Samsung broadens AI phone lineup with $300 5G galaxy models

Samsung Electronics Co. is expanding its range of devices supporting new artificial intelligence features with updated models in its more affordable A series.

Starting at $299.99 for the Galaxy A26, the company’s new lineup adds a trio of 6.7-inch 5G handsets with AI improvements photo editing and Circle to Search. Samsung is bringing elements of its flagship software to the rest of its portfolio, and the $499.99 Galaxy A56 also adds enhancements for night photography and a Best Face feature that helps optimize group photos.

Samsung’s rollout of more capable budget devices comes days after Apple Inc. released the $599 iPhone 16e, a more accessible entry point for consumers interested in its ecosystem. For both companies, the new models mark an effort to bring more users into the fold at a time when all AI developers are investing heavily in scaling up.

South Korea’s biggest company combines its own AI tools with those from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, the designer of the Android operating system powering Samsung phones. Apple, on the other hand, is developing its Apple Intelligence suite, though it also taps outside providers for some components — with OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the US and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. helping out in China.