Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming the next battleground in the smartphone industry. After years of competition centred on cameras, processors, and displays, manufacturers are now racing to build devices that can understand intent, automate tasks, and reduce the number of steps users take to get things done.
Samsung believes that shift is already underway.
In an exclusive interaction with MySmartPrice, Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President of Samsung's MX Business in India, spoke about how the company is approaching the next phase of smartphones as AI capabilities become more deeply integrated into the user experience. The conversation comes as Samsung prepares to expand its Galaxy AI ecosystem alongside the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.
According to Pullan, Samsung sees AI evolving from a supporting feature into a core part of how people interact with their devices.
"AI is moving from being an add-on feature to becoming the foundation of the smartphone experience. The goal is to make devices more intuitive so that users can simply express what they want to do, and the phone takes care of the rest," he explained during the conversation.
AI Moves Closer to Everyday Usage
Samsung has already introduced a number of AI-powered features across its recent Galaxy devices, ranging from image editing tools to contextual assistance. With the next generation of devices, the company expects these capabilities to become more deeply embedded in daily smartphone interactions.
Instead of navigating multiple apps and menus, AI-driven systems are increasingly designed to interpret intent and carry out actions directly. Tasks such as editing photos, summarising information, or performing actions across apps could potentially be completed through natural language commands.
Samsung believes this shift will make smartphones feel less like a collection of applications and more like intelligent assistants capable of understanding context.
India's Role in Samsung's AI Roadmap
India continues to be one of Samsung's most important smartphone markets globally, and the company sees the country playing a key role in shaping how AI-powered experiences evolve.
Pullan noted that the diversity of smartphone usage in India makes the market particularly suited for AI innovation.
"Indian consumers use their smartphones for an incredibly wide range of activities, from payments and entertainment to productivity and communication. That diversity creates a strong environment for AI-driven experiences that can simplify everyday tasks," he said.
Samsung believes that as these capabilities mature, AI could become an important factor influencing upgrade decisions, especially in premium smartphone segments.
The Industry Moves Beyond Hardware
For much of the past decade, flagship smartphone competition has been defined by hardware improvements. But the pace of those improvements has gradually stabilised, making it harder for manufacturers to stand out purely on specifications.
Samsung's strategy suggests the next phase of competition will depend increasingly on software intelligence.
AI-powered photography tools, contextual suggestions, automation across apps, and deeper ecosystem integration are likely to play a larger role in shaping how consumers evaluate smartphones in the coming years.
Within that broader shift, the Galaxy S26 series represents Samsung's next step toward making AI interactions more seamless and practical for everyday users.
The Bigger Galaxy AI Ecosystem
Samsung's vision extends beyond smartphones. The company has been steadily expanding AI capabilities across its wider ecosystem of devices, including wearables, tablets, and smart home appliances.
If executed well, AI could eventually become the connective layer tying these devices together.
For Indian consumers, the real test will lie in how effectively these capabilities translate into everyday convenience. If Samsung's bet proves right, the next wave of smartphone upgrades may not be driven by megapixels or charging speeds, but by how intelligently a device can assist its user.
