But China, the world's largest smartphone market, has been a struggle for Samsung in recent years, with the company holding less than 1% of the market, which is dominated by local companies such as Huawei.
Samsung has tried to revamp its strategy in China in recent years with little success, and now the tech giant is hoping that AI can give its smartphones the features they need to attract Chinese users.
“We have developed and will continue to develop Galaxy AI features specifically for that market,” TM Lo, head of Samsung's mobile business, told CNBC in an interview in Korean through a translator.
“We believe that by striving to develop mobile AI for China, developing mobile AI that meets the needs of Chinese consumers, and advancing this technology, we can contribute to the recovery of the Chinese market,” he said.
Lu didn't offer many details about what Galaxy AI would look like in China, but said it would rely on collaboration with local technology and internet companies.
For example, this year Baidu partnered with Samsung to integrate its Ernie chatbot into the Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphone.
AI in China is complicated by strict regulations on the technology and Beijing's control over the internet environment.
Foreign companies wanting to deploy AI capabilities in China will likely need to partner with local companies.
Apple, which unveiled its Apple Intelligence AI suite of features this year, has yet to say when it will launch in China, likely because it faces similar challenges as Samsung.
Francisco Jeronimo, IDC's vice president of devices research for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told CNBC that Samsung's brand awareness is too low and that Chinese companies have also introduced competing apps, so the introduction of AI features in China “is not going to have a significant impact” on the company's fortunes.
“We all know that China is a leader and market for AI. Can Samsung bring something unique to the market that will make Chinese consumers abandon their Huawei, Xiaomi or Honor phones and buy a Samsung?” Geronimo asked.
President Roh acknowledged that competition in China's smartphone market is “more fierce than any other market.”
He said Samsung's strategy in China is focused on bringing premium devices to market and expanding distribution and retail channels.
“Right now, we are moving forward piecemeal, but one step at a time, and we are doing our best to create products and features that consumers want and can satisfy them,” Lu said.
