Samsung Electronics announced it will introduce an artificial intelligence operating system co-developed with Google, as the company declared a new era of AI accessibility with its Galaxy S26 series.
Roh Tae-moon, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics' mobile division, revealed the AI OS integration at a press conference following the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in San Francisco on January 25.
"We have jointly developed an AI OS with Google to enable agentic AI to operate more seamlessly, and we will unveil it soon," Roh said. "The AI OS is not limited to single AI functions but connects the entire ecosystem, allowing end-to-end processing so consumers don't have to search for individual apps."
The AI OS will debut on the Galaxy S26 series, which includes three models: the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. The version unveiled at Unpacked is a preview, with an evolved version scheduled for release soon.
"Starting with the S26, we plan to gradually advance and expand it through collaboration with Google," Roh said.
Samsung outlined three principles for making AI accessible in daily life: Reach, Openness, and Confidence. The company said all new mobile products launching this year—including tablets, PCs, and wearables—will support AI capabilities.
"We will enable AI on 800 million Galaxy devices this year," Roh emphasized.
The company's focus on AI accessibility stems from market research showing 85% of mobile users find AI difficult or worry they cannot fully utilize it.
"Samsung Electronics is working to make AI not a privilege but basic infrastructure that everyone uses daily," Roh said.
The Galaxy S26's Privacy Display exemplifies this approach. The feature automatically activates privacy protection only when notification bars appear or passwords are entered, preserving display quality at other times.
"We applied an extremely difficult high-quality display, but we saw many customers attaching privacy films that significantly reduce image quality," Roh explained. "We developed this feature over a long period to address that issue."
Samsung targets sales exceeding the previous model's estimated 37 million units. The company aims to expand market share amid expected industry headwinds from "chipflation"—rising semiconductor prices.
"Samsung Electronics and Galaxy, having operated stably in the mobile industry for a long time, are in a relatively advantageous position," Roh said. "Galaxy AI's differentiation will play an important role in turning crisis into opportunity."