Tech trends come and go, but it seems that some of the latest mobile innovations are here to stay. Foldable phones are one of them, with Australians eager to try the emerging form factor alongside AI-powered features.
According to Eric Chou, Samsung Australia’s Head of Mobile Experience, around 80% of Australian Galaxy S24 owners use the brand’s Galaxy AI technology every month. Not restricted to a single use case, this data likely reflects how tightly Samsung has integrated the generative AI software throughout its ecosystem.
Predictably, Google’s Circle to Search feature is one of the most-used features, described by Chou as “very, very popular”. After debuting on Samsung’s phones, the visual look-up tool has since proliferated to other Android phones, including the Google Pixel range.
Two of Samsung’s own AI technologies have also resonated strongly with Australians. Chat Assist, which helps edit text into different tones across messages and emails, and the generative AI image editing Photo Assist tool are the most used Galaxy AI features locally.
This blend of third-party and in-house technology represents Samsung’s vision for AI. The company does have its own in-house large language model (LLM), but that’s only part of the equation. It’s not about slapping the company branding and calling it a day; the intention is to provide intuitive experiences, regardless of who it comes from.
“Rather than actually thinking about ‘is it Gemini, is it Samsung, or is it OpenAI’, it’s more about intuitively integrating [AI] into every single one of our apps and services so that it is intuitive to users,” Chou said.
Above all else, a seamless user experience is the end goal. To borrow a line from Asus, ubiquitous AI, where you don’t think about whether a feature is AI or not, is Samsung’s approach, aimed at “making your creativity or productivity better” as Chou puts it.
Galaxy AI and regulation
Generative AI technology attracts plenty of controversy, partly due to many models relying on copyrighted data, and also because of its potential for misuse. Bad faith actors can use the tech to spread misinformation or produce harmful deepfake materials at scale – just to name a couple of examples.
One small safeguard Samsung enacts through Galaxy AI is watermarking any content made or edited via its software, which is also reflected in an image’s metadata. When asked about Samsung’s commitment to responsible AI development and use, Eric pointed to the company’s proactive approach to regulation.
“We are actually working very closely with the regulators,” Chou said. “So, whilst [AI] has currently not been regulated, we want to be very responsible in the way that we continue to develop AI.”
“We’ll continue to partner with the different regulatory bodies to ensure that our AI is safe, but more importantly, that it is also the right information for the right time as well.”
Flipping the script
Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event focused heavily on foldable devices like the sixth-generation Fold and Flip phones. By Chou’s own admission, neither device is “mainstream” yet, but it’s a product category that’s grown year-on-year. The Flip, in particular, has seen users switch allegiances.
“We are getting a very significant number of upgraders coming from the more legacy [Galaxy S series phones],” Chou said. “But also, what’s more pleasing for us, is also the increasing number of people coming across from other brands.”
Between the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold phones, it’s roughly a 50-50 split in terms of sales. Each phone attracts a very different audience, however. The Flip appeals to fashion-conscious buyers and creatives, while the Fold has a dedicated productivity following that graduated from the Galaxy Note devices.
“If we just look at our own Samsung base of customers, a lot of [current Fold users] have come from old Note users, and also people with that productivity thinking in mind,” Chou said.
This year’s Flip 6 and Fold 6 represent modest hardware changes, with software the big focus this time around. Both phones wield faster processors, improved displays, and increased durability, but it’s the form factor-specific Galaxy AI features Samsung wants you to notice most.
Aside from the foldables eschewing conventional phone design, Chou believes AI is what will ultimately drive renewed interest in mobile devices.
So far, the strategy appears to be working, with Samsung leading Apple and Xiaomi in shipping the most phones worldwide according to IDC research. With Apple set to launch its own AI-driven ecosystem later this year, the battle for top billing is far from over.
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