Why Southeast Asia and Oceania’s Mobile Future Demands an Intelligent Revolution

By CU Kim, President & CEO, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania

Innovation is often measured by what we can see – larger screens, thinner frames, or more vibrant displays. However, the most profound shifts occur when the technology itself begins to disappear.

We are stepping into an era where technology should feel like an extension of intent rather than a tool we must learn and manage. In short, we are moving away from digital complexity towards everyday convenience.

For over a decade, the smartphone experience has been defined by touch-based navigation. People all over the world have become accustomed to tapping on screens and managing fragmented applications to complete simple tasks. For this era to close, mobile experiences must become more proactive and adaptive, understanding context and providing assistance the moment it is needed.

With the all-new Galaxy S26 Series, the next chapter begins here. The path forward is not about adding more apps, but instead about creating an invisible architecture that enables easier daily living.

SEAO is Primed for an AI Revolution

Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEAO) represents one of the most dynamic, mobile-first digital economies in the world. Google’s recent e-Conomy SEA 2025 report^[1] highlights a powerful base of 200 million new users that have come online over the last decade across Southeast Asia. With three in five people now shopping online, and over 60% of all payments being made digitally, the region’s digital fluency has driven a surge in interest towards artificial intelligence (AI), at three times the global average.

This momentum is equally profound across Oceania, where AI has moved rapidly from a concept to a core business driver. In New Zealand, a significant 91% of businesses report efficiency improvements from AI, with half also citing positive financial impact^[2]. Australian businesses are mirroring this shift as well; with 40% of SMEs currently adopting AI^[3] and agreeing that AI offers a competitive edge and compelling use cases that can transform their operations.

The launch of the Galaxy S24 Series two years ago marked the transition from smartphone to a new era of AI phones. Today, for the millions across the diverse SEAO region — from hyper-connected urban hubs to rapidly developing tech frontiers — the phone has become more than a tool, and instead the primary platform for navigating life.

As our region accelerates its adoption of AI, true advancement is achieved when everyday use is powered by seamless anticipation of needs. For instance, the Galaxy S26 Ultra features Samsung’s most intuitive and user-friendly AI experience to date. Features like Now Nudge^[4] provide proactive and relevant context-aware suggestions, while Now Brief^[5] surfaces timely reminders for important events. The reliable delivery of these experiences requires a foundation of customised hardware, such as the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5, which is designed for high-speed on-device performance on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Sitting quietly beneath the interface, this hardware orchestrates how intelligence understands context to enable intuitive workflows.

The Power of Open Intelligence

To harness these advancements without forcing people to learn entirely new interfaces, technology demands a deeply integrated approach. We understand that customers prefer having a choice in the tools they use, so Galaxy S26 Ultra also comes with a choice of agents^[6] to help users complete tasks more easily with a single button press or voice prompt. As we see it, the future lies in an open ecosystem of AI-powered features that users can embrace with confidence—knowing their personal data is secure while enjoying the benefits of a multi-agent experience that is backed by Samsung’s commitment to collaborative protection.

Crucially, this AI transformation cannot be reserved for a select few. We are committed to the democratisation of mobile AI, targeting an expansion to over 800 million users globally in 2026. True progress is only achieved when advanced capabilities reach the masses, ensuring broad availability to all.

Trust as the Foundation

With increased power comes a heightened need for trust. As both consumers and organisations scale their AI usage, a multi-agent approach must be built on the principle that access to personal information is strictly limited to the specific task at hand. AI experiences on Galaxy are protected at every level, with personalisation, transparency, and user choice guiding every step.

Security is not merely a feature, but a foundational element of our AI infrastructure that users can customise through granular privacy settings, opt-in security features, and intuitive dashboards designed to enable true control and transparency. For instance, the Privacy Display^[7] on the Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces a new form of personal protection. Integrated directly into the display hardware, it controls how the screen’s pixels disperse light, limiting visibility from side, top, and bottom angles when activated so users can preserve privacy when needed.

Meanwhile, Samsung Knox ensures that personal data remains protected on the device and is shared only when required. On the Galaxy S26 Series, the Personal Data Engine (PDE) enables context-aware AI experiences by processing data locally. To keep this process safe, Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP) encrypts the data of each app. Furthermore, Knox Vault adds a physical layer of protection by isolating sensitive data inside its own secure hardware. This system-wide approach combines hardware and software to keep personal information protected.

By equipping our flagship devices with up to seven generations of Android OS and One UI upgrades^[8], along with seven years of security updates, we provide consumers with the confidence that their hardware investments will remain secure over time.

The Blueprint for an Intelligent Future

The diverse and rapidly growing digital economies of the SEAO region have created an ideal environment for AI adoption and growth. The launch of our latest flagship line-up is more than an iterative hardware update; it is the deployment of mobile infrastructure required to meet this moment.

By balancing specialised hardware with a collaborative software philosophy, we are laying the foundation for a future where digital experiences become easier and more intuitive, fundamentally making life better for every user in the region.

_{^[1] Google, Temasek and Bain, e-Conomy SEA 2025}

_{^[2] AI in Action: Key Findings from New Zealand’s Third AI Productivity Report – AI Forum}

_{^[3] Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources – National Artificial Intelligence Centre (NAIC): AI adoption in Australian businesses 2024 Q4.}

_{^[4] Now Nudge feature requires a Samsung Account login. Available functions and features may vary by country, region and language. Text message prompts currently available with Samsung Messages and certain third-party messaging apps including Google Messages and Google Chat. Based on availability at the time of product launch. May change without notice. Share photos in Now Nudge works by analysing available image content. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.}

_{^[5] Now Brief feature requires Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language, device model, apps. Some features may require a network connection. The description of photos provided by moments may not align with the user’s intent. Notifications must be switched on to be used as the recalled data. Recalled data available from supported app notifications, Messages, Gmail and Samsung Wallet and data collected from Gmail is only applicable if the user consents to Personal Data Intelligence’s Gmail read permission. Recalled data for reservation details only available from reservation confirmation messages.} 

_{^[6] Availability may vary by region/country and language.}

_{^[7] Privacy Display feature controls the screen’s viewing range to limit peripheral vision. Some changes in image quality may occur outside the viewing range. When activated, some information may still be visible to others depending on the viewing environment, such as angle or brightness. Caution is advised when exposing sensitive information}

_{^[8] Availability and timing of Android OS upgrades and security updates may vary by device model and market}