Interview with Samsung: You don’t understand foldables until you hold them

As the space continues to evolve, new agents and features will emerge, which is why we build Galaxy AI as a platform: to hold multiple agents and enable services that ensure our Galaxy users get the most seamless experience possible.

With the Fold8 Ultra positioned as a productivity tool, what are the plans to make premium foldable phones accessible to SMEs or businesses?

CU: Within our region, we have 8 Samsung offices, each with B2B showrooms that serve as a touchpoint for businesses. Productivity, through agentic AI, that understands user intent and context, allows users to reach their desired results, solve tasks at business sites, and increas productivity. 

Strict adherence to privacy principles and security measures is needed to safeguard critical data. For enterprise and even government clients, good-value smartphones aren’t the priority; it’s the level of security that 

The foldable is the optimal form factor in this context.

Carl: It also provides an opportunity for B2B customers to consolidate devices. Instead of having a phone and a tablet, B2B can use the Fold8 Ultra for both. The Fold8 also opens up a new segment of customers, like people out in the field, who benefit from the ease of presentations, updating them, editing them, and showing them to their stakeholders. 

How will Samsung ensure key Galaxy AI features remain widely accessible and not come under paid subscriptions, like other AI platforms?

CU: Samsung considers AI not as a mere feature but as a core foundation that enhances the value of the entire mobile experience. Meaning that the core features will be available to more users so that they can utilise them more, and that’s our focus. For highly advanced features, they may be offered as options for consumers to choose. However, as of now, all the key Galaxy AI features are accessible to users. 

Some consumers in the region remain hesitant to invest in foldable devices. What is the key factor to persuade them to choose a Galaxy foldable for their next phone purchase?

CU: The core of Samsung’s foldable strategy has never been about making users adapt to the technology or devices. Instead, it’s about seamlessly integrating foldables into how people work, communicate, and create.

If we look into the repurchase rate for each form factor, it’s (globally) at 32% for Fold7, 37% for Flip7, and in Southeast Asia and Oceania, it (the repurchase rate) is close to 40%. I believe this demonstrates that consumers experience genuine everyday value from foldables, rather than choosing something that is new.

The addition of a new form factor is part of a strategy that moves beyond simply popularising foldables, but to expand the consumer experience from multiple perspectives, providing the best AI experience available to each form factor.

Among Fold7 users in Southeast Asia and Oceania, a large display and camera quality were cited as key factors for driving user satisfaction. Flip7 users highlighted the compact form factor. More than 4 out of 10 Southeast Asian millennials said they watch videos every day, and we believe the new foldable is the best choice for their viewing experience.

Carl: I would also say the one key factor is to really try the foldable phones for yourself. So many people I’ve spoken to have said, and seen the reviews online, that they didn’t understand the new form factor until they held it. I think once people open their minds to the foldable form factor, they may actually consider a different foldable device for their phone journey. Foldables have come a long way; this isn’t seven generations ago. These are very refined and advanced devices today for users to experience.

How does Samsung balance between AI as a system-level assistant versus making a decision on behalf of the user? Where is the line drawn for the sake of convenience?

Won-joon: I think that all important decisions should be made by humans. And what AI does is to assist the process up to the point of making that decision, or carry out actions after the decision has been made. Hence, Samsung’s agentic AI experience has two pillars: automation and suggestion.

An example is Now Nudge, which adopts a suggestive model. It understands the user’s context and proactively gives suggestions, but it is actually the human who finally carries out the action.

In automation, it needs to be invoked by the user. It stays transparent to the user, and at any point, the user can intervene or override what the AI is doing.

We always said AI never replaces, but acts like a companion in assisting you along the way. So (our) AI (is designed) to never carry out any actions the user did not agree to or is aware of.

Generative AI is still quite young. Do you think the technology is overhyped, or is it ready to change the way we use our phones?

Won-joon: We believe it’s just the beginning, with many challenges to overcome and many things that need to be ironed out before it can even reach its full potential. That said, I do believe it changes the behaviour in how people use mobile phones. We work closely with Google to make fundamental changes to the phone’s OS (operating system) and the UI (user interface).

If you think about the smartphone that was first born in 2007, it was based on an app ecosystem and a touch UI. These days, touching the screen and swiping through different apps feels very natural, but if you really think about it, it’s a really awkward way to interact with a device. I believe the most natural way is how we do it now: through voice, text, and our visual eyesight. That kind of changes the phone of the future, hence our “AI Phone”. That’s what we are currently working on and how it changes how we use phones in the future.

What are some of the safeguards in place to minimise AI misuse or AI hallucinations in your third-party partners and your own Galaxy AI ecosystem?

Won-joon: First, it’s about transparency. Every piece of content generated by AI will clearly show to the user that it is generated by AI. In an effort to do so, Samsung has been taking part in the C2PA alongside many industry leaders. We have made sure watermarks are inserted in any AI-generated content so that we don’t mislead consumers. 

Samsung is also developing guardrails, separately, at the hardware and software level, because AI has access to immense data. When it comes to access, privacy and security are top priorities.

With supply chain issues and price increases, I’d like to know what strategies are implemented to make flagships accessible to the masses. Will we see older flagships get price adjustments, or are end-users using trade-ins and promotions? Is the goal really just to sell the latest flagship or to really get consumers into the Samsung ecosystem, regardless of device?

CU: As mentioned earlier, the rise in memory chip prices has impacted the whole industry, not just Samsung. Through our strategic partnerships, we’ve secured a relatively stable position in terms of supply. We continue to monitor market conditions closely and the impact they have on end-users.

As you’ve seen through our new models, the new foldables deliver upgrades that they can intuitively and instantly recognise, like a bigger 5,000mAh battery, Flex Titanium technology, 50MP ultrawide cameras, and an optimised AI experience. 

In addition to addressing price sensitivity in this region, Samsung is working on lowering the total cost of phone ownership. For example, we support OS and security updates for a longer term (seven years), run programmes and tailored offers, and work with mobile financing partners to help lower the cost of ownership.

With every new launch, I get asked about only focusing on driving sales for the new products. That’s not true; we also run previous models, both in Galaxy Z and S lineups, giving more choices to consumers.

With Google’s AI becoming more prominent and deeply integrated, what is Samsung’s vision for Galaxy AI? How do you differentiate? What do you want people to think about when they hear Galaxy AI?

Carl: Our AI works as a platform, an intelligent layer that brings together on-device, cloud, and other AI offerings of our partners. Google’s Gemini is a great example of this partnership, with it deeply integrated in our Galaxy experience, granting natural intelligence across apps. We’re positioned to partner with any AI company that provides the best experience for our users. 

At the same time, we have our own innovations, focusing on the areas most important to Galaxy users; for example, camera, visual AI features, and we focus a lot on language support for our region. I talk about that in terms of SEA and Oceania, but it’s also true across the globe.

I believe I’d love to hear that Samsung provides the best AI experiences on a mobile phone, and beyond a phone, through Galaxy AI.

With how deeply integrated Android 17, Google Gemini, and One UI 9 are, do Galaxy devices get a specific advantage over other brands in developing features with Google?

Won-joon: In the early days of the smartphone, the Android OS was available to every OEM at the same time. When AI came into the picture, the relationship between Google and us has changed. Since then, we have been building the platform together. The advantage we get is being one of the first to add new innovations to Android. When we build together, we also have a lot of input. This means we are building the platform based on what Galaxy experience we want. In a sense, the platform is optimised for Galaxy users to leverage on. 

Finally, when making Gemini available to our users, it’s more deeply integrated into our Samsung apps and device capabilities. We maintain users’ private data on-device, and Gemini’s intelligence can still utilise it to better experience.