Samsung says Apple foldable is good for the industry, teases more AI assistants beyond Gemini for Galaxy S26

India Today

12 hours ago

As the foldable smartphone wars heat up, Samsung is bracing for the moment its biggest rival finally steps into the ring. Apple's first folding iPhone is widely rumoured to be on the horizon, but Samsung insists it isn't fazed. In a new interview with Bloomberg, Samsung's President of Mobile, Won-Joon Choi, made it clear that the Korean giant is confident in its head start.advertisement'We've been doing this for many years, and we have accumulated a lot of technologies and know-how. And, having another global technology company [in] this category is good for the industry and is going to be great for the consumers,' he said, when asked how Samsung would 'keep its edge' once Apple inevitably joins the fray.Choi's comments come as Samsung unveils the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, its most refined foldables to date, in a market where competition from Chinese brands is growing ever fiercer. On the other hand, Apple's first foldable is speculated to debut next year, 2026. While nothing is confirmed, we have reported a lot of evidence that shows Apple is working on its foldable.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 with in-house Exynos processor
This year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 also marks a bit of a milestone for Samsung: it's the company's first foldable to use an in-house Exynos processor. When pressed on why the company chose that chip, Choi explained that there's no brand loyalty when it comes to silicon. 'We have a rigorous process when picking a chipset,' he said. 'We look at performance, power consumption, and other reasonable aspects of the consumer requirements.'Will next year's Flip stick with an Exynos 2600? That, Choi hinted, is still undecided: Samsung will 'consider every option.'AI and it's not just GeminiAnd then, of course, there was AI. You can't have a tech interview these days without it.Samsung's latest phones already lean on Google's Gemini AI for a range of smart features, but Choi made it very clear that the future isn't exclusive.'Gemini will not be the only AI assistant we're going to integrate with Galaxy,' he teased. 'We're going to integrate multiple AI assistants and AI agents with this framework that we've built. It could be anything, as long as these AI agents are competitive, and AI agents can provide the best user experience, we are open to any ideas. We are talking to multiple vendors. I think at the time of [Galaxy] S26 you're going to see more. In addition to Gemini, you're going to see more at the time of [Galaxy] S26.'Pressed on whether that means partnerships with companies like Perplexity or ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Choi simply smiled and said 'anyone' is on the table. Still, with a big hint that Samsung will have much more to say around the Galaxy S26 launch, it seems certain there are deals already cooking.advertisementChoi closed out the conversation with his vision for the future of mobile: 'the smartphone as the central hub for AI.'Tariffs and trade politicsThe conversation then shifted to another storm cloud hanging over the smartphone business: trade policy. New rules could see devices not manufactured in the United States slapped with a hefty 25 per cent tariff.On this, Choi was deliberately cautious, pointing out that Samsung's global reach offers a safety net. 'Samsung has multiple manufacturing facilities in key regions around the world,' he said. This gives the company 'a lot of flexibility' to move production as needed. Speaking directly to the US tariff threat, he added, 'There are a lot of uncertainties,' but Samsung has been working to ensure products bound for the American market can be assembled in 'multiple locations.'For now, Samsung may be keeping its cards closed, but with rivals circling, and Apple poised to pounce, the next year looks set to be one of the most interesting in foldables yet.- EndsMust Watch