(C) One Esports

SEOUL – The long-standing rivalry between Samsung Electronics and Apple is shifting from hardware specifications to a full-scale war over Artificial Intelligence (AI) services. As both tech giants integrate advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) into their ecosystems, the industry is witnessing a historic turning point where software intelligence becomes the primary differentiator.

According to industry sources on January 13, Apple is set to launch a major AI counteroffensive by integrating Google’s Gemini into its next-generation foundation models. This move follows Apple’s initial partnership with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and signifies a strategic shift. Google’s Gemini will be deeply embedded into "Apple Intelligence" and the voice assistant "Siri." This integration aims to revolutionize user experiences in text summarization, smart searching, and image generation. Specifically, Siri’s ability to handle complex commands and understand context—areas where it previously struggled—is expected to see dramatic improvements.

Analysts view this move as Apple’s admission of the limitations of its internal LLM development, which faced setbacks due to talent attrition and organizational restructuring. By adopting external expertise from Google, Apple seeks to quickly close the gap in the generative AI race.

Samsung Electronics is responding with a dual-track strategy. While continuing its partnership with Google Gemini for "Galaxy AI," Samsung is enhancing its proprietary voice assistant, Bixby, by integrating Perplexity—an AI renowned for its specialized search capabilities. This updated Bixby, featuring Perplexity-based summarization and Q&A functions, is slated for an official debut with the Galaxy S26 series in March. Unlike the current Bixby, which is limited to device control and simple tasks, the new version will offer powerful external information retrieval and context-aware conversational abilities.

"The core axis of smartphone competition is moving from hardware performance and design to generative AI capabilities," said Hwang Yong-sik, a professor of business administration at Sejong University.

As Apple pivots toward a Google-backed foundation and Samsung diversifies its AI brain with both Google and Perplexity, the smartphone market is entering an era where the winner will be determined not by the camera's pixels, but by the intelligence of the assistant living inside the device.