There appears to be a quite massive elephant within the room of the smartphone business proper now. The likes of Samsung, Apple, and Google are investing closely within the growth (and advertising) of AI software program, however shoppers appear lower than desirous about a know-how that has but to be confirmed game-changing for his or her on a regular basis lives.
At the least, that’s the impression we get from reader feedback, and a recent survey of more than 2,000 iPhone and Samsung Galaxy users discovered that 73% of iPhone-owning respondents and a whopping 87% of Galaxy-owning respondents really feel that AI provides little to no worth to their smartphone expertise. That’s acquired to be powerful studying for the know-how executives who’re collectively betting hundreds of billions on an AI-powered future.
In fact, adoption takes time, and Samsung, for its half, is dedicated to the lengthy recreation. At MWC 2025, I spoke to Annika Bizon, Advertising and marketing and Omnichannel Director at Samsung UK, who spoke on the corporate’s “primary goal” with Galaxy AI – and whose personal adoption figures paint a extra optimistic image.
“Final yr we launched Galaxy AI into the market, and we have now acquired over 5 million individuals utilizing it regularly within the UK. It took the web eight years to get to that determine,” stated Bizon. “When you begin utilizing one thing, it turns into habits, and our job is to alter habits, so individuals can see the advantages.”
“Now,” Bizon continued, “you’ll be able to solely change habits if individuals do see a profit. So [that’s the] primary goal. The second factor for us: Galaxy AI is our hero messaging as a result of we need to personal that house and convey credibility to that house. However we additionally must demystify it, proper? As a result of AI means 1,000,000 issues. Go searching immediately [at MWC]. What we’re saying is: AI makes the mundane simpler. It makes you extra artistic, supplying you with again time to do the belongings you love. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to’t neglect that folks purchase a telephone for the digicam, the battery life, the sturdiness. These are rules that may sit under each single product we deliver to market.”
It’s clear, then, that Samsung hasn’t forgotten concerning the significance of {hardware} to shoppers – regardless of the dizzying variety of Galaxy AI-related advertisements you’ve possible seen over the previous yr. AI is Samsung’s “hero messaging”, however it’s a matter of synergy, not prioritization.
“If you concentrate on {hardware} and software program, they work collectively,” Bizon instructed me. “AI optimizes the battery in your telephone, AI optimizes the digicam in your telephone – you’ll be able to all the time iterate by {hardware}, however if you begin including AI into that, you actually take the entire expertise as much as one other degree.
“[Our customers are using AI] as a result of it is making their lives simpler, whether or not that be Circle to Search, Stay Interpreter, or the truth that I can e book a restaurant by my voice and ship an invitation on to my good friend’s calendar. That is all about saving time. If you happen to save time, and also you’ve acquired the perfect {hardware} [working alongside] the perfect software program, you begin to actually change the shopper expertise. And that’s the necessary factor. Working in a method the place know-how works for you quite than you working for know-how. AI is the house the place we see all of our [technology] coming collectively – it’s like a PA in your pocket.”
Democratization is essential to adoption
The place smartphone-based AI was the protect of the very best phones solely a yr or so in the past, corporations have now pivoted to providing AI at nearly each step of the worth ladder.
Google, as an example, provides the identical AI options on the budget-friendly Google Pixel 8a because it does on the premium Google Pixel 9 Pro, whereas Apple lately debuted the Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone 16e, decreasing the price of entry to its AI characteristic suite. Eradicating the exclusivity from AI will enable these corporations to refine and stress-test their AI options in a method that merely isn’t doable with a restricted pattern measurement, and Samsung, to its credit score, realized this sooner than most.
After launching Galaxy AI in January 2024 on the Galaxy S24 collection, Samsung rolled out the identical options to the Galaxy S23 collection simply two months later. Galaxy AI compatibility now covers all the things from the high-end Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to the mid-range Galaxy A55.
We have got over 5 million individuals utilizing Galaxy AI regularly within the UK.
“AI for All is actually necessary to us,” Bizon defined. “All people has an opportunity to make use of AI. Personally, I’m actually happy with the truth that we took the step final yr to take [Galaxy AI] onto previous-generation gadgets – that’s over 200 million gadgets globally, and we gave individuals the chance to expertise it. You’ll be able to solely actually get adoption if you’ve acquired a mass market to do this with.”
What’s extra, the figures behind AI aren’t all dangerous. These aforementioned survey outcomes replicate the present sentiment in direction of smartphone-based AI, however current analysis performed by TechRadar writer Future suggests people are increasingly swapping traditional search engines for AI tools such as ChatGPT.
Shopper habits are altering, and though Galaxy AI might sound gimmicky now, it gained’t be lengthy earlier than thousands and thousands of smartphone customers actually are utilizing their voices to make restaurant reservations. Take into account this: vehicles, laptops, and cheeseburgers had been all perceived as dumb fads once they initially got here to market. Now they’re essential to the worldwide economic system.
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