Samsung’s rollout of more capable budget devices comes days after Apple released the US$599 iPhone 16e, a more accessible entry point for consumers interested in its ecosystem.
For both companies, the new models mark an effort to bring more users into the fold at a time when all AI developers are investing heavily in scaling up.
South Korea’s biggest company combines its own AI tools with those from Alphabet’s Google, the designer of the Android operating system powering Samsung phones.
Apple, on the other hand, is developing its Apple Intelligence suite, though it also taps outside providers for some components — with OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the US and Alibaba Group Holding helping out in China.
