Head of Product Management, Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics,
Stephen Okwara, says Samsung Electronics launched its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S26 series, introducing a new generation of artificial intelligence capabilities designed to automate complex tasks and strengthen user privacy.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, he described the Galaxy S26 lineup as a major step forward in AI-powered smartphones, driven by what he called “agentic AI.”
“The products we just launched, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, can best be described as the fusion of a super smartphone and an advanced AI technology called agentic AI,” Okwara said.
According to him, Samsung’s AI journey in smartphones began two years ago with the Galaxy S24 series, which introduced prompt-based artificial intelligence capable of executing complex commands.
“Two years ago, we introduced the first full-fledged artificial intelligence smartphone that relied on prompts to execute complex tasks — the S24 series — and it was a major break in the smartphone industry,” he said.
“A year afterwards, we introduced AI agents that not only execute complex tasks but also pre-empt your actions and give suggestions on whether you want to proceed with them. Now we have taken it a step further with agentic AI.”
Okwara explained that agentic AI builds on earlier AI systems by going beyond responding to prompts to actively carrying out tasks on behalf of the user.
“What this does is leverage the intelligence of AI agents and personalise it to suit the user’s context,” he said.
“A typical example is that I can give my device a prompt to launch my Uber app, schedule a trip to somewhere like Eko Atlantic and set a timer for me. The AI agent can launch the app and make suggestions, but the agentic AI goes further — it schedules the trip, books the meeting for you, sets up everything related to that trip and reduces the number of prompts you have to give the device.”
New privacy display technology
Another major innovation introduced in the Galaxy S26 series is a privacy display, designed to protect users from onlookers when using their phones in public.
“For the first time in the mobile space, Samsung is introducing what we call the privacy display,” Okwara said.
“What it does is optimise the display and knock off side views. There are many times when you’re in a public place and you struggle to use your smartphone because people around you can see what’s on your screen.”
He explained that while many users rely on external privacy screen protectors, those accessories often reduce screen visibility outdoors.
“With the privacy display, all you need to do is toggle it on and it blocks the side views while you continue to enjoy your content at full resolution,” he said.
Okwara also highlighted AI-driven call screening, designed to protect users from spam and suspicious callers.
“We are in an era where people are very cyber-conscious because of the environment we live in,” he said.
“What the system does is screen any call that you do not have saved on your smartphone. It asks the caller questions such as their name and the purpose of the call, and as they respond, the answers are displayed in real time to the phone owner. You can then decide whether or not you want to take the call.”
He noted that the entire process operates within Samsung’s security framework.
“All of this is done in a highly secure environment using our Knox security — Knox Matrix, the Personal Data Engine and other layers designed to ensure users are safe.”
Okwara clarified that Samsung’s AI system is proprietary and works alongside Google’s generative AI tools.
“The Samsung AI is proprietary to Samsung and embedded directly on the device,” he said.
“The Google AI relies more on generative capabilities such as Circle to Search and often pulls information from the cloud.”
He added that Samsung’s partnership with Google allows both technologies to complement each other.
“With these two together, users enjoy the best of both worlds — the generative capabilities of Google AI and the embedded, customised Samsung AI running on the device chipset.”
Addressing concerns about data privacy in an increasingly AI-driven environment, Okwara said Samsung designed the Galaxy ecosystem to ensure users remain in full control of their personal data.
“There’s something we call the Personal Data Engine,” he explained.
“What it does is ensure that nothing leaves your device unless you give it permission. You decide what leaves and what stays.”
He added that Samsung continues to invest heavily in research and development to maintain security standards.
“Security for us in Samsung is very important. Every day we invest significant resources in R&D to ensure we deliver the best security possible,” he said.
“Even when you want to retrieve information from the cloud or use generative AI, the process is end-to-end encrypted. The Knox environment is widely regarded as one of the safest in the digital space, with systems like Knox Secure, Knox Guard and Knox Matrix working together to protect users.”
Okwara also noted that Samsung continuously updates its software to address emerging security threats.
“In the digital space, there is nothing like absolute security. That is why we release monthly software patches,” he said.
“We test constantly, identify any vulnerabilities and send updates to correct them. There are people whose full-time job is to try to break encryption, so we have dedicated teams monitoring for any leaks and fixing them immediately.”L
Despite the strong focus on artificial intelligence, Okwara said camera performance remains a core feature of Samsung’s flagship devices.
“Picture quality has not been moved away from — in fact, it has gotten even better,” he said.
“The device comes with the standard Samsung 200-megapixel camera and several AI enhancements.”
One of these features is nitrography, designed to improve low-light photography.
“It allows you to take pictures in dimly lit environments and still get crystal-clear results, with AI-powered editing tools to enhance the final output,” he said.
Okwara confirmed that the Galaxy S26 series is currently available for pre-order in Nigeria.
“Pre-order is actively ongoing and will run until March 20,” he said.
According to him, customers can secure a device with a ₦500,000 deposit, while Samsung is also offering promotional incentives.
“You can get freebies worth up to almost ₦500,000, including a soundbar with a subwoofer,” he said.
The pricing structure includes:Galaxy S26 (base model) – about ₦1.2 million, Galaxy S26+ – between ₦1.5 million and ₦1.7 million, depending on storage, Galaxy S26 Ultra – about ₦1.7 million for 256GB, around ₦2 million for 512GB, and about ₦2.4 million for the 1TB variant.
Samsung is also offering a Care Plus protection programme for device repairs.
“The Care Plus programme works like screen insurance,” Okwara said.
“If something happens to your device and the repair would normally cost around ₦250,000, you only pay about ₦25,000 to get the screen fixed within a one-year period. Registration for the programme is free.”
He added that interested buyers can access the pre-order links through Samsung Nigeria’s official platforms.
“Pre-order is still active. Anyone interested can go to Samsung Nigeria’s Instagram page where the link is available,” he said.
Boluwatife Enome
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