Samsung is working with OpenAI and Perplexity AI to add more AI options to Galaxy S26 phones

Samsung Electronics Co. is expanding its artificial intelligence ambitions for next year’s Galaxy S26 smartphones, entering talks with OpenAI Inc. and Perplexity AI Inc. to diversify its AI offerings beyond Google’s Gemini.

According to Choi Won-Joon, president and COO of Samsung’s mobile division, the South Korean tech giant aims to offer users more choices in AI agents. 

He stated that the company is in discussions with multiple vendors and is open to working with any AI agent that is competitive and capable of delivering the best user experience.

Samsung’s current Galaxy devices rely primarily on Alphabet Inc.’s AI models, similar to most Android phones. However, the company is actively working to broaden its AI ecosystem. Recent reports show Samsung is nearing a deal to invest in Perplexity and integrate its app and assistant into Galaxy devices, mirroring Apple’s strategy of supplementing in-house AI efforts with outside innovations.

Samsung reconsiders chip strategy for Galaxy S26

Beyond AI, Samsung is also reassessing its hardware strategy. For the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, the company is evaluating new application processors, weighing options between Qualcomm Inc. chips and its own next-gen Exynos 2600.

The recent Galaxy Z Flip 7 marked a notable shift as Samsung used an Exynos chipset in a foldable device for the first time—part of an ongoing effort to reduce dependency on Qualcomm while addressing concerns over the thermal performance of Exynos processors.

Samsung is also watching its longtime rival, Apple Inc., which plans to release its first foldable iPhone in 2026. The device will feature a similar design to the Galaxy Z Fold line and include foldable OLED displays from Samsung Display.

Choi sees this as a positive sign for the foldable phone market. “This is just the beginning of making these phones go mainstream,” he said, adding that more global players entering the category could help accelerate innovation and adoption across the industry.

SK Hynix overtakes Samsung in AI memory market

While Samsung is busy charting its AI and hardware future, local rival SK Hynix is already pulling ahead in a crucial battlefield: AI memory chips. The company outpaced Samsung for the second quarter, riding strong demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips critical to generative AI workloads and data centers.

The world’s second-largest memory chipmaker and a major supplier to US AI giant Nvidia and SK Hynix reported a Q2 operating profit of Won 9.2 trillion ($6.7 billion), a 68% increase compared to the same period last year. 

According to Yonhap Infomax, revenue hit an all-time high of Won 22.2 trillion ($16.1 billion), up 35% year-on-year and beating analyst estimates of Won 20.6 trillion. The company’s operating margin also surged from 33% to 41%.

The stellar performance is attributed to SK Hynix’s technological lead in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are crucial for advanced AI systems and data centers. These chips are in high demand as global Big Tech firms pour billions into generative AI infrastructure.

SK Hynix said on Thursday that the “aggressive investment” by major technology players is fueling a “steady increase” in memory demand, a trend it expects to continue throughout the year.

The company also highlighted growing interest in “sovereign AI” — efforts by individual countries to build independent AI data centers — as a key driver for long-term memory demand. Shares of SK Hynix rose more than 2% in early trading following the earnings release.

In stark contrast, Samsung has struggled to gain ground in AI memory production. Earlier this month, the company warned of a 56% drop in its Q2 operating profit, largely due to delays in passing Nvidia’s rigorous qualification tests for HBM supply.

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