Artificial intelligence (AI) has been evolving quietly, but it grabbed the public’s attention massively after tools like ChatGPT highlighted its capabilities. As AI becomes the focus in 2024, tech companies are integrating AI features into consumer products, showcasing rapid innovations in this field.
Smartphones are no exception, as AI features are quickly becoming a unique selling point. For many consumers, AI capabilities are now more intriguing than hardware upgrades like faster chips or brighter displays. This shift has created a race among smartphone manufacturers to be seen as the leader in AI-enabled devices.
Samsung has been particularly successful with this approach in the development of its Galaxy S24 series. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, despite its impressive specs like the introduction of Titanium and the brightest display panels on an Android flagship, takes a backseat to highlight Samsung’s Galaxy AI features.
The Galaxy AI suite encompasses a range of tools, including live translation of phone calls, summarization of web content, photo editing capabilities like object removal and repositioning, and video enhancements like slow-motion conversion. Samsung plans to incorporate these features into 100 million smartphones this year.
During the Unpacked event held on January 17, Samsung diverged from the usual format and chose to spotlight Galaxy AI extensively, demonstrating the commitment to position the Galaxy S24 series as “the AI phone” of 2024. The following marketing push has continued to focus on these AI capabilities across various platforms.
By targeting consumers beyond just the tech-savvy, Samsung aims to link the concept of AI in smartphones with their brand and the Galaxy AI suite. This strategy has been gaining traction, with users reporting that the Galaxy S24 is being recognized as “the AI phone” in their circles.
Even competitors like Apple have taken notice, with CEO Tim Cook teasing new generative AI features for the iPhone. However, with the new iPhone series set to release later in the year, Samsung has a window to further establish its Galaxy AI brand with its upcoming devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Other manufacturers, such as Google and various Chinese OEMs, are not far behind and are leveraging cutting-edge Snapdragon chipsets to offer similar AI experiences. Nonetheless, Samsung’s global presence provides it with a distinct advantage as it competes primarily with Apple to define the AI smartphone space.
As the year progresses, the battle for AI dominance in smartphones will intensify, with Samsung and Apple competing to shape the consumer’s perception of what an AI phone can achieve.
Watch Samsung’s efforts in action here: [YouTube video embed link]
