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New Year, New Galaxy S26 seriesBut it’s the same old problem: If AI doesn’t have any real benefit, I don’t want it on my smartphone. Fortunately for you and me, Samsung has convinced me that it knows how to handle AI, at least with its latest features.
During the Galaxy Unpacked event held on Wednesday, Samsung presented the next generation of its technologies, including Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy headphones 4. Like every big tech company event over the past three years, AI was everywhere.
When it comes to AI integration on smartphones, I tend to be skeptical. Almost immediately after upgrading to iPhone 16, Turn off the camera control button Because I knew I would never use his course in visual intelligence. I’m not alone, only 11% of smartphone owners in the US upgrade their devices to access new AI features, a… CNET poll Found last year. Only 13% use AI in writing and fewer use it in photo editing. But one Galaxy AI-powered feature caught my attention, and promised a quality elusive among AI software: usefulness.
Call screening is new to the Galaxy S26 series. It allows artificial intelligence to answer phone calls unknown to you. Galaxy AI picks up the phone, summarizes the call and gives you a summary so you can decide whether or not to answer the call yourself. It’s much more convenient than ignoring the call and having to jam through voicemail later.
This seems like it would be an especially useful defense against spammers and telemarketers who buy your phone number online to sell you fake Medicare supplement plans or warn you that your car insurance is expiring.
Scammers are a big problem, thanks in part to… Advancement of artificial intelligence. There are plenty of solutions in the works, as phone companies focus on enhancing their capabilities Screen calls and report spam Tools to help. Google added similar AI-powered anti-spam tools to Android last year, and it’s time for Samsung to follow suit.
Read more: AI Slop is destroying the Internet. These people are fighting back
A lot of AI seems useless. Chatbots are basically fancier, less precise search engines and Use more energy. AI-powered image and video generators have helped flood the Internet with AI, and populate social media with them Strange videos and Realistic deepfakes. Even parts of the Galaxy AI feel like needless add-ons rather than features that provide real value. But call screening is one of the best examples of how AI can be deployed: thoughtfully and with a tangible purpose.
We’re past the general shock and awe of AI on smartphones. In 2026, I want to see more features like this — not dirty machines and unnecessary bloatware for following trends, but ones that actually make my life easier.