The Three-Horse Race in the Global Smartphone Market: Samsung’s Reinforcement with AI
It’s well-known that a “three-horse race” has long been established in the global smartphone market. Before Huawei was sanctioned, the market was dominated by Samsung, Huawei, and Apple. However, post-sanctions, the landscape shifted to Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi. Clearly, the competition between Samsung and Apple has never ceased, and it’s still going strong!
Although Samsung has withdrawn from the Chinese smartphone market and seems to have lost appeal among domestic consumers, globally, it remains the brand with the highest shipment volume, unmatched for over a decade, maintaining a solid position. Nevertheless, according to data released by IDC, in 2023, Apple surpassed Samsung for the first time, becoming the leading brand in global smartphone shipments, marking a significant shift after 13 years.
It was anticipated that Apple, leveraging this momentum, would completely surpass Samsung. However, to everyone’s surprise, Samsung quickly retaliated by issuing a challenge to its competitors, including Apple, with the launch of its first AI smartphone. The new model, including three variants of the Galaxy S24 series, is set for global release on January 31, demonstrating Samsung’s undeniable strength.
Regarding AI smartphones, Canalys made a forecast that only 5% of the global smartphone market is expected to support AI functionalities in 2024, with this proportion likely to rise to 45% by 2027. This indicates that the future direction of smartphone development will heavily focus on AI technology. Samsung has taken the lead by being the first to introduce an AI smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 series supports various AI functions, including instant translation, smart search by drawing, and AI note organization. Particularly noteworthy is the feature for instant translation and text translation during calls, supporting 13 languages including Chinese, English, Italian, and French, among other commonly used languages. With the built-in generative AI function, seamless communication is made possible, while importantly emphasizing that this feature does not compromise call privacy, ensuring security.
Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series also supports AI in composing messages, one-touch image editing, AI note summarization, and transcription of recordings, with the smart search feature achieving integration with Google. Simply drawing a circle on the screen enables intelligent app switching and effortless, rapid access to search results, making it convenient and efficient.
Overall, AI smartphones are the way forward. As the era of intelligence approaches, consumer demands for electronic products are increasing. The integration of AI functionalities fundamentally addresses user needs, providing a more intelligent and immersive AI experience.
As of now, Apple has yet to release an AI smartphone, while other brands are still striving. Undoubtedly, Samsung retains both strength and potential in the smartphone arena. Despite its exit from the Chinese market, this doesn’t indicate a decline in the quality of Samsung phones. Samsung still holds strong and has the potential to lead the new wave of AI smartphones. Whether Apple is just a passing fad will be revealed in 2024. Maintaining the position of the global leader with waning innovation is no easy feat for Apple!