Samsung Electronics, already recognised for having one of the most advanced AI offerings in a smartphone, is reportedly exploring partnerships with both OpenAI and Perplexity AI for its upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup.

Despite its strong ties with Google and its Gemini AI platform, Samsung appears keen to expand the range of AI options available to users. According to Choi Won-Joon, president and chief operating officer of Samsung’s mobile division, the aim is to enhance user choice.

“We are talking to multiple vendors,” Choi told Bloomberg during an interview at the company’s Suwon headquarters. “As long as these AI agents are competitive and can provide the best user experiences, we are open to any AI agent out there.”

As part of these discussions, Samsung is believed to be considering an investment in Perplexity, with plans to integrate the company’s app and assistant directly into its smartphones. However, the tech giant has no intention of making a financial investment in OpenAI at this stage.

On the hardware front, Samsung is still evaluating whether the Galaxy S26 series will run on Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Elite or its in-house Exynos 2600 chip—suggesting a final decision has yet to be made.

Choi also welcomed the prospect of Apple entering the foldable smartphone market, which Samsung has led for years. He believes Apple’s entry would help grow the category overall. According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning to release its first foldable iPhone in 2026, based on a design similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, and is expected to use foldable OLED displays sourced from Samsung Display.