Samsung is making one of the boldest scale-up moves in consumer AI: it says it will double the number of mobile devices equipped with Galaxy AI features to roughly 800 million units in 2026, up from about 400 million. The plan was reported by Reuters on 05 Jan 2026 following an interview with Samsung Electronics co-CEO T.M. Roh, and it signals that “AI phones” are shifting from a premium differentiator to an expected default.
The announcement also underlines how intertwined Samsung’s AI roadmap is with Google’s. Coverage tied the 800 million target explicitly to Galaxy AI capabilities that are largely powered by Google’s Gemini, meaning Samsung’s device-volume ambition could significantly expand Gemini’s consumer reach through everyday smartphone and tablet use.
1) What Samsung means by “doubling Galaxy AI devices”
When Samsung talks about doubling Galaxy AI devices, it is describing the number of mobile products, primarily smartphones and tablets, that ship with or receive Galaxy AI features at scale. Reuters reported that Samsung plans to increase that installed base from roughly 400 million to 800 million devices in 2026.
The baseline matters because it shows Samsung is not starting from zero. Multiple Reuters-syndicated reports said Galaxy AI had already been rolled out to about 400 million mobile products “by last year,” providing a large foundation for the next expansion wave.
Samsung has also publicly framed 2025 as a major stepping stone. An AFP-hosted release from July 2025 described a commitment to expand Galaxy AI to over 400 million devices globally by the end of 2025, building on a 2024 milestone of more than 200 million devices, an acceleration that sets up the 2026 doubling narrative.
2) The strategic message: AI everywhere, fast
The 800 million figure is not just a shipment goal; it is a statement about product strategy. In the Reuters interview, co-CEO T.M. Roh framed the initiative as part of a broad rollout agenda, saying: “We will apply AI to all products, all functions, and all services as quickly as possible,”
That language indicates Samsung sees AI as a cross-portfolio layer rather than a single feature set attached to a flagship phone launch. In practice, this approach pushes teams to treat AI as an “always-on” capability that touches camera workflows, messaging and translation, search and summarization, accessibility, device setup, and service experiences.
It also signals a shift in competitive framing. Instead of comparing only camera sensors or display brightness, Samsung is positioning its ecosystem around how quickly it can embed useful AI into everyday flows, then distribute those updates across a massive installed base.
3) Why Google Gemini is central to the Galaxy AI expansion
Recent reporting emphasized that Samsung’s Galaxy AI features are largely powered by Google’s Gemini. This is important because the doubling plan is not purely a hardware story; it is also about scaling an AI model footprint across hundreds of millions of endpoints.
For Samsung, leaning on Gemini provides access to fast-moving model improvements and a mature AI platform that can support multiple modalities. For Google, Samsung’s scale acts as a major consumer distribution channel, one that could materially boost real-world usage of Gemini-backed features.
This dynamic helps explain why the 800 million target is repeatedly described in connection with Gemini in coverage from early January 2026. If Galaxy AI adoption expands at Samsung’s pace, the resulting usage data, feedback loops, and consumer mindshare are likely to matter across the broader mobile AI market.
4) The foundation: Samsung and Google Cloud’s multi-year genAI partnership
Samsung’s current Galaxy AI stack was shaped by a partnership announced on 18 Jan 2024, when Samsung revealed a multi-year collaboration with Google Cloud to bring generative AI to Galaxy users. The rollout started with the Galaxy S24 series and used Google’s models through Vertex AI.
In that announcement, Samsung described deploying Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 via Vertex AI to power text, voice, and image experiences. Samsung EVP Janghyun Yoon highlighted the significance of shipping those models in a consumer device, stating: “We’re thrilled that the Galaxy S24 series is the first smartphone equipped with Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 on Vertex AI,”
That 2024 foundation matters in 2026 because it shows the doubling plan is built on established infrastructure and integration work. Scaling to hundreds of millions of devices becomes more feasible when model access, cloud pathways, and feature pipelines were designed early to support large populations of users.
5) From flagship showcase to ecosystem default: S24 to S25 and beyond
Samsung used flagships to introduce and refine the “AI phone” narrative before expanding it outward. After the S24 era launched the initial partnership-driven capabilities, Samsung’s messaging evolved toward agent-like experiences and broader day-to-day utility.
On 23 Jan 2025, Samsung’s Global Newsroom positioned the Galaxy S25 as a “true AI companion,” emphasizing multimodal AI agents and highlighting greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI enabled by a customized Snapdragon platform. The emphasis suggests Samsung wants more AI tasks to feel instant, private, and reliable, especially when connectivity is limited.
Then, on 02 Mar 2025, Samsung Mobile Press reiterated the “AI companion across the Galaxy ecosystem” direction and explicitly pointed to expansion beyond the S-series. References to extending AI-driven experiences into other lineups (including A-series) and to XR hints that the 800 million goal is driven as much by mid-range volume and new device categories as by premium upgrades.
6) What doubling Galaxy AI devices could mean for users and the market
For users, the biggest impact of scaling Galaxy AI to 800 million devices is normalization: AI tools become standard across price tiers and regions instead of being limited to top models. That can translate into more consistent experiences, like translation, summarization, photo editing assistance, or voice-driven help, across families of devices.
For developers and service partners, a larger Galaxy AI footprint can create incentives to design workflows around AI-enabled capabilities, knowing they will reach a meaningful audience. As Samsung pushes AI into “all products, all functions, and all services,” it can also encourage tighter integration between hardware features and AI-driven software layers.
For competitors, the move raises the bar on distribution scale. If Samsung successfully doubles Galaxy AI devices, and if those features remain strongly tied to Gemini, rivals may need to respond not only with model quality, but with credible plans to deliver AI features at mass-market volumes.
Samsung’s plan to double Galaxy AI devices to about 800 million units in 2026, as reported by Reuters, is less about a single product launch and more about industrializing AI across the Galaxy portfolio. With a reported base of around 400 million devices already reached, Samsung is positioning itself to make AI experiences routine for a huge share of global mobile users.
Just as importantly, the strategy highlights the strength of Samsung’s Google-centered AI stack, from the 2024 Google Cloud partnership (Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 via Vertex AI) to the 2026 emphasis on Gemini-powered Galaxy AI at scale. If Samsung delivers on the doubling target, the next phase of mobile competition may be defined by who can deploy useful AI features most widely, and keep improving them fastest.
