- Samsung is planning to unveil new AI-powered phones on January 17.
- The company says it will be "providing an all-new mobile experience powered by AI."
- Other AI-focused devices have been released or are in development.
Samsung announced Wednesday that it will be unveiling its newest Galaxy series later this month, and it's focusing heavily on AI.
"Galaxy AI is coming," a brief announcement video from the company reads.
Samsung is teasing that the new line will offer "an all-new mobile experience powered by AI."
"Even as all eyes are on AI, some of its best benefits haven't come to mobile technology yet. Galaxy is about to change that," Samsung said in a post on its website back in November.
"Galaxy AI is a comprehensive mobile AI experience, powered by both on-device AI developed at Samsung and cloud-based AI enabled by our open collaborations with like-minded industry leaders," it added.
Samsung teased one AI-powered feature in the November post: an AI live translator integrated into calls.
"Audio and text translations will appear in real-time as you speak," Samsung said, "making calling someone who speaks another language about as simple as turning on closed captions when you stream a show."
While it's not entirely clear what else "powered by AI" might include, there's no doubt that consumer tech is being heavily influenced by the generative AI boom seen over the last year since the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT.
In past years, many mobile phone makers like Samsung and Apple have focused on camera and display upgrades in new phones to stand out to customers, but that focus may be shifting to AI instead.
Research firm Counterpoint Research predicts that Generative AI smartphones will reach 40% of the global smartphone market share by 2027, with Samsung and Qualcomm leading the way.
Other perhaps less conventional consumer AI devices are appearing or in the works, too. Humane's much-hyped wearable Ai Pin was launched recently to a mixed reception. And Sam Altman and iPhone designer Jony Ive are reportedly working on what would be OpenAI's first device.