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Discover how Samsung and Google are co-developing a groundbreaking AI OS for all Galaxy products. Explore the new agentic AI features debuting on the Galaxy S26, from cross-app automation to advanced privacy, and learn what this means for the future of smartphones.
For years, smartphone operating systems have functioned as glorified app launchers. You have an idea, you find the right app, and you execute the task. But what if your phone could understand your intent without you needing to jump between applications? At the recent Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Google, unveiled a vision that renders that question obsolete. The two tech giants are jointly developing what they call an AI OS—a fundamental shift from a standard operating system to an “intelligent system” that will eventually power all new Samsung Galaxy products .
This is not merely another layer of voice assistance; it is a complete architectural overhaul of the mobile experience. By embedding artificial intelligence directly into the core of the OS, Samsung and Google are moving from generative AI to agentic AI—systems that can understand context, make decisions, and execute complex, multi-step tasks on behalf of the user with minimal supervision .
From OS to AI OS: A New Philosophy
The announcement marks a pivotal moment in consumer technology. According to Sameer Samat, President of the Android Ecosystem at Google, this collaboration represents the next chapter for Android, transforming it from a passive platform into an active participant in the user’s daily life . TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile eXperience Business, echoed this sentiment, stating that AI must become part of our infrastructure rather than a collection of parlor tricks .
The first fruit of this partnership is the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. While Samsung has been bundling AI features under the “Galaxy AI” umbrella since early 2024, the S26 is the first device where AI is not just a feature set but the very fabric of the user interface . The goal, as articulated by Samsung executives, is to create a foundation where AI operates seamlessly in the background, understanding context and connecting dots across different services to facilitate true “end-to-end” task processing .
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How Agentic AI Changes Your Workflow
The core promise of the AI OS is the automation of complex workflows. Traditionally, organizing a group dinner involved texting, switching to a maps app to find a restaurant, and then jumping to a food delivery app to place an order. The new AI OS collapses this into a single, natural language interaction.
During the launch, Google demonstrated how Gemini, deeply integrated into the S26, can handle these exact scenarios. For example, a user could simply instruct the phone to order pizza based on a family group chat discussion . The AI agent reads the conversation, understands individual preferences, opens a partner app like DoorDash or Grubhub, populates the cart, and presents the user with a final order for confirmation .
This is made possible by a multi-agent architecture. While Samsung’s upgraded Bixby handles system-level commands and on-device tasks, users can now seamlessly invoke other agents like Google Gemini and even Perplexity AI for specialized knowledge or web-based tasks . This “orchestrator” model, managed by Galaxy AI, ensures that the user gets the best tool for the job without needing to manually switch services .
Key Features of the New AI OS on Galaxy S26
The integration goes far beyond task automation. The AI OS introduces a host of proactive and protective features designed to make the device truly intelligent:
Now Brief and Now Nudge:
AI now proactively surfaces information before you search for it. “Now Brief” provides a morning and evening snapshot of relevant data, such as calendar events, weather, and news. More impressively, “Now Nudge” works within the Samsung Keyboard. As you type, it suggests relevant actions—like pulling up a photo you mentioned or suggesting a meeting time based on your schedule .
Enhanced Circle to Search:
Google’s visual lookup tool has been supercharged. Users can now circle multiple objects in a single image simultaneously. For instance, if you see a photo of an outfit you like, Circle to Search can identify the shoes, the jacket, and the sunglasses all at once, providing shopping links for each item .
AI-Powered Call Screening and Fraud Detection:
In an era of rising digital scams, the AI OS offers a critical safety net. The Samsung Phone app now features on-device fraud detection. Powered by Gemini Nano, the system listens for suspicious language during calls and provides real-time audio and haptic alerts if it detects potential scam patterns. Crucially, this analysis happens entirely on the device to ensure privacy .
Privacy Display:
Unique to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a hardware-integrated privacy feature. Privacy Display is an advanced lighting system that acts like a digital privacy screen. It can dynamically obscure visual data from side views, ensuring that sensitive information like PINs, passwords, or private notifications are only visible to the person directly looking at the screen .
The Roadmap: Democratizing AI for All
Samsung and Google are not keeping this technology exclusive to flagship devices. TM Roh emphasized a strategy of “AI democratization,” aiming to bring AI functionality to over 800 million Galaxy devices by the end of 2026 . This includes expanding AI support across the entire Galaxy portfolio, including tablets, PCs, wearables, and the Galaxy A series, ensuring that users across different price points benefit from the new AI OS capabilities .
Furthermore, the companies are looking toward the future of form factors. It has been confirmed that Samsung and Google are jointly developing AI Glasses, targeting a release later this year, which will likely leverage the same agentic AI principles in a wearable form factor .
Challenges and The Road Ahead
While the vision is bold, the transition to an AI OS is not without hurdles. Currently, the advanced task automation (like ordering food) is limited to a small group of partner apps, such as Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub . Google has stated that the biggest obstacle is gaining traction with app developers. They are currently working with a select group to ensure high-quality experiences and plan to open the platform to more developers later in the year .
There is also a strategic technological balance at play. Unlike some competitors that rely heavily on screen-reading and accessibility permissions to automate tasks, Google is attempting to build a more sustainable model using AppFunctions (similar to Apple’s Intents framework) combined with limited UI automation . This approach requires app developers to opt-in and define specific functions that the AI can call, which is better for privacy and stability than allowing the AI to simply mimic human taps on the screen.
For Samsung, this partnership with Google is a definitive statement. After years of developing its own Bixby ecosystem, the company is embracing a hybrid, open-ecosystem approach. By integrating the best of Google’s Gemini and third-party specialists like Perplexity, Samsung is positioning the Galaxy brand as the central hub for the next generation of mobile intelligence . The Galaxy S26 is just the first step into a future where our devices don’t just run apps—they understand our lives.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What exactly is the “AI OS” that Samsung and Google are developing?
The “AI OS” is not a completely new operating system name like “Android” or “iOS.” Rather, it is a fundamental evolution of the existing Android/One UI platform. It refers to the deep integration of agentic artificial intelligence at the system level. Instead of AI being just an app or a feature, the OS itself is built to understand context, predict needs, and perform complex tasks across multiple applications on your behalf .
2. Which devices will get the new AI OS features?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series (S26, S26+, S26 Ultra) is the first to launch with these deep integration features. However, Samsung has announced its goal to expand AI functionality to over 800 million devices by the end of 2026. This includes not only future flagships but also other new products like tablets, PCs, wearables, and potentially the Galaxy A series .
3. What is “Agentic AI” and how is it different from current AI assistants?
Current AI assistants (like standard Bixby or old-school Google Assistant) are generally reactive and perform single tasks—they set a timer, answer a question, or play a song. Agentic AI is proactive and autonomous. It can handle multi-step workflows without constant human supervision. For example, instead of just finding a restaurant, it can coordinate with your contacts, book a table, and order an Uber to take you there, all from a single command .
4. Is the new AI OS replacing Android or One UI?
No. The AI OS is built upon Android and One UI. Samsung executives have described it as the next evolution of the OS they are building with Google. It works in tandem with One UI 8.5 (on the S26) to create a more intelligent user experience, not to replace the underlying platform .
5. How does the new AI system protect my privacy?
Privacy is a core component of the new system. Key features include:
- On-Device Processing: AI functions like scam detection during calls are processed entirely on the device, meaning your conversation data never leaves your phone .
- Privacy Display: The S26 Ultra features a hardware-based privacy screen that physically prevents people next to you from seeing sensitive on-screen information .
- Controlled Automation: When AI performs tasks across apps (like ordering food), it operates in a transparent manner, allowing you to observe each step and confirm actions before they are finalized .
6. Can I still use Bixby, or am I forced to use Google Gemini?
You have a choice. Samsung is pursuing a “multi-agent” strategy. While the upgraded Bixby handles core system tasks and on-device controls, the system allows you to invoke other agents like Google Gemini or Perplexity AI. This gives you the flexibility to use the assistant best suited for your specific task .
7. When will older Galaxy phones (like the S24 or S25) get these features?
Samsung has confirmed that it is preparing to bring new AI features to previous models like the Galaxy S24 and S25, within the limits of their hardware capabilities. However, specific timelines for these software updates have not yet been announced.
