Samsung DX chief shares vision of expanded AI in different form factors

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Samsung DX chief shares vision of expanded AI in different form factors

Published: 10 Jul. 2025, 15:37 Updated: 10 Jul. 2025, 19:39

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Roh Tae-moon, acting head of Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience Division, talks to reporters at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 in New York on July 9. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics will launch its long-awaited trifold phone and an extended reality (XR) headset under the banner of Project Moohan by the end of this year. The company also confirmed that it is developing its own version of smart glasses as it looks to diversify device form factors for the AI age.

"We’re working hard to raise the level of product completeness within the innovative device category and aim to launch [the device] within this year," said Roh Tae-moon, acting head of Samsung Electronics’ Device eXperience (DX) Division, on Wednesday, in regards to the Project Moohan headset.

The remarks were made at a press conference in New York following Galaxy Unpacked 2025, where the tech giant launched the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7.

The executive revealed the plans as part of Samsung’s plan to stay ahead in the AI era by advancing hardware that brings AI into the hands of more people.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in daily life, smartphones will play an even more vital role, according to Roh.

"Samsung Electronics will continue to introduce increasingly innovative form factors that lead the AI era," Roh said. "As AI evolves, the smartphone paradigm is shifting from being touch-centric to one that revolves around AI and multimodal interaction."

Samsung opened what it called the mobile AI era by introducing AI features on the Galaxy S24 last year. With its latest foldables, the company aims to demonstrate how hardware can evolve to optimize AI experiences.

"The camera is no longer just a tool for taking pictures. It’s becoming a true AI partner that understands what you see and responds in real time," Roh said.

Samsung also plans to dramatically expand the reach of Galaxy AI.

"Last year, we aimed to bring AI capabilities to 200 million Galaxy devices. This year, we’re doubling that target to 400 million," he said.

On the question of charging for AI, Roh indicated Samsung has no immediate plans.

"We’ve decided to keep core features related to basic device use free for the time being," he said.

"Some customers may want to use premium versions from our partners, but that’s not something we can decide alone. We’re still discussing it."

Roh Tae-moon, acting head of Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience Division, delivers a keynote speech at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 in New York on July 9. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

'Exynos is sufficient'

The new Z Flip 7 features Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2500 processor built with a 3-nanometer process by Samsung Foundry. The chip did not make it into the Galaxy S25 series earlier this year due to yield and performance concerns. Its inclusion in the Flip is seen as a renewed test that could impact Samsung Foundry’s ability to attract customers.

"For flagship models, we choose the processor that’s most competitive and appropriate at the time," Roh said. "We determined that Exynos showed sufficient performance and that it was suitable for the Flip."

As Chinese brands like Honor and Xiaomi roll out their own foldables and Apple is rumored to launch its first foldable next year, Samsung believes it made the right bet by entering the segment early.

"We thought this would become an important category, which is why we launched foldables in 2019. That judgment was correct," Roh said. "For foldables to become a mainstream category, many companies need to participate and compete."

Roh Tae-moon, acting head of Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience Division, delivers a keynote speech at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 in New York on July 9. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Expansion into digital health

On Monday, Samsung announced its acquisition of U.S. digital health care company Xealth.

"We’re accelerating efforts to build a platform that connects everyday health data with medical services at hospitals," Roh said. "This will lay the groundwork for closing the information gap between wearable devices and hospital records."

He also said the company remains open to additional acquisitions to "strengthen its competitiveness."

Roh sounded confident about handling trade uncertainties, such as possible tariffs under the Donald Trump administration.

"Samsung’s strength is having multiple global production sites, which lets us quickly assess and respond to changes in key countries’ trade policies or market conditions," he said. "We’ll leverage that to stay competitive."

Earlier in the week, Samsung reported disappointing preliminary earnings, with operating profit for the second quarter down roughly 56 percent from a year earlier. Roh attributed this mainly to the fading impact of earlier flagship launches.

"Sales were relatively down in the second quarter because the boost from new flagship products tapered off," he said. "We’ll work to improve product completeness and ensure timely supply so that our performance can recover."

Correction, July 10, 2025: Corrected the name of the headset.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HAE-LEE [[email protected]]