Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy S26 line-up, positioning artificial intelligence, and in particular, Google’s Gemini, at the centre of its flagship strategy.
The move hands Alphabet’s AI a significant mobile platform at a pivotal moment, with Gemini also set to underpin a revamped Siri on Apple’s iPhones. Yet while Apple’s upgrade timeline has reportedly been delayed, Samsung is bringing Gemini’s most advanced capabilities to market now.
The news was also shared by Google chief Sundar Pichai on X: “Tons of new AI-powered @Android features announced @SamsungMobile Unpacked, including Gemini automations, smarter Circle to Search, scam detection and more.”
The S26 stands out for the sheer density of AI systems it houses in a single device. Samsung is combining three distinct engines: Google’s Gemini for agentic, cross-app actions; Perplexity for web-based queries; and an enhanced version of its in-house assistant, Bixby, powered by a more capable proprietary large language model.
It is a multi-agent strategy that underlines how central AI has become to smartphone differentiation and how determined Samsung is to hedge its bets across multiple partners rather than rely on a single provider.
That said, Google remains its closest relationship.
Samsung was the first handset maker to ship Gemini with the Galaxy S24 in January 2024. Integration deepened with the S25 a year later, when Gemini became accessible via a long-press of the side button. With the S26, Gemini takes a further leap: it can now perform autonomous actions inside third-party apps, not just Samsung’s own ecosystem.
The partnership, however, has not always been straightforward. Samsung previously pushed its Tizen operating system and Bixby assistant to reduce reliance on Google. In the AI era, however, the two companies have drawn closer than ever, even as Samsung cultivates Perplexity as a secondary AI partner.
The result is that Samsung has emerged as the most important distribution channel for Google’s consumer AI—a role that Apple, despite its reported billion-dollar annual Gemini agreement, is yet to fulfil.
The Agent in Action
At the core of Samsung’s pitch is agentic AI, with Gemini acting as the primary engine.
The assistant can already work directly with Samsung’s native apps, including Calendar, Reminder, and Samsung Notes. Users can ask Gemini to find and add events to their calendar, or summarise a YouTube video and save the notes automatically.
The most striking example involves ride-hailing. Users can summon Gemini, request a ride, and allow the AI to manage the process in the background—opening the app, selecting options, and completing steps without further input. Samsung plans to extend this functionality to additional ride-sharing platforms and eventually to food delivery services.
This marks a significant advance from the S25, where Gemini was limited to Samsung’s own apps. The S26’s ability to act across third-party services brings it closer to the vision of a truly autonomous mobile assistant.
Siri Waits in the Wings
In January, Apple confirmed a multi-year agreement reportedly worth $1 billion annually to use Gemini models as the foundation for an overhauled Siri. However, that rollout has slipped. Features initially expected in an iOS 26.4 update this spring are now reportedly delayed until later in the year.
Samsung’s S26, available for pre-order now with general release on March 11, means Gemini’s most advanced agentic functions will reach consumers first via Samsung devices.
Apple still commands roughly 25% of the global active smartphone installed base, compared with Samsung’s 18%, according to Counterpoint Research. iPhone users also tend to outspend Android users on apps and services.
For Google, the Apple partnership may be the larger long-term prize. For now, though, Samsung provides a real-world showcase for the AI technology that could eventually power Siri’s revival.
Market Context
Samsung’s momentum comes amid shifting market dynamics. Apple overtook Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone seller in 2024, ending Samsung’s roughly 12-year run at the top. Counterpoint Research later indicated that iPhone shipments were set to surpass Samsung’s for the first time in 14 years.
Beyond AI, the S26 Ultra introduces what Samsung describes as the industry’s first built-in Privacy Display, designed to control pixel-level light dispersion so the screen remains visible to the user while obscured from side angles.
Samsung says it has reached 400 million Galaxy AI-enabled devices globally and expects to double the number of mobile devices powered by Gemini to 800 million this year.
For Google, however, the key metric is not Samsung’s unit count but how quickly Apple can deliver its long-awaited Siri reinvention.
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