phone market has been slower than expected due to engineering challenges and limited software support but predicted the segment would enter the mainstream within two to three years. Samsung controlled nearly two-thirds of the global foldable smartphone market in the third quarter of 2025, but faces increasing competition from Chinese brands and a potential foldable phone launch by Apple this year.
