Samsung to add India-specific AI features to next Galaxy phones as local R&D shapes product strategy

New Delhi: Samsung Electronics will introduce artificial intelligence features developed specifically for Indian consumers in its next Galaxy smartphone, as the company expands the role of its research and development centres in Noida and Bengaluru to build localised AI capabilities for one of its fastest-growing markets, Samsung Southwest Asia CEO and President J B Park said.

The South Korean electronics maker said its India R&D teams are studying the persona of Indian consumers and developing AI features suited to benefit local consumers, including an AI-powered bill payment reminder that can identify recurring bills from emails and alert users before due dates.

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The initiative is part of Samsung's strategy to differentiate its AI offerings beyond features already available across smartphone brands by studying the consumer persona.

"We are trying to understand our users, and if we detect anything that can better your lifestyle, we will provide the solution, whether it's financial, or controlling your home devices, or alerting your elderly if they have a health issue. So, there are many personas that our team in Noida and Bengaluru are studying with the objective of giving a better solution," Park said at a roundtable with Indian journalists in London.

Park said the Noida R&D centre has ideated an AI feature to help Samsung users by automating repetitive bill payment using AI. The artificial intelligence feature, which is currently in the works, is that AI will know which date and which email to look at and then alert users to make the bill payment without you having to incur a late fine.

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"These are the kind of daily routines that consumers want to get out of and have a personal assistant AI do that job for you. The idea came from Noida R&D centre. And, this feature was engineered exclusively for Indian consumers, and we are going to introduce it in our next Galaxy device," Park said in response to a question from PTI.

Samsung's latest foldables 'Z8' series phones, priced between Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 2.60 lakh, are currently available for pre-booking for Indian markets and will be available in stores from August 7.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 lineup comprises the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra (for immersive content viewing and multitasking), Galaxy Z Fold8 (a passport sized phone with Flex window for shortcuts) and Galaxy Z Flip8 (the sleekest flip smartphone yet, designed for self-expression and quick interactions while on the move).

Park had last week said that the Z8 series are made in India, supported by R&D centres in the country.

Replying to questions at the roundtable, Park further said that he envisions to grow the R&D centre in India in terms of technology-related ideas and intellectual property (IP).

"We believe that Indian brilliant minds (engineers and technicians) that are working in our facility and R&D centre have that capability (to develop IPs). There's always a hunger for getting more resources employed in our R&D centre, but we have to ensure that they (Indian engineers) do not work on simple technical problems. We have to make them work on more creative (aspects) to bring more IP into our technology. Then we will have an R&D centre that will contribute globally. That's the way we want to develop our R&D centre," Park said.

He said Samsung aims to strengthen its R&D centres in India to create more intellectual property and develop technologies that originate from India for global markets.

With revenue of Rs 1.11 lakh crore as of FY25, Samsung has put in place an end-to-end AI ecosystem, bringing Galaxy AI (smartphones, tablets, wearables), Bespoke AI (refrigerators, washing machines, and ACs), and Vision AI (televisions and smart monitors) together through SmartThings.