Samsung Partners with Baidu for Exclusive AI Features in Galaxy S24 China Launch

In a strategic move that marks a departure from its global approach, Samsung has chosen to collaborate exclusively with Chinese tech firm Baidu for the launch of its Galaxy S24 smartphone lineup in China.

This innovative partnership, aimed at overcoming Google’s limited presence in the country, promises to redefine the AI landscape on Samsung’s devices.

During the recent unveiling of the Galaxy S24 series in China, Samsung and Baidu issued a joint statement, underscoring the significance of this collaboration. The Chinese version of the Galaxy S24 will be equipped with Baidu’s Ernie chatbot technology, offering users advanced AI features, including translations, text summarizations, and other productivity tools.

The decision to focus on Baidu’s Ernie chatbot is a significant departure from Samsung’s global launches, where Google’s Gemini AI has traditionally played a pivotal role in powering the flagship Galaxy AI capabilities.

Government restrictions limiting Google’s presence and services in China have prompted Samsung to turn to Baidu for a tailored solution.

Baidu’s Ernie chatbot gained approval from Chinese officials last year and was officially deployed after its initial unveiling in 2021. The latest iteration, Ernie 4.0, launched in October 2023, and Baidu claims it surpasses the capabilities of Google’s GPT-4 system in areas such as language understanding and text generation.

The joint statement from Samsung and Baidu emphasized Ernie’s impressive text summarization skills, stating that it can “summarize lengthy content into clear, intelligently organized formats.

This aligns with the real-time translation and other AI features that garnered praise during the Galaxy S24 launch in the US and other Western markets.

Despite Samsung’s efforts to showcase its AI collaborations with leading players in each market, the company faces a formidable challenge in revitalizing its sales in China. Homegrown brands like Oppo and Vivo have established dominance in the Chinese smartphone arena, creating a competitive landscape that Samsung aims to navigate through innovative partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

As the Galaxy S24 makes its debut in China with Baidu-powered AI features, Samsung remains committed to adapting to local market dynamics and forging strategic alliances to capture the attention of Chinese consumers in a fiercely competitive environment.