EVEN MORE CONNECTIVITY

While Samsung has in recent years been represented by the large top floor in the CityCube hall during the IFA trade fair in Berlin, this year it has chosen a smaller venue in the city centre. Here, it is hosting Samsung Connect, where the overarching theme is that artificial intelligence and connectivity will tie the company’s products more closely together.

– Here, we have the opportunity to meet our customers and show our products in a calmer environment, Rikard Fornbäck tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

He is Nordic product manager for home appliances, and emphasises that Samsung is still an official part of IFA.

– We are still the main sponsor of Creator Space at IFA, and part of IFA. So this is an official IFA event, says Fornbäck.

During the event at the Humboldt Carré hotel, Samsung is showcasing new products in TV, mobile, home appliances and PCs, brought together under the vision “Companion to AI Living”.

– Artificial intelligence should provide tangible benefits that people can actually see and experience in everyday life. At IFA 2026, we are showing how we are taking AI features a step further across TVs, mobile devices and the connected home, in practical and accessible ways, says Benjamin Braun, Samsung’s chief marketing officer in Europe, in a press release.

Everything is connected

Samsung highlights SmartThings as the hub of the entire ecosystem.

– The whole event is called Samsung Connect, and is about all our products working together via SmartThings, says Fornbäck.

He points out that SmartThings is also open to other manufacturers.

– We have more than 300 different brands connected to Samsung SmartThings.

Samsung says the platform now has more than 430 million users globally.

– This is one of our strengths, where we clearly stand apart from most of our competitors. I cannot think of anyone else with such a broad ecosystem, spanning everything from mobile phones to home appliances. We can cover all the connectivity you need in the home, says Magnus Nilsson, Nordic head of product for TV and AV at Samsung.

On the mobile side, Nordic product specialist Kenan Ömer describes the phone as the hub of the ecosystem.

– The mobile phone is the personal device we carry in our pocket, and it should be able to connect onwards to all our other electronic products. The phone is a central part of our entire “connected living”, and it should work seamlessly with televisions, home appliances and SmartThings to reach even more brands, says Ömer.

AI in the TV

On the TV side, Samsung is showcasing micro-RGB and the new OLED model S99H.

– We have a dual-track premium segment where you can choose between OLED and our micro-RGB, which is the latest technology we have introduced. This panel has microscopic coloured light sources as backlighting. This means we can regulate not only small zones, but also each colour individually. It gives us purer colours and a wider colour gamut than before, says Nilsson.

According to Samsung, the displays cover 100 per cent of the BT.2020 colour space.

The company is also continuing to develop Vision AI Companion, which provides conversational AI on the TV screen.

– We have made the interface even clearer when you press the AI button, says Nilsson.

He explains that AI is used for both picture and sound optimisation.

– AI can identify what type of content it is and adapt the picture accordingly. It also adjusts the contrast according to the lighting conditions in the room, says Nilsson.

Samsung is also showcasing the Relumino feature for people with impaired vision.

– The feature analyses the picture and enhances contrast and colour, making content accessible even for people with severely impaired vision, says Nilsson.

Focuses on gaming

In Berlin, Samsung highlights gaming as an important area.

– A large proportion of those who buy a TV connect it to a games console or even a computer. We now support higher refresh rates, with several models capable of 165 Hz via the HDMI input, and quite a few capable of 144 Hz. All OLED models this year are also G-Sync compatible, in addition to AMD FreeSync. If you are a gaming enthusiast, we have everything covered, says Nilsson.

In its press release, Samsung also refers to its new Odyssey monitors, including a 27-inch Odyssey G60H with refresh rates of up to 1,100 Hz, a 42-inch curved OLED model, and new OLED G9 and G8 models.

On the audio side, the new Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7 speakers, designed by Yves Béhar, are arriving.

Samsung is also showing an updated Freestyle Plus projector.

– I would argue that we have helped create the market for small projectors. It has taken off, and many have tried to make similar products. You can display images in almost any environment, even on a curtain, says Nilsson.

AI in the refrigerator

In home appliances, the Family Hub refrigerator is being further developed with Gemini integration.

– We previously had AI Vision in these refrigerators, which could recognise 37 different fresh food items in addition to 50 items that users could programme themselves. We are now updating all these models with Gemini and image search, so that we can recognise an almost unlimited number of products. We have already tested more than 2,000 products, Fornbäck tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

The update will also be available for existing products.

– Even if you bought one of these refrigerators one or two years ago, you will receive this update and the improved function. The SmartThings app will show that there is a new update available to download, says Fornbäck.

Samsung is also showcasing new Bespoke AI Wash models.

– Last year, we launched A minus 65 per cent for 9 kg. We are now increasing the capacity to 10 kg, while further reducing consumption to A minus 70 per cent. And the clothes still come out completely clean, says Fornbäck.

The final two new products he shows in the home appliances category are a washing machine with a 13 kg capacity within the standard dimensions of 60 x 60 centimetres, as well as new hobs with scratch-resistant glass.

– These hobs are much more resistant to scratches in general, which means they remain in better condition. We manufacture the glass ourselves, says Fornbäck.

More AI users

In mobile, the foldable models remain important for Samsung.

– Since 2019, when we introduced the first foldable phones, we have improved every year and learned more about this market. We have seen that consumers have different needs, which is why we introduced both a Fold and a Flip model. This year, we have expanded with the Galaxy Z Fold8, which has an entirely new form factor, says Ömer.

Samsung is also showcasing the Galaxy S26 FE, the first model in the S26 series to come with One UI 9 from launch.

– It retains the Galaxy AI features and a flagship camera with premium features such as wireless charging, but at a more accessible entry-level price, says Ömer.

Galaxy AI surpassed 400 million users globally this year.

– The target is 800 million, says Ömer.

He also points out that the barriers between different platforms are becoming smaller.

– Together with Google, we have improved the entire Smart Switch experience, making it even easier to switch from an iOS device to a Samsung device. You can bring more with you, and the process is smoother and more seamless. In everyday use, iOS users can AirDrop iCloud data to Galaxy users, and it appears via QuickShare. As a result, this barrier between different operating systems is really beginning to disappear, says Ömer.