Samsung showcases ‘Your Companion to AI Living’ vision at CES 2026 First Look

By TechWatch PH Staff

Samsung Electronics unveiled its “Your Companion to AI Living” vision during The First Look at CES 2026, held on January 5 at the Latour Ballroom of Wynn Las Vegas, positioning artificial intelligence as the foundation that connects the company’s research and development, product innovation, operations, and overall user experience. 

TM Roh, CEO and head of Samsung’s Device eXperience Division, opened the event by underscoring how Samsung’s large-scale, AI-enabled connected ecosystem allows it to deliver a true AI companion experience in daily life, enabling technology to go beyond basic functions and create more meaningful moments across mobile, displays, home appliances, and services.

Samsung’s entertainment strategy was detailed by SW Yong, president and head of the Visual Display Business, alongside Sukhmani Mohta, chief marketing and partnerships officer of Samsung Electronics America’s Visual Display Business, who explained how the company is combining hardware excellence with visual intelligence to transform displays into full entertainment companions. 

Drawing on two decades of leadership in the TV industry, Samsung introduced a complete AI TV lineup designed to change how users interact with their screens, led by the 130-inch Micro RGB display that represents a major advance in scale and picture quality. 

The Micro RGB features the widest and most detailed color spectrum ever seen in Samsung TVs, driven by micro-sized red, green, and blue light sources that operate independently to deliver precise, natural color reproduction through the Micro RGB AI Engine Pro, while its Timeless Frame design minimizes distractions and emphasizes visual immersion.

Enhancing this viewing experience is Vision AI Companion, which uses artificial intelligence to act as an entertainment assistant that supports viewing, dining, and mood throughout the home. Through Vision AI Companion, users can receive recommendations on what to watch, eat, or listen to, extending the TV experience beyond traditional viewing. 

Samsung also introduced personalized viewing modes such as AI Soccer Mode Pro, which delivers stadium-level picture and sound tuning for sports fans, and AI Sound Controller Pro, which allows users to adjust crowd noise, commentary, or background audio through simple voice commands. 

Vision AI Companion is available across Samsung’s Micro LED, Micro RGB, OLED, Neo QLED, Mini LED, and UHD TV lineup, and also enables lifestyle features such as finding recipes seen on screen, aligning recommendations with health and fitness goals, and sending content to other connected devices like the newly unveiled Movingstyle display and compatible kitchen appliances.

The company also expanded its audio ecosystem by introducing the Music Studio 5 and Music Studio 7 WiFi speakers, extending Samsung’s integrated sound portfolio after leading the global soundbar market for 11 consecutive years. 

Designed by Erwan Bouroullec, the new speakers follow a timeless dot-inspired design language while supporting broader sound system combinations and enhanced audiovisual performance. 

Additional products unveiled include the ultra-thin OLED S95H with a refined bezel designed to resemble art gallery displays, and The Freestyle+, a portable projector powered by Vision AI Companion that enables content viewing on walls, ceilings, and uneven surfaces.

Samsung’s 2026 TV lineup supports HDR10+ ADVANCED, offering enhanced brightness, genre-based optimization, intelligent motion smoothing, advanced local tone mapping, and improved gaming performance, with Samsung becoming the first to introduce HDR10+ ADVANCED across its 2026 TVs as adoption grows among major OTT platforms. 

The lineup also features Eclipsa Audio, Samsung’s new spatial sound system, and is supported by the most powerful Tizen OS yet, with the company committing to seven years of operating system upgrades. In gaming, Samsung unveiled its most advanced Odyssey monitor lineup to date, led by its first 6K 3D Odyssey G9, alongside new Odyssey G6 and G8 models that push boundaries in resolution, refresh rates, and immersive performance.

Samsung’s home vision was presented by Cheolgi Kim, executive vice president and head of the Digital Appliances Division, and Elizabeth Anderson, head of integrated marketing at Samsung Electronics America, who described the company’s shift toward smart appliances that act as home companions to reduce the stress of daily chores. 

Kim announced that as of December 2025, SmartThings has surpassed 430 million users globally, providing Samsung with extensive insights that power its AI-driven home experiences. 

These capabilities are reflected in the Family Hub refrigerator, now upgraded with AI Vision built with Google Gemini, which improves food recognition, inventory tracking, meal planning, and food management. The Family Hub has received 10 CES Innovation Awards to date, while Samsung’s AI-enabled refrigerators have earned recognition for three consecutive years.

Samsung also introduced features such as “What’s for Today?” for recipe recommendations, Video to Recipe for converting cooking videos into step-by-step instructions, and FoodNote, a weekly report that summarizes food usage patterns and restocking needs. 

Additional Family Hub enhancements include expanded Now Brief widgets and Voice ID, which personalizes content for individual family members. In the laundry category, Samsung showcased the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo, which eliminates the need to transfer loads between machines, alongside the Bespoke AI AirDresser with Auto Wrinkle Care that smooths clothes using air and steam jets. The Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra robot vacuum, powered by a Qualcomm Dragonwing processor, features advanced liquid recognition, home monitoring capabilities, and conversational interaction through a smarter Bixby, contributing to Samsung’s CES Innovation Award recognition for its Bespoke AI appliance lineup.

Samsung also highlighted a partnership with Hartford Steam Boiler aimed at delivering tangible savings through connected smart appliances that can help reduce insurance premiums. Following a successful U.S. pilot in 2025, the collaboration is set to expand across additional states and global regions. 

Closing the event, Praveen Raja, vice president and head of digital health at Samsung Research America, outlined Samsung’s long-term vision for proactive, AI-enabled care, where phones, appliances, wearables, and connected devices work together to support preventative health, personalized coaching, early detection of potential health issues, and data sharing with healthcare providers via the Xealth platform. 

Samsung emphasized that security remains central to this ecosystem, with Samsung Knox and Knox Matrix continuously evolving to protect user data and address emerging AI-related risks through advanced safeguards and red team analysis.