Samsung AI partnerships are at the center of the company’s strategy to compete with Apple, as Samsung Electronics seeks new collaborations with artificial intelligence developers for future Galaxy devices.
Samsung co-CEO and head of its device experience division TM Roh said the company is “open to strategic co-operation” with AI players including OpenAI. Roh made the comments in an interview with the Financial Times published on March 9, 2026.
S26 Series and Multi-Model AI Strategy
Samsung unveiled its S26 series last week, featuring expanded AI capabilities. The company integrated Perplexity’s AI search engine into its mobile operating system alongside existing models from Google’s Gemini.
Roh said the move reflects changing consumer behaviour, as users increasingly switch between AI tools rather than relying on a single platform. “Consumers are not bound to one AI platform, they are utilising multiple AI models,” Roh stated.
“We are open to all solutions… choice, I believe, is how Galaxy AI appeals to consumers.”
TM Roh, Co-CEO, Samsung Electronics
Samsung AI Partnerships vs. Apple Intelligence Delays
Apple has repeatedly faced delays in expanding its Apple Intelligence features, including an enhanced Siri voice assistant expected to launch later in 2026. The iPhone maker struck a deal in January to integrate Google’s Gemini models, after also considering OpenAI’s ChatGPT to enhance Siri.
Roh argued Samsung moved earlier than competitors to embed AI in mobile devices. “We got into the preparation earlier than others,” he said, adding this was “how we have taken and maintained leadership in mobile AI.”
Global Smartphone Market Under Pressure
Market conditions remain challenging for the broader industry. According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments are forecast to fall 12 percent in 2026, marking the lowest annual volume since 2013 and the steepest decline on record.
Meanwhile, IDC warned the industry should prepare for a “tsunami-like shock originating in the memory supply chain,” potentially reversing a decade in which smartphones delivered better specifications at lower prices. IDC stated Apple and Samsung are “better positioned” to weather the crisis compared to other vendors.
Price Increases and Memory Supply Constraints
Samsung increased US prices for two models in its S26 range by $100, partly due to tightening memory supply. Roh linked the pricing pressure directly to the expansion of AI infrastructure globally.
“A lot of this is affected by the current ongoing expansion of AI infrastructure.”
TM Roh, Co-CEO, Samsung Electronics
The combination of supply chain pressures, AI integration costs, and intensifying competition with Apple shapes the environment in which Samsung pursues its expanded AI partnership strategy heading into the second half of 2026.