Samsung Electronics unveiled two new 7th generation foldable smartphones in the United States and presented its vision for 'Galaxy Growth.' The goal is to expand the user experience of the Galaxy brand through enhanced healthcare features and the launch of new form factors, preparing for 'future food.'
On the 11th, according to industry sources, Samsung Electronics held a media briefing after the new product launch event 'Galaxy Unpacked 2025,' announcing its Galaxy growth plans. The company introduced the ▲Galaxy Z Fold 7 ▲Galaxy Z Flip 7 ▲Galaxy Z Flip 7 Fan Edition (FE) and ▲Galaxy Watch 8 series on the 9th (local time) at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York.
◇ Two new form factors to be launched within the year… 'Leading the AI era'
Roh Tae-Moon, the acting head of Samsung Electronics' DX division (president), held a press briefing right after the Galaxy Unpacked and announced plans to launch a 'trifold smartphone' and 'extended reality (XR) headset' within the year. He also formalized the development of 'smart glasses.' Roh noted, 'We are continuously preparing form factors that will lead the era of artificial intelligence (AI),' adding, 'Please look forward to future innovations.'
The trifold refers to a smartphone that folds twice. It is considered an advanced form factor compared to single-folding foldable smartphones. Roh stated about the under-development trifold smartphone, 'It is one of the innovative products worth looking forward to,' and added, 'We are diligently developing it with the goal of launching by the end of the year.' Industry insiders suggest that Samsung Electronics' first trifold smartphone could be the 'Galaxy G Fold.'
Samsung Electronics is developing an XR headset under a project named 'Infinity' in collaboration with Google. Regarding this, Roh mentioned, 'We are working hard to enhance product completeness within the category of innovative products and aim to launch it within the year.'
Smart glasses are also in development. Roh stated, 'For XR glasses, there are many partnerships that need to be considered for broader usability.'
◇ 'Galaxy AI to be implemented in 400 million devices within the year… leading the popularization of mobile AI'
Roh presented artificial intelligence (AI) as a growth axis for the Galaxy brand alongside the new form factors. The strategy is to equip approximately 400 million Galaxy devices with 'Galaxy AI' within the year, leading the popularization of mobile AI.
Roh stated, 'I mentioned last year that we would equip Galaxy AI in 200 million devices, but this year we will expand that to 400 million or more.' He noted that regarding Galaxy AI, 'It has been developed with useful features that can provide practical help in customers' daily lives,' and added, 'In the future, Galaxy AI will play a key role in connecting and expanding the entire Galaxy ecosystem centered around smartphones.'
Samsung Electronics implemented on-device AI (technology that performs AI functions on the device itself without server connections) in the Galaxy S24 series last year. The company stated, 'We have opened the curtain on the mobile AI era, transitioning from an app and touch-centric smartphone paradigm to AI agents and multimodal.' They emphasized, 'With hardware innovations optimized for AI, we will fundamentally change the user experience.' Multimodal AI refers to technology that understands and processes various types of information simultaneously, including text, images, voice, and video.
Roh noted, 'As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, the role of smartphones that encapsulate it becomes increasingly important,' explaining, 'This is a case of creating new value by merging AI with hardware.'
He also stated, 'Natural multimodal experiences, organic connectivity between devices, personalized AI experiences, and thorough security are unique values that only Samsung can provide,' and added, 'We will lead the market through AI innovations for the next decade and beyond, opening up a future for everyone.'
The plan to offer Galaxy AI for free will also be maintained for the time being. Roh noted, 'After stating that we would provide Galaxy AI features for free until the end of the year, we had many discussions,' and added, 'The direction set is to maintain the free policy for the basic features of Galaxy AI currently provided on devices for the foreseeable future.' However, he mentioned, 'There are partners who want to utilize premium features in their products, so that cannot be decided unilaterally and must be discussed.'
◇ 'Providing personalized healthcare based on AI through wearable technology'
Samsung Electronics plans to advance wearable products among the Galaxy devices to enhance healthcare functionalities. To this end, it decided to acquire the U.S. digital healthcare company 'Xealth' on the 7th.
Samsung Electronics plans to start 'Connected Care' services in the U.S. within the year through Xealth, which provides various digital healthcare solutions on a single platform. The aim is to connect wellness care that looks after daily health with healthcare in the medical field. The company said, 'It is the vision of Samsung Health to help Galaxy users conveniently manage their health and even prevent diseases.'
Roh stated, 'Healthcare is no longer limited to hospitals,' and added, 'Based on its leadership in wearable technology, Samsung Electronics is accelerating the establishment of a connected care platform that connects health data and medical services in everyday life.' Regarding the acquisition of Xealth, he mentioned, 'It will be an important milestone in supporting comprehensive health management in daily life by connecting wearable device data and hospital records and providing AI-based personalized healthcare.'
Xealth is a company that was established as a spin-off from the U.S. large hospital group Providence Health System in 2016. It has built partnerships with around 500 hospitals, including major hospital groups in the U.S. such as Advocate Health and Banner Health. Additionally, it has partners from about 70 digital healthcare solution companies related to diabetes, pregnancy, and surgery.