Samsung brings AI features to Galaxy phones
Samsung has presented its annual Galaxy smartphone upgrade, and the device maker has gone 'all in' on AI.
The Korean firm just unveiled its new flaship S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra devices, which will go on sale on January 31. Predictably, perhaps, the models showcase a range of AI-powered features that, says Samsung, heralds a “new era of mobile”.
These features include a real-time translation tool for voice calls and texts, Chat Assist to suggest the right tone for messages, and conversation transcription tools. The S24 range will be among the first to include Google’s Circle to Search feature. This lets highlight something in the camera and then trigger a web search based on it.
Underlying these advances is Samsung's deal to deploy Google's Vertex AI platform, as well as its Imagen 2 text-to-image diffusion technology and Gemini Ultra model for highly complex tasks. The S24 series will also use Gemini Nano, an on-device LLM delivered as part of the Android 14 operating system.
“Google and Samsung have long shared deeply held values around the importance of making technology more helpful and accessible for everyone. We’re thrilled that the Galaxy S24 series is the first smartphone equipped with Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 on Vertex AI,” said Janghyun Yoon, Corporate EVP and Head of Software Office of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “After months of rigorous testing and competitive evaluation, the Google Cloud and Samsung teams worked together to deliver the best Gemini-powered AI experience on Galaxy.”
Samsung and other OEMs are clearly pinning their hopes on AI to kickstart a reversal of fortune in the smartphone market. Shipments in 1H 2023 fell to a ten year low thanks to a combination of global economic insecurity, but also a perceived lack of innovation in the sector.
