Samsung's First AI Phone...Foreign Media Call It a "New Era of Smartphones"

"A new era of smartphones may begin."

"AI will be the core."

On the 17th (local time), Samsung Electronics unveiled the 'Galaxy S24' series equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as real-time translation. Major foreign media outlets expressed high expectations, calling it the "dawn of the AI universal phone era."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

US broadcaster CNN introduced the 'Galaxy Unpacked 2024' event held at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, describing it as an "AI-filled experience." CNN highlighted AI features included in the S24 series, such as real-time translation and automatic image search, reporting that "it will open the next era in the way people use smartphones."

The outlet also noted that this first AI phone unveiling came shortly after market research firm IDC released data showing Samsung had fallen behind Apple in smartphone shipment rankings for the last quarter. CNN stated, "Samsung is going all-in on AI," adding that this is part of efforts to differentiate its products and generate excitement in a smartphone market that has seen stagnant innovation for years.

Economic media CNBC also pointed out that the newly unveiled Galaxy S24 series is largely similar to the previous S23 Ultra model in terms of hardware, emphasizing that "AI is the core." Ben Wood, senior analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC, "The Galaxy S24 series, along with Google Pixel, marks the beginning of AI universalization in smartphones," and predicted that "all smartphone makers, including Apple, will increasingly add AI features to new models, creating a significant impact." Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight assessed that "a new era of smartphones representing Samsung's core supercycle may have begun."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "Samsung is making the Galaxy S24 smarter through AI," and noted that "in a stagnant smartphone sales environment, AI will be the driving force behind revenue." Forbes stated, "It was only a matter of time before Samsung put AI at the forefront of its flagship smartphones," detailing features such as Circle to Search, which allows image searches by simply drawing a circle on photos; Note Assist, which summarizes and converts notes or writings made in Samsung Notes into meeting minutes format; and real-time translation functions useful during travel.

IT specialist media CNET also shared a review of using the real-time translation feature on the Galaxy S24 Ultra model. The journalist who wrote the article called a Korean restaurant and communicated with an employee who did not speak English, successfully making a reservation without inconvenience. He said, "As soon as I finished speaking, it was instantly translated into Korean, and when the other party finished responding, the Galaxy phone continued speaking in English," evaluating that "this feature will be helpful during travel."

However, some drawbacks were also pointed out. Not supporting the Qi2 wireless charging standard and the price increase of the top-tier Ultra model were notable examples. Some media outlets also discussed considerations Samsung should keep in mind as the AI universal phone era begins. CNBC mentioned, "It is necessary to consider what AI functions should mean in terms of privacy protection and copyright infringement." Senior analyst Wood said, "AI-based image and video manipulation raises several ethical questions, especially regarding deepfake content." He also suggested, "For Samsung's AI-based features to succeed, clear communication of benefits and continuous expansion of use cases are essential."

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics will sequentially release the Galaxy S24 series worldwide, including in South Korea, starting from the 31st. Pre-orders in Korea will be held from the 19th to the 25th. The prices by model are as follows: Galaxy S24 and S24+ start at 1,155,000 KRW and 1,353,000 KRW respectively, the same as their predecessors, while the Ultra model starts at 1,698,400 KRW, about 100,000 KRW higher.