Samsung Electronics used its CES 2026 event, The First Look, to present its “Companion to AI Living” vision, describing how it plans to use AI across TVs, home appliances, mobile devices, and services to build a more connected and personal user experience.
The company said AI is no longer just a feature, but the foundation of how it designs products, develops services, and connects devices across its ecosystem. Samsung executives said this approach is meant to turn its products into daily companions rather than just tools.
Why It Matters: Many companies are adding AI features to their devices, but Samsung is positioning AI as something that connects its whole ecosystem, from TVs to appliances to health devices. This shows how future consumer electronics may focus more on coordination between devices rather than standalone features.
For entertainment, Samsung introduced what it calls Vision AI Companion, or VAC, which is designed to work with its TVs as an assistant for viewing, dining, and even setting the mood at home. The system can suggest what to watch, what to eat, or what music to play, and respond to voice requests across supported TV models.
At the center of Samsung’s display lineup is a 130-inch Micro RGB TV, which the company says uses individual red, green, and blue light sources for more precise color control. It also runs on a new Micro RGB AI Engine Pro to manage color and picture quality. Samsung says this new screen represents its direction for large, high-end displays.
Samsung is also adding new viewing modes such as AI Soccer Mode Pro, which adjusts picture and sound settings for sports, and AI Sound Controller Pro, which lets users adjust crowd noise, commentary, or background sound separately. The 2026 TV lineup will also support HDR10+ Advanced and introduce Eclipsa Audio, a new spatial sound system across all models.
In addition to TVs, Samsung showed new products such as the ultra-thin OLED S95H, a new version of The Freestyle projector called The Freestyle+, and two new WiFi speakers, the Music Studio 5 and 7. The company also announced a new Odyssey gaming monitor lineup, including its first 6K 3D Odyssey G9.
Samsung said its TVs will now receive up to seven years of Tizen OS updates, allowing them to continue getting new features over a longer period.
For the home, Samsung described its goal of turning appliances into “home companions.” The company said SmartThings now has more than 430 million users worldwide. It highlighted its Family Hub refrigerator, which now uses AI Vision built with Google Gemini to better recognize and track food items placed inside or taken out.
New features such as “What’s for Today?”, FoodNote, and Video to Recipe are designed to suggest meals, summarize food habits, and turn cooking videos into step-by-step guides. These features are meant to connect the refrigerator with other kitchen appliances and the SmartThings platform.
In the laundry and cleaning space, Samsung showed updated Bespoke AI appliances, including a washer-dryer combo, a new AirDresser for clothes care, and a new robot vacuum with better object and liquid detection. The robot vacuum can also act as a monitoring device when users are away from home.
Samsung also talked about a new partnership with Hartford Steam Boiler in the U.S., which links smart appliances to insurance programs that may help reduce premiums by lowering risk through connected devices.
For health and care, Samsung said it wants to move from reactive to proactive care. The company plans to use data from phones, wearables, and appliances to offer health coaching, detect possible health risks, and support early detection of conditions such as cognitive decline. It also plans to allow health data sharing with providers through platforms like Xealth.
Samsung said security remains a core part of this ecosystem, with Knox and Knox Matrix protecting user data and adapting to new AI-related risks.
With Samsung pushing AI across entertainment, home appliances, and health at the same time, how quickly will these “companion” features start to appear in products that reach the Philippines?
