Latest news with #ChoiWonjoon
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Samsung Might Tap Perplexity And Other AI Assistants For Galaxy S26
Due to its close relationship with Google, Samsung has been pushing Gemini as its go-to AI assistant on the company's various mobile devices. However, a recent interview between Bloomberg and Samsung Electronics executive Choi Won-joon suggests that the Galaxy S26 might launch with support for not just Gemini, but a slew of other possible AI assistants, including Perplexity. While it doesn't sound like any official decisions have been made yet, Choi said that Samsung was "talking to multiple vendors" in regard to the AI chatbots that it will employ on its next flagship phone. This has led many to believe that future Samsung devices like the S26 could come with ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and perhaps even other AI agents pre-installed. This would make using them as your go-to digital assistant much easier overall, and that's a win for Samsung and its customers, if you ask me. Exactly what level of access those chatbots would have to the device and your data is unclear at the moment, but it's also unclear if this will happen at all. Google And Samsung Have A Strong Relationship Many of the questions surrounding these potential partnerships come from the relationship that Google and Samsung have had. Samsung has acted as the de facto face of Gemini in recent years, with the company selling some of the first devices to offer new Google AI features, like Circle to Search. While Google still holds onto some features for the Pixel lineup -- that new Pixel 10 lineup is looking pretty sweet so far -- Samsung has by far the most Gemini features beyond Google's own branded devices. As such, it will be interesting to see how well that relationship holds up if Samsung is actually looking at bringing other AI assistants into the mix, as we know Google paid Samsung a great deal of money to put Gemini on the S25. Gemini isn't everyone's AI assistant of choice, so it would be an improvement to be able to key into Perplexity, ChatGPT, or any other chat option more easily. Exactly how easy that will be, though, remains to be seen, as we still have to wait and see if these talks result in any changes in the long run. Read the original article on BGR.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Samsung to fend off Chinese foldable phone rivals with slimmer model
By Hyunjoo Jin and Heekyong Yang SEOUL (Reuters) -Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled thinner, lighter foldable phones as it aims to fend off Chinese competition in the higher-margin, premium segment that remains untapped by arch rival Apple. The stakes are high. The South Korean company lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023 and faces growing competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei and Honor. Meanwhile, Samsung's mainstay chip business has suffered a profit slump stemming in part from its delayed supply of artificial intelligence chips to Nvidia. Samsung's mobile president and chief operating officer, Choi Won-joon, said his most important mission was to make Samsung a leader in AI-powered smartphones. "I believe that foldable phones, integrated with AI features, are ready to become mainstream by offering a unique, differentiated experience," he told Reuters in his first media interview since being promoted in March. He said Samsung aims to take a leadership position in AI by enhancing cooperation with external partners like Google, unlike Apple, which has been using in-house AI technology that has faced delays in adding key features. Samsung also in New York unveiled its first smartwatches equipped with Google's AI voice assistant, Gemini, which can make recommendations to the owner such as good locations for a run. PREMIUM HALO Samsung said in April that it was pushing ahead with a premium product strategy as U.S. tariffs threatened to dampen demand and raise component costs. The smartphone maker increased the U.S. price of its Galaxy Z Fold 7 by 5% to $1,999 from its predecessor Fold 6, while introducing a less expensive version of its Galaxy Z Flip 7 clamshell phone, Flip 7 FE, priced at $899. Galaxy Z Fold 7 is equipped with Qualcomm's super-fast processor Snapdragon 8 Elite, while Galaxy Z Flip 7 is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos chips. Analysts said Samsung's new models tackled some of the issues with foldable phones such as bulkiness, and would create a premium halo around the brand. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighs 10% less than its predecessor and is 26% thinner. But high prices and a lack of use cases mean foldable phones are likely to remain a niche segment, the analysts said, with data from research firm IDC showing they account for just 1.5% of the total smartphone market. Research firm Canalys predicts Samsung's foldable shipments, which peaked in 2022, will remain flat or slightly decline in 2025, in line with the broader market's flat growth, according to data provided to Reuters. Samsung's foldable smartphones account for 4% of its total phone sales but 16% of those priced over $800, Canalys said. Its data shows Samsung's dominance of the foldable phone segment is being eroded by Honor and Huawei, which are enjoying strong sales, especially in China. Samsung, which held its unveiling event in New York on Wednesday, will focus on the United States, Europe and South Korea for foldable phone sales, Choi said. At a press conference later on Wednesday following the launch event, TM Roh, president and acting head of Samsung's device experience division, said Samsung is working towards launching a tri-foldable phone, which users can fold three ways, by the end of the year. In the meantime, Choi said Samsung accelerated output and shipments of smartphones bound for the U.S. to mitigate the impact of looming U.S. tariffs, without giving details. Samsung produces its smartphones in Vietnam, which accounts for more than half of its phone output, as well as in South Korea and India. He also said Samsung has been tackling China's export curbs on rare earths and rare earth magnets by diversifying suppliers beyond the dominant supplier and significantly increasing its own internal stockpiles.
South China Morning Post
10-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Samsung bets on slimmer AI foldable phones to challenge Apple, Chinese rivals
Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled thinner, lighter new foldable phones as it aims to fend off Chinese competition in the higher-margin, premium segment that remains untapped by arch rival Apple. The stakes are high. The South Korean company lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023, and faces growing competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei Technologies and Honor Meanwhile, Samsung's mainstay chip business has suffered a profit slump stemming in part from its delayed supply of artificial intelligence (AI) chips to Nvidia. Samsung's mobile president and chief operating officer, Choi Won-joon, said his most important mission was to make Samsung a leader in AI-powered smartphones. 'I believe that foldable phones, integrated with AI features, are ready to become mainstream by offering a unique, differentiated experience,' he told Reuters in his first media interview since being promoted in March. Samsung's mobile president and chief operating officer, Choi Won-joon. Photo: Reuters He said Samsung aimed to take a leadership position in AI by enhancing cooperation with external partners like Google, unlike Apple, which has been using in-house AI technology that has faced delays in adding key features.
News24
09-07-2025
- Business
- News24
Samsung's bet on foldable phones faces major test with thinner new model
• For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled thinner, lighter new foldable phones as it aims to fend off Chinese competition in the higher-margin, premium segment that remains untapped by arch rival Apple. The stakes are high. The South Korean company lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023, and faces growing competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei and Honor. Meanwhile, Samsung's mainstay chip business has suffered a profit slump stemming in part from its delayed supply of artificial intelligence chips to Nvidia. Samsung's mobile president and chief operating officer, Choi Won-joon, said his most important mission was to make Samsung a leader in AI-powered smartphones. "I believe that foldable phones, integrated with AI features, are ready to become mainstream by offering unique, differentiated experience," he told Reuters in his first media interview since being promoted in March. He said Samsung aims to take a leadership position in AI by enhancing cooperation with external partners like Google , unlike Apple, which has been using in-house AI technology that has faced delays in adding key features. Samsung also in New York unveiled its first smartwatches equipped with Google's AI voice assistant, Gemini, which can make recommendations to the owner such as good locations for a run, as an example. Samsung said in April that it was pushing ahead with a premium product strategy, as U.S. tariffs threatened to dampen demand and raise component costs. The smartphone maker increased the US price of Galaxy Z Fold 7 to $1 999 R36 000) by 5% from its predecessor Fold 6, while introducing a less expensive version of its Galaxy Z Flip 7 clamshell phone, Flip 7 FE, priced at $899. Galaxy Z Fold 7 is equipped with Qualcomm's fast processor, Snapdragon 8 Elite, while Galaxy Z Flip 7 is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos chips. Analysts said Samsung's new models tackled some of the issues with foldable phones such as bulkiness, and would create a premium halo around the brand. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighs 10% less than its predecessor and is 26% thinner. But high prices and a lack of use cases mean foldable phones are likely to remain a niche segment, the analysts said, with data from research firm IDC showing they account for just 1.5% of the total smartphone market. Research firm Canalys predicts Samsung's foldable shipments, which peaked in 2022, will remain flat or slightly declining in 2025, in line with the broader market's flat growth, according to data provided to Reuters. Samsung's foldable smartphones account for 4% of its total phone sales but 16% of those priced over $800, Canalys said. Its data shows Samsung's dominance of the foldable phone segment is being eroded by Honor and Huawei, which are enjoying strong sales, especially in China. Samsung, which held its unveiling event in New York on Wednesday, will focus on the United States, Europe and South Korea for foldable phone sales, Choi said. Choi said Samsung is "working hard" to develop tri-foldable phones, which users can fold three ways, without elaborating on the launch date.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Samsung's bet on foldable phones faces major test with slimmer new model
By Hyunjoo Jin and Heekyong Yang SEOUL (Reuters) -Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled thinner, lighter new foldable phones as it aims to fend off Chinese competition in the higher-margin, premium segment that remains untapped by arch rival Apple. The stakes are high. The South Korean company lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023, and faces growing competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei and Honor. Meanwhile, Samsung's mainstay chip business has suffered a profit slump stemming in part from its delayed supply of artificial intelligence chips to Nvidia. Samsung's mobile president and chief operating officer, Choi Won-joon, said his most important mission was to make Samsung a leader in AI-powered smartphones. "I believe that foldable phones, integrated with AI features, are ready to become mainstream by offering unique, differentiated experience," he told Reuters in his first media interview since being promoted in March. He said Samsung aims to take a leadership position in AI by enhancing cooperation with external partners like Google, unlike Apple, which has been using in-house AI technology that has faced delays in adding key features. Samsung also in New York unveiled its first smartwatches equipped with Google's AI voice assistant, Gemini, which can make recommendations to the owner such as good locations for a run, as an example. PREMIUM HALO Samsung said in April that it was pushing ahead with a premium product strategy, as U.S. tariffs threatened to dampen demand and raise component costs. The smartphone maker increased the U.S. price of Galaxy Z Fold 7 to $1,999 by 5% from its predecessor Fold 6, while introducing a less expensive version of its Galaxy Z Flip 7 clamshell phone, Flip 7 FE, priced at $899. Galaxy Z Fold 7 is equipped with Qualcomm's fast processor, Snapdragon 8 Elite, while Galaxy Z Flip 7 is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos chips. Analysts said Samsung's new models tackled some of the issues with foldable phones such as bulkiness, and would create a premium halo around the brand. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighs 10% less than its predecessor and is 26% thinner. But high prices and a lack of use cases mean foldable phones are likely to remain a niche segment, the analysts said, with data from research firm IDC showing they account for just 1.5% of the total smartphone market. Research firm Canalys predicts Samsung's foldable shipments, which peaked in 2022, will remain flat or slightly declining in 2025, in line with the broader market's flat growth, according to data provided to Reuters. Samsung's foldable smartphones account for 4% of its total phone sales but 16% of those priced over $800, Canalys said. Its data shows Samsung's dominance of the foldable phone segment is being eroded by Honor and Huawei, which are enjoying strong sales, especially in China. Samsung, which held its unveiling event in New York on Wednesday, will focus on the United States, Europe and South Korea for foldable phone sales, Choi said. Choi said Samsung is "working hard" to develop tri-foldable phones, which users can fold three ways, without elaborating on the launch date.
