Samsung Electronics is sharpening its focus on on-device artificial intelligence (AI) as it looks to reposition smartphones from feature-centric products to platforms that distribute multiple AI services, a senior company executive said on Thursday.
Privacy at the Core
The company plans to enable more AI processing directly on smartphones, allowing users to run features locally without relying on cloud connectivity, while also offering the flexibility to choose between different AI models, including third-party options. The approach is aimed at reducing dependence on the cloud, improving response times and addressing data privacy concerns.
“We don’t want AI to remain a feature, it has to become part of everyday behaviour,” Aditya Babbar, vice-president and head of product and marketing at Samsung, said during a media interaction at the launch event of the company’s S26 smartphone.
Babbar said Samsung is closely studying how consumers interact with AI on smartphones and believes that shifting intelligence onto the device itself is key to wider adoption. “The power should be with the consumer, it’s your choice which engine you want,” he said, referring to the company’s plan to support multiple AI models on its Galaxy devices.
The strategy marks a shift from a device-led approach to a platform-led AI ecosystem, where smartphones act as a distribution layer for a range of AI services.
According to Babbar, on-device AI also enables use cases that are not dependent on Internet access. “The moment you select on-device, the data stays there,” he said. Citing real-time translation as an example, he added, “If I’m in a flight with a French person, I should still be able to communicate, you don’t need Internet.”
Samsung’s on-device AI push is backed by its Knox security framework, which operates across hardware and software layers to secure data processed on the phone.
India as a Global Hub
As reported earlier, the Korean electronics major is also seeking to lead the industry’s pivot towards smart AI-enabled devices while increasing domestic manufacturing. It plans to expand its participation in the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for electronics and components, having already availed incentives to manufacture smartphone displays locally. Going forward, the company is looking at deeper partnerships with new electronics manufacturing services players.
Company executives said India plays a dual role in this strategy, both as a large consumption market and as a base for developing features tailored to local usage patterns. “India is among the largest markets for AI feature adoption,” Babbar said.
Reflecting changing usage trends, including the rise in mobile gaming, Samsung’s latest launches also focus on hardware improvements such as enhanced cooling systems, processor optimisation and dedicated gaming modes, signalling how evolving consumer behaviour is shaping smartphone design.