The AI-powered technology verified in the tests automatically applies optimal configurations for each user rather than for the network as a whole based on real-time wireless conditions, the companies stated.

By proactively preventing disruptions, the technology helps users avoid connectivity issues experienced in the past.

Head of KT’s Future Network Laboratory Lee Jong-Sik noted the achievement indicates AI can transform network operations around the user.

Jeong Jin-Guk, head of Samsung’s Advanced Communications Research Centre, said the demonstration is a major milestone which shows how AI can improve user experience on real-world commercial networks.

The AI-RAN technology was applied to users experiencing service disruptions in a field trial with about 18,000 participants, allowing the teams to identify recurring issue patterns and develop user-specific network configurations. The companies then compared the number of disconnections before and after applying the configurations on the commercial network, finding a significant drop in connection failures among users who had faced frequent disruptions.

Samsung is a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance. KT is also a member.

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Samsung joins Huawei in multi-fold phone market

What happened: Samsung Electronics unveiled its first multi-fold smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, featuring a 10-inch inner display that folds twice using two hinges and a 6.5-inch outer cover screen.

Why it matters: Samsung said the inner display “performs similarly to three 6.5-inch smartphones” for multitasking, while also enabling large-screen media use. The KRW3.6 million (around $2,500) device intensifies competition with rival Huawei in the emerging foldable device category. Amanda Newman, director of business development at Orbit, said the Galaxy Z TriFold “serves as a signal that Samsung intends to maintain its lead in flexible display engineering”. She added that while volumes will be limited, “the point is not scale but demonstrating multipanel folding technology before competition accelerates in 2026”. Foldables still account for only about 2.5 per cent of global smartphone shipments, but quarterly volumes recently hit a high, Newman noted. Although Huawei entered the category first with the Mate XT series, she argued that Samsung, which holds around 64 per cent of the segment, is betting on improved durability, better software and larger displays enabling multitasking through desktop-style DeX environments. “With Apple preparing its first foldable, the next year will test whether the category can finally expand beyond early adopters,” she concluded.

AT&T follows rivals in dropping DEI initiatives

What happened: AT&T joined rivals T-Mobile US and Verizon in committing to shutter its DEI initiatives, stating in a filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) it “will not have any roles focused on DEI” and would terminate related policies.

Why it matters: AT&T had already begun scaling back DEI in March through funding cuts and management restructuring but had not yet dismantled the programme entirely. The latest move comes as the operator seeks regulatory approval for a $1 billion deal to acquire spectrum licences from UScellular. FCC chair Brendan Carr welcomed the pull back in a post on X, underlining a growing link between regulatory approval and corporate policy under US President Donald Trump’s administration. The approach has already impacted major transactions; earlier this year, Verizon secured approval for its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications a day after ending its DEI programmes, while T-Mobile took a similar approach ahead of its UScellular asset purchase in July.

India reverses mandate on state-owned security app

What happened: India’s government dropped a controversial mandate that would have required smartphone makers to preinstall its state-owned cybersecurity app, Sanchar Saathi, on all new devices.

Why it matters: The government’s reversal follows widespread criticism, including from Apple, which told authorities earlier this week it would not comply with the order over privacy and security concerns. Initially, the government defended the order, insisting it was necessary to help citizens verify device authenticity and report possible misuse. However, the Ministry of Communications has now said the reversal is due to improved uptake of the app, which was originally intended to reach “less aware citizens” faster. Communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that users “may deactivate or delete” the app, reversing an earlier mandate that made it unremovable, adding it “is not surveillance, it is a citizen safety tool”. Canalys senior analyst Sanyam Chaurasia told MWL that allowing users to delete the app cushioned the original mandate and improved the impact on device experience and OEM strategies. However, he warned that the long-term “inflection point” will depend on how effectively data privacy, user consent and transparency are addressed. “Until strong safeguards and legal clarity are in place, this is likely to remain a developing policy experiment rather than a hard, industry-wide operating requirement.”

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The device is set for release in South Korea on 12 December for KRW3.6 million ($2,444). China, Taiwan, Singapore and the UAE will be among the next batch of markets where it will be available. A US release is scheduled for Q1 2026.

Galaxy Z TriFold has an outer screen which looks similar to a standard smartphone but can fold out twice using two individual hinges.

Samsung noted the 10-inch inner screen “performs similarly to three 6.5-inch smartphones” in a row for multitasking and can also be used as one large screen for viewing documents or media.

The vendor stated the “immersive” large display would improve productivity and provide “cinematic viewing”, giving users a “best-in-class mobile experience never before seen in any other form factor”.

Other elements highlighted include a thin design of 3.9mm at its narrowest point; the largest battery Samsung has used in a foldable to date; a new generation of hinges; and fresh foldable display technology to bolster screen resilience.  

It also pointed to AI features and standard smartphone selling points of display and camera quality.

Samsung co-CEO and head of its Device eXperience division TM Roh said the handset “solves one of the mobile industry’s longest-standing challenges, delivering the perfect balance between portability, premium performance and productivity all in one device”.

It uses a customised Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipset and a 5600mAh battery, and has a 6.5-inch cover screen and triple rear camera set-up with the main unit 200MP.

The company’s entry into the multi-fold device market follows Huawei, which released its second generation using the form factor in September.

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Nokia targets AI-ready US networks with $4B outlay

What happened: Nokia agreed a $4 billion, multi-year investment plan with US President Donald Trump’s administration to expand its R&D and manufacturing footprint and accelerate the rollout of AI-ready network infrastructure.

Why it matters: The investment directly supports the domestic production of mobile, fixed, IP, optical and defence solutions, while deepening R&D in automation, quantum-safe networks and semiconductors. It builds on Nokia’s earlier $2.3 billion US commitment linked to its Infinera acquisition, alongside $456 million in manufacturing investments by the optical specialist. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said the deal marked “another Trump administration win for America”, adding that the spending means “the most innovative technologies that power AI, data centres, and critical national security applications will be developed and built here in the US”. The hefty outlay puts financial weight behind Nokia’s recent strategy revamp under CEO Justin Hotard centred around AI-native networks, as the vendor streamlines into two core infrastructure units and targets higher profits by 2028 to cash in on what Hotard calls the “AI supercycle”.

Samsung, SKT start joint research on AI, 6G

What happened: Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom launched joint research into AI-supported RAN technology in a bid to lay the groundwork for 6G commercialisation.

Why it matters: The work will focus on AI-based channel estimation, distributed MIMO transmission and reception, and AI-RAN-based scheduler and core network technologies that determine when, where and how data is sent. Samsung said the field-focused work with SKT will allow it to verify AI-powered wireless technologies in real-world environments and secure critical AI-RAN technologies at an early stage. Meanwhile, SKT added the convergence of AI and wireless would be “crucial to 6G competitiveness”. Both companies are members of the AI-RAN Alliance, positioning them to impact future 6G standards and roadmaps. Athul Prasad, Samsung’s senior manager of emerging technologies & corporate development, said the pair’s joint proposal on AI-based channel estimation is already an approved official work item at the alliance, underscoring their potential influence on future standards.

Kyivstar activates Starlink D2D in Europe first

What happened: Kyivstar became the first mobile operator in Europe to switch on Starlink D2D connectivity following successful tests earlier this year, enabling SMS services for customers with standard 4G smartphones when terrestrial networks are damaged, unavailable or out of reach.

Why it matters: Ukraine’s digital transformation minister Mykhailo Fedorov called the service “an important step in developing infrastructure that will ensure connectivity even in areas without traditional networks”, citing “constant Russian attacks on infrastructure, blackouts and network damage” amid an ongoing war. Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said the service enhances national resilience and provides “a vital functionality that is critical for our people”. This week, Kyivstar’s head of cloud & satellite business Ilya Polshakov told MWL at MWC25 Doha that around 400,000 users have registered on Kyivstar’s Starlink network, with around 90,000 to 100,000 SMS messages sent in the first 24 hours since launch. He pointed to successful real-world tests, including banking payment terminals, where reliable connectivity is critical. Voice and expanded data services are planned for 2026, with the operator also set to introduce extended IoT capabilities for future satellite generations. In addition, the project is strategically significant for Kyivstar parent Veon Group, which plans to roll out the service in Kazakhstan from 2026.

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The new unit will be led by Hwang Sang-joon, head of the DRAM product and technology group.

HBM development was previously a standalone unit.

The chipmaker has fallen behind SK Hynix over the past couple of years, winning approval in Q3 from Nvidia to produce the current generation of HBM chips (HBM3E). This was a year after its local rival. Micron started mass production for Nvidia in Q2.

In September, SK Hynix completed development of a next-generation HBM chip ahead of rivals, with the HBM4 ready for mass production.

Local media reported Samsung is about two months behind competitors in testing and is working to accelerate its timeline.

in 2024, the company issued an apology for delays in shipping new memory chips to support AI applications.

Data from TrendForce showed Samsung had a 32.6 per cent share of the global DRAM market in Q3, behind SK Hynix with a 33.2 per cent share, but ahead of US-based Micron with a 25.7 per cent share.

In May 2024, the Samsung replaced the head of its semiconductor business, the company’s largest division, appointing Jun Young‑hyun head of the Device Solutions division.

Jun is also chief of the memory business.

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The research will focus on AI-based channel estimation technology; distributed MIMO transmission and reception advances; and AI-RAN-based scheduler and core network technologies, which determine when, where and how to send data.

AI-based channel estimation predicts and corrects signal transmission in real time. The intent is to improve network performance by enabling faster, more accurate data delivery in environments where radio waves are distorted by obstacles such as buildings or walls, the companies outlined in a statement.

Distributed MIMO technology allows multiple base stations or antennas to work together to transmit and receive data, supporting reliable, ultra-high-speed communication across both urban and rural areas. With traditional architecture a single base station handles data processing.

Through field-focused collaboration with SKT, Jeong Jin-guk, head of Advanced Communications Research Centre at Samsung Research, noted the partners would be able to verify the effectiveness of AI-based wireless technologies in real-world settings and secure key AI-RAN technologies at an early stage.

Yu Tak-ki, VP of SKT’s Infra Tech Office, added the convergence of AI and wireless communications will be “crucial to 6G competitiveness”.

Both companies are members of the AI-RAN Alliance.

About a year ago, the pair gathered data from 5G base stations using AI and deep learning, and developed technology to improve performance by recommending optimal parameters. SKT plans to deploy the quality optimisation technology.

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The return to co-CEOs follows a period of leadership change after co-CEO Han Jong-hee died in March, leaving Jun as the sole chief.

Roh will continue to lead its Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, while vice chair Jun will remain chief of the memory business, which is part of the Device Solutions (DS) division.

As part of its annual reshuffle, Yoon Jang-hyun, previously CEO of Samsung Venture Investment, takes over as CTO of the DX division and head of Samsung Research, while Park Hong-kun becomes head of the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology.

Under Han’s leadership, the company’s chip division struggled to catch up with rival SK Hynix in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) segment, but rising chip prices and shortages have boosted its results.

In Q3, the company’s net profit jumped 20.8 per cent to KRW12.2 trillion ($8.3 billion), aided by a 79.5 per cent jump in operating profit of the DS division to KRW7 trillion.

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The newspaper cited data from Samsung showing spending on application processors in the first nine months of 2025 jumped 25 per cent year-on-year to KRW10.9 trillion ($7.4 billion), noting the component can represent up to 30 per cent of the total production costs for a device.

A source said Samsung needs to increase the use of in-house chips “to ease cost pressures and to regain leverage and reinforce its position in chip design”.

In the past, the vendor generally followed a dual-sourcing strategy, using both Qualcomm and its in-house Exynos chipsets. But performance issues with the Exynos 2500 prompted it to use only Snapdragon chips for the Galaxy S25 series.

Last month, Yonhap News Service reported the company will use its in-house Exynos 2600 chip across the Galaxy S26 series in selected markets, the first use of its own processor in a flagship model in four years.

Despite the move back to its dual-sourcing strategy, The Korean Herald stated Qualcomm will likely supply the the majority of the application processors for its S26 line-up.

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South Korea confirmed a $350 billion investment commitment to the US on Friday (14 November), raising concerns the country’s top conglomerates could be preparing to cut back domestic investments.

Top executives from the country’s leading companies met with President Lee Jae Myung to discuss measures after finalising the trade deal.

SK Group, Hyundai Motor and ship builder Hanwha Ocean also announced major investment plans.

Samsung’s new production line is expected to start operations in 2028, the news agency wrote.

The company explained it forecasts mid- to long-term expansion in demand for memory chips and plans to secure production lines in advance to respond promptly to market changes.

SK Hynix will build four chip plants at its main Yongin campus, with SK Group planning to invest KRW128 trillion over the next three years, The Korean Herald stated.

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Counterpoint Research associate director Gareth Owen told Mobile World Live “it’s a logical acquisition”, with Samsung seeing the HVAC market, particularly for data centers, as a major opportunity. He noted the deal enables it to acquire specialist engineering and product capability in precision cooling.

The acquisition includes three FlaktGroup subsidiaries: Woods Air Movement, a provider of ventilation and fire safety systems; Semco, a specialist in air handling and flow solutions; and SE-Elektronic, which delivers tailored advanced automation systems.

FlaktGroup set up a North America data centre team to handle growing demand in the US.

Owen pointed to additional synergies with Samsung’s existing IoT and AI building platform, which will allow the company to offer a full range of HVAC services, from residential and commercial to large-scale industrial and precision cooling for AI data centres. 

Growth prospects
Samsung is no doubt tapping into a lucrative market. Just this week, Meta Platforms committed $600 billion in new investment in data centres and AI infrastructure in the US, Microsoft earmarked $10 billion for AI facilities in Portugal and Google allocated €5.5B towards an expansion in Germany.

South Korea-based tech analyst Jukan said in a post on X the deployment of new AI compute capacity will “inevitably depend on large-scale upgrades to existing facilities and a massive wave” of new data centre construction worldwide.

Jukan cited a 2024 survey by Uptime Institute that found only 5 per cent of the world’s data centres can support an average rack power density exceeding 30kW, meaning the vast majority can’t even handle Nvidia’s latest Hopper chips released last year.

A Bank of America Global Research note stated a rack of standard Nvidia Hopper H200 chips consumes 35kW, with a rack of the company’s new Blackwell B20 chips requiring 120kW. Its next-gen Rubin chips (out in H2 2026) will use 600kW per rack. 

Rivals AMD and Intel’s new chip releases are following a similar trajectory. 

New builds
Owen explained that while it is possible to retrofit existing data centres to some extent to handle more powerful chips, he believes most facilities deploying rack-scale systems will be new builds. He added the racks are so heavy the floors of existing centres would need to be reinforced.

A rack-scale system is a data centre architecture that treats an entire rack of hardware as a single, unified computing system rather than a collection of individual servers. They require liquid-cooled systems.

Owen noted rack-scale systems are a new paradigm in AI computing infrastructure but currently only represent a small proportion of total AI compute shipments.

He estimates tens of thousands of Nvidia’s NVL72 have been deployed since the design was launched in Q4 2024. The NVL72 is a rack-scale AI supercomputer combining 72 Blackwell GPUs and 36 Grace CPUs into a single, liquid-cooled system.

Nvidia and its partners encountered problems with integration and cooling (leaks) in the beginning, but they were resolved, he said, adding they are complex systems, which can slow down deployments. Other types of AI computing, such as small node-based servers with four to eight GPUs per server, are air-cooled and don’t face such issues. 

While rack-scale systems are very expensive, Owen argued they will likely only be used for the most demanding training and inference tasks, where the cost of the compute makes sense.

Soaring energy costs
Jukan cited data from Morgan Stanley in another X post which estimated the cost of a cooling system for a single Nvidia GB300 NVL72 cabinet at about $50,000, increasing 17 per cent to nearly $56,000 for the Vera Rubin NVL144 due to denser GPU configurations and higher thermal needs.

In addition to more costly cooling components, the price of running such systems is accelerating. Chips powering generative AI models such as ChatGPT can use up to six-times more electricity than older data centre chips.

A Bank of America Institute report projects power consumption of the data centre sector in the US to more than double over the next ten years, with annual growth outpacing all other major sectors. 

The authors stated: “Already big users of electricity, data centres will guzzle even more energy going forward”, with the facilities consuming 1 per cent to 2 per cent of global electricity production.

Worldwide growth in energy used by data centres is forecast by different organisations to grow annually been 11 per cent and 20 per cent until 2030.

More GPUs in play
The bank’s Global Research unit, meanwhile, expects AI-related GPU shipments to jump from around 9 million in 2024 to some 25 million in 2030. While the number of GPUs per AI server can vary greatly, power consumption is tied more to the number of active GPUs compared with the server count.

The International Energy Agency estimates power usage of AI servers will climb from 63TWh in 2024 to 300TWh by 2030, accounting for one-third of total data centre electricity consumption.

Rising power requirements, coupled with long lead times in some regions to increase power capacity, are creating challenges for data centre operators. 

Two 48MW data centres in Santa Clara, California, which were recently completed, now sit idle because the local utility provider is unable to supply sufficient power.

With trillions of dollars committed to building new AI infrastructure in the US alone, the pressure on power grids will certainly increase, while boosting demand for HVAC gear.

Samsung’s move into the HVAC space certainly appears well timed. The new unit could emerge as its new cash cow, perhaps giving the conglomerate a steadier revenue stream than the mercurial semiconductor segment.

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The implementation of Samsung’s core, combined with the deployment of SaskTel’s 3800 MHz and 3500 MHz wireless spectrum, will deliver improved speeds across the network.

As part of SaskTel’s ongoing 5G expansion, which now covers nearly 90 per cent of the provincial population, Samsung’s core also enables low latency to deliver improved 4G and 5G user experience across voice, data and text services.

The performance gains will be augmented following SaskTel’s deployment of Samsung’s standalone 5G platform in the next phase of the operator’s network modernisation initiative.

SaskTel president and CEO Charlene Gavel stated the deployment with Samsung “lays the foundation for a future where connectivity empowers people, organisations and communities to reach their full potential” for use cases across AI, smart agriculture, immersive gaming, IoT and virtual healthcare.

Since its 5G network launched in 2021, SaskTel has teamed with Samsung to deploy an end-to-end service.

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Robert Backhouse, CTO Americas at Nokia (pictured, second from right) argued the impact of openness on infrastructure players is more one of evolution than revolution, highlighting how its self-organising network is being used as a foundation for open RAN developments.

The executive noted operators have led the developments of “hundreds of applications” in recent years, a “closed ecosystem” which he said must now be transitioned to Nokia’s new platform and converted into rApps.

Nokia hopes to shake up the industry through a recent tie-up with chip company Nvidia. Backhouse said the pair have worked together for “about 18 months” and hope to “bring some competition” to purpose-built and cloud RAN sectors.

“We’re pretty excited about that announcement.”

Ericsson is also making openness and relevant elements a core part of its offering, senior manager of cloud and open RAN engagement David Bladsjo (pictured, second from left) said.

He highlighted big progress on automation with open management systems Ericsson and the broader industry made over the past year, and said the vendor is now looking to bolster the number of services on offer to capture “very broad” automation opportunities.

Sadayuki Abeta, CTO of OREX SAI, a joint venture between NTT Docomo and NEC (pictured, far right), highlighted there are many levels of disaggregation in the vendor space itself.

The company works with companies including HPE, NEC and other partners, enabling it to cover more bases but also share the risk.

Abeta explained such arrangements can simplify the process of introducing fresh technologies by providing access to proven systems and can contribute to delivering “more secure networks”.

Fresh talent
Everth Flores, VP and head of Samsung Networks Europe (pictured, far left) argued it is a key beneficiary of the shift to open infrastructure, flagging contracts won with Verizon, Vodafone Group and KDDI, among others.

The executive noted automation efforts are being accelerated, but also challenged, by AI, which is delivering performance improvements over traditional infrastructure, along with “operational efficiency” and the chance for Samsung to “build a strong foundation for a data-driven, software-centric network”.

Flores noted the open RAN sector is unlikely to be restricted to 4G or 5G technologies, explaining 2G is likely to remain part of the mix due to the importance of machine-to-machine services within operator’s overall proposition.

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In a statement, the South Korean company explained the facility would integrate “every aspect of semiconductor manufacturing, from design and process to equipment, operations and quality control, into a single intelligent network”.

Samsung stated the move is part of a company-wide digital transformation using AI-enabled manufacturing.

The factory will combine the companies’ respective chip expertise to set “the foundation of next-generation, AI-driven production”, Nvidia stated separately.

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said: “We are at the dawn of the AI industrial revolution, a new era that will redefine how the world designs, builds and manufactures.”

Samsung executive chair Jay Y. Lee said the arrangement continues its “longstanding journey with Nvidia in leading this transformation”, predicting the pair would create “new standards for the future” and accelerate “breakthroughs”.

Nvidia detailed two other AI factory deals with SK Group and Hyundai Motors, both of which also involve 50,000 GPUs.

The first phase of the SK Group build, which will serve subsidiaries SK Hynix and SK Telecom (SKT), is planned for completion by late 2027.

SKT plans to build an industrial AI cloud with Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell server GPUs in Asia.

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Mobile eXperience (MX) VP Daniel Araujo stated on its Q3 earnings call the overall smartphone market is expected to be roughly flat in both value and volume in 2026, while tablets are experiencing a slowdown in replacement demand.

Although the division anticipates intensified competition and price increases in key components such as memory, he said it expects full-year revenue growth in 2025 and to maintain profitability through “flagship-focused sales and efficiency improvements”.

Araujo noted the smartphone market rebounded in Q3, as macroeconomic uncertainties were somewhat alleviated due to progress in tariff negotiations among major countries, together with expectations of interest rate cuts.

Growth in flagship sales as a portion of total smartphone revenue, along with improved sales of new tablet and wearable products enabled it to sustain double-digit profitability, he added.

Revenue from the MX and Networks unit increased 12 per cent year-on-year to KRW34.1 trillion ($23.9 billion) and operating profit 28.6 per cent to KRW3.6 trillion.

Smartphone shipments grew 5.2 per cent to 61 million units and tablet shipments remained at 7 million.

Its smartphone ASP increased 3.1 per cent to $304.

On a group level, Samsung’s net profit grew 20.8 per cent to KRW12.2 trillion, aided by a 79.5 per cent jump in operating profit of the Device Solution division covering all types of chips including memory to KRW7 trillion.

Revenue rose 8.8 per cent to KRW86.1 trillion. Chip unit sales rose 13 per cent to KRW33.1 trillion.

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In a statement, the companies explained under the partnership they will “jointly define and promote” R&D across four areas: 6G, AI for RAN, AI and RAN, and SoftBank’s large telecoms model.

SoftBank CTO Hideyuki Tsukuda noted by combining expertise, the pair will “accelerate the realisation of next-generation networks that evolve to become more efficient and highly reliable through AI-RAN”.

Jeong Jin-guk Jeong, head of Samsung’s Advanced Communications Research Centre, added the tie-up aims to “define meaningful use cases” for operators and end-users, while securing key technologies for future commercialisation.

The operator and Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson are founding members of the AI-RAN Alliance, which was established in early 2024 to improve RAN performance and capability using AI.

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The chipmaker’s System LSI unit is developing an Exynos modem integrated with an AI accelerator, called a neural processing unit, the newspaper explained.

It aims to enable direct connections between low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and consumer devices.

A source told the publication discussions are “underway for Samsung to join the component supply chain” of SpaceX’s future non-terrestrial 6G network.

In a post on X, South Korea-based tech analyst Jukan noted Samsung’s relationship with Tesla is also deepening.

The carmaker’s CEO Elon Musk, who also leads SpaceX, stated on Tesla’s Q3 earnings call both Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will manufacture its next-gen AI5 chip.

Samsung’s foundry business in July lined up a KRW22.8 trillion ($15.9 billion) contract to supply chips to Tesla.

Meanwhile, in India Starlink plans to set up nine gateway earth stations, as it prepares to launch satellite communication services, The Economic Times stated.

The company reportedly started security tests of the service. It requires the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to approve the final pricing framework for its service before it can launch.

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The device, on sale for $1,799, is powered by a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip. The headset weighs 545g, making its more than 25 per cent lighter than the Vision Pro, and has a 4K micro-OLED screen.

As part of its broader XR roadmap, Samsung said it is developing multiple form factors, including AI glasses. It is partnering with consumer eyewear brand Warby Parker and South Korean fashion eyewear designer Gentle Monster, along with Google.

COO of Samsung’s Mobile eXperience business Won-Joon Choi declared in a statement Galaxy XR “expands the vision for mobile AI into a new frontier” of immersive possibilities, allowing XR to move from concept to everyday reality.

President of Android Ecosystem at Google Sameer Samat added Android XR is the first Android platform built entirely for the Gemini era.

Samsung noted with Gemini integrated at the system level, Galaxy XR helps users manage tasks and delivers natural and intuitive interactions through voice, vision and gesture. It added since the platform is built on OpenXR standards, it is easy for developers using OpenXR, WebXR or Unity to create apps.

Galaxy XR is initially available in the US and South Korea.

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A source told Yonhap News Service tests indicated a strong performance for the Exynos 2600 compared with competitors’ application processors and the company commenced mass production.

In a post on X, South Korea-based tech analyst Jukan said the vendor confirmed it will use the Exynos 2600 in the standard S26 model, as well as the Plus and Ultra versions in certain markets. The smartphone range is expected to be released next year.

The analyst noted Samsung generally follows a dual-sourcing strategy, using both Qualcomm and Exynos chipsets. The Exynos share in the S26 line-up is to expected to be around 50 per cent, with Korean and European models equipped with its chips, and handsets going to the US, Japan and China fitted with Qualcomm’s.

The move indicates Samsung’s foundry unit’s designs of advanced chip are making progress compared with rivals.

Jukan cited internal test data showing Exynos 2600’s GPU performance is up to 75 per cent higher than Apple’s A19 Pro chipset and up to 29 per cent higher compared with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite chipset.

Its foundry business in July lined up a KRW22.8 trillion ($16 billion) contract to supply chips to Tesla.

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According to the company’s latest Global Secondary Smartphone Market report, while sales across the US, Europe and Japan were largely flat with average growth of 1 per cent year-on-year, emerging regions such as Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America and China posted stronger gains of around 4 per cent.

Africa recorded the fastest growth at 6 per cent, driven by the entry of organised refurbishers, improved supply chain integration and supportive government initiatives. Apple led the region with 7 per cent growth on the back of demand for iPhone 13 and newer models, while Samsung rose 4 per cent due to aggressive Galaxy trade-in promotions.

Meanwhile, India’s pre-owned smartphone market expanded 5 per cent, with Apple surging 19 per cent to the second position behind Samsung. Growing consumer appetite for premium refurbished devices and organised buy-back initiatives across retail and online platforms bolstered second-hand smartphones sales, with Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and S23 models among the top-selling models in India. Counterpoint noted that improved consumer trust in online C2C marketplaces and reduced reliance on Chinese imports strengthened local ecosystems.

Southeast Asia matched India’s growth rate at 5 per cent as Apple captured nearly half the market with 15 per cent growth while Samsung recorded a 3 per cent decline. Refurbished iPhone 12 and 13 models dominated sales across the region.

Rising costs
In contrast, established markets saw limited movement amid rising operational costs, market fragmentation, export declines and regulatory uncertainty. Europe grappled with profitability challenges and tariff-related uncertainty from US President Donald Trump’s controversial trade policies. Meanwhile, the US market remained cautious by maintaining robust inventories of spare parts, while Japan’s pre-owned programs gained traction through certified carrier-backed initiatives.

Globally, Apple’s iPhone 12 and 13 series remain the top refurbished sellers, though Samsung’s Galaxy S range is expected to pick up pace in select markets including the US later this year as demand rises.

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In what is rapidly becoming a PR spin-war between the vendor and rival Ericsson to claim the most significant slice of Vodafone’s big Spring 6 tender, Samsung’s announcement coincided with an Ericsson statement today (14 October) that it had signed a five-year deal to be the operator’s exclusive RAN partner in three markets and maintained “major vendor” status in Germany, Romania and Egypt.

Nokia too got in on the action, stating it had “maintained” its role as a strategic Vodafone and Vodacom partner in Europe and Africa.

For Samsung, the major update was providing details on its deal with Vodafone in Germany, where it said it would serve as the operator’s “primary partner”. This arrangement also extends to other European markets, which were undisclosed. It had already announced its open RAN deal with Vodafone at the start of the month, without naming individual markets.

It added Germany was the first market to implement its open RAN offering to become one of the largest deployments in Europe. The first site is already live in Hannover, and Wismar will become the second city fully equipped with open RAN in early 2026.   

Across a five-year programme, Samsung said it would with work with Vodafone to add thousands of open RAN sites across Europe. Samsung reiterated plans to provide its vRAN offering, supporting 2G, 4G and 5G and deliver O-RAN compliant radios including massive MIMO radios.

Alberto Ripepi, chief network officer at Vodafone, said open RAN was a key pillar in its network evolution and “the next step in our journey is to extend open RAN to reach many more countries”.

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The company estimated operating profit in the July to September period jumped 31.8 per cent year-on-year to KRW12.1 trillion ($8.5 billion) and sales increased 8.7 per cent to KRW86 trillion.

Futurum Group research director Ray Wang stated in an X post the company’s memory business, one of three in its DS division, is expected to record its largest quarterly revenue in seven years on a standalone basis. Moreover, its September revenue alone was forecast to hit a record high on a monthly basis.

TrendForce reported in late September DRAM suppliers had shifted focus to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and server DDR5 products, creating a tighter supply for other DRAM types and pushing prices higher. Meanwhile, the research outfit expects NAND flash prices to rise between 5 per cent and 10 per cent in the current quarter.

Morgan Stanley said in a research note it doesn’t expect the peak of the current memory supercycle, driven by the AI boom, to arrive until 2027.

Last month, Samsung secured the long-awaited approval from Nvidia for its latest HBM product, following a redesign to address a heat issue.

Samsung will release its full earnings later this month.

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Vodafone names Samsung as open RAN supplier

What happened: Vodafone selected Samsung as a key supplier for its large-scale open RAN deployment across multiple European markets, with the South Korean vendor set to provide its virtualised RAN (vRAN) and O-RAN-compliant radio units, with support for 2G, 4G and 5G technologies.

Why it matters: Samsung stated its latest radios will enable wide-scale open RAN adoption in European regions. By supporting diverse spectrum bands and high transmit power, their equipment will help reduce hardware costs and energy consumption while delivering high-performing shared networks. The announcement comes after Samsung was excluded from £2 billion contracts awarded by the recently merged VodafoneThree to Ericsson and Nokia last month to help support its 5G network rollout across the UK. At the time, the South Korean vendor told Mobile World Live it respected VodafoneThree’s decision to “consolidate their existing vendor relationships”. According to Sam Jackman, chief development officer at infrastructure company Shared Access, Samsung’s exclusion could have signalled “a cut back to more traditional vendors from the open-RAN model Vodafone seemed to be pursuing”. However, the latest move cements Samsung’s role in the Open-RAN rollout led by Vodafone, which, according to Justin Jwa, head of account management EMEA at Samsung Electronics, is one of the vendor’s “most strategic partners in Europe”.

Qualcomm declares full victory in Arm legal battle

What happened: Qualcomm secured a full legal victory in its long-running licensing dispute with Arm after a US district court dismissed the final remaining claim in the case.

Why it matters: The lawsuit, filed by Arm in 2022, alleged that Qualcomm and its subsidiary Nuvia breached an architecture license agreement related to CPU technology following Qualcomm’s $1.4 billion acquisition of Nuvia in 2021. The final ruling concluded Nuvia did not breach the agreement, closing the door on Arm’s request for a retrial. Qualcomm general counsel Ann Chaplin stated the ruling marks a “full and final judgment”, however Arm declared that it will file an appeal, despite the court’s position that the case is closed. Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research told Bloomberg the win clears Qualcomm to “deploy Nuvia technology across a much broader spectrum”, including PC, automotive, robotics and AI applications. However, Richard Windsor, founder of Radio Free Mobile, warned the fight is far from over as Qualcomm’s separate lawsuit accusing Arm of anti-competitive behaviour is expected to go to trial in 2026. Yet, in Windsor’s view, the biggest unintended winner of the dispute is competitor Intel, “which remains in deep trouble but is being given more breathing space as a result of two of its biggest rivals fighting each other”.

Korean giants join OpenAI Stargate effort

What happened: South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK Group joined OpenAI’s $500 billion Stargate initiative, securing a major role in AI infrastructure development.

Why it matters: Under the agreements, Samsung and SK Hynix will scale production of advanced memory chips, targeting 900,000 DRAM wafers every month, which marks more than double current HBM capacity. These chips are crucial for powering the ChatGPT-maker’s advanced AI models. The companies will also explore AI data centre development in Korea, including sites outside Seoul, and deploy ChatGPT Enterprise and API capabilities internally. Market reaction to the deals was favourable as, according to Euro News, SK Hynix shares jumped by around 10 per cent and Samsung Electronics climbed more than 3 per cent, reflecting strong investor optimism. The deals also mark a significant step for Korea in establishing itself as a global AI hub. Indeed, Oliver Jay, OpenAI International MD, highlighted that with its “world-class talent, infrastructure and forward-looking government support,” the country “has all the ingredients to lead globally in AI and shape what’s next’.

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OpenAI stated the partnerships were struck during meetings between CEO Sam Altman (pictured, left), SK chairman Chey Tae Won (pictured, right), Samsung Electronics CEO Young Hyun Jun and the country’s President Lee Jae-Myung in Seoul, in deals that advance the country’s ambition to become a “top-three global AI nation”.

Through the collaborations, the Korean companies will focus on increasing the supply of advanced memory chips essential for next-generation AI and expanding data centre capacity in the country. Samsung and SK Hynix plan to scale up production of advanced memory chips, targeting 900,000 DRAM wafers per month, critical for powering OpenAI’s advanced models.

The projection is more than double the current HBM industry capacity. “underscoring the immense semiconductor demand driven by the Stargate project”, SK Group added in its own statement.

Korea data centres
As part of a series of deals, OpenAI stated it will explore the development of next-generation AI data centres in the nation.

With SK Telecom, it will look into building a data centre in Korea and it penned agreements with Samsung’s other businesses Samsung SDS, Samsung C&T Corp and Samsung Heavy Industries to assess opportunities for additional data centre capacity in the country.

Samsung and SK Group will also look to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise and API capabilities into their operations going forward.

Altman said: “Korea has all the ingredients to be a global leader in AI—incredible tech talent, world-class infrastructure, strong government support, and a thriving AI ecosystem.”

A Memorandum of Understanding with the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT was also signed to explore building AI data centres outside the Seoul metropolitan area, added OpenAI.

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The upgraded HBM chip received its long-awaited qualification after a redesign to address heat issues, The Korea Economic Daily reported, which noted initial supply volumes were expected to be limited.

Nvidia will use the chip in its B300 AI accelerator.

Rivals SK Hynix and Micron Technology gained approval from Nvidia earlier.

Samsung began shipping its HBM3E to US-based AMD in June.

When it first developed the HBM3E in February 2024, Samsung forecast mass production to start in the first half of 2024. In March it placed orders for a new type of advanced chipmaking machinery, targeting increasing the production yield of its HBM chips.

Over the past couple of years, Samsung has faced rising competition from local rival SK Hynix and concerns over its fundamental technological competitiveness.

Last October Samsung’s new head of memory business Jun Young-hyun vowed to reorganise the division, with a focus on culture and processes.

Radio Free Mobile founder Richard Windsor wrote earlier in the year he is confident Samsung will return to form with its HBM3E, with Nvidia likely to approve the vendor as a supplier this year.

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The vendor is providing its RIC, including open multi-vendor support and a suite of applications as part of its Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite to optimise the performance of Telus’ wireless network.

Samsung’s RIC includes a KPI anomaly detector, energy saving and load balancing management tools to identify issues, predict traffic and optimise resource use on legacy and virtualised networks.

The vendor completed an initial RIC software delivery in July, with extensive testing planned across Canada during the rest of the year.

A representative for Samsung told Mobile World Live (MWL) the two companies identified an initial market and several applications such as the load balancing manager, energy saving manager and KPI analysis and insights managers, which will be the first to deploy on the RIC.

They expect those applications will be operational in the network by early next year.

Telus and Samsung’s RIC collaboration builds on a previous arrangement covering open RAN.

RICs control applications which manage a range of functions on the network known as rApps, which use RAN data to improve various aspects including coverage, capacity, efficiency and service quality.

There are near-real time and non-real time RIC variants.

The controllers can run dynamic networking features including switching-off radios during non-peak times to cut energy costs.

Analyst take
James Crawshaw, practice leader of Omdia’s service provider transformation team, told MWL since Samsung supplied Telus with service management and orchestration (SMO) capabilities, “it was a given they would also supply the non-real time RIC as this is a subcomponent of the SMO and no operator seems interested in using a RIC from one vendor with an SMO from another”.

“I think the only other customer of Samsung’s CognitiV suite at the moment is KDDI although other operators have trialled it.”

Crawshaw said Ericsson has the most live deployments of SMO, with its Intelligent Automation Platform being sold to AT&T, Swisscom and Telstra.

“Nokia has evolved its SON solution to meet the open RAN specs, so I expect them to be Ericsson’s main competitor in the market.”

“But there are other notable players including those who also come from a strong SON heritage like Qualcomm, thanks to its acquisition of Cellwize, and Juniper Networks, which developed its own SMO and RIC from scratch.”

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Samsung stated it will bring in 60,000 people and expand training programmes, with the view of focusing on key components businesses centred around semiconductors, the bio industry and AI “which has rapidly emerged as a core technology”.

Part of the plan includes expanding internship opportunities, which can lead to permanent positions and bring in young graduates.

The company also stated it will carry out various education contribution projects to solve the “social problem of youth employment”.

Samsung’s programmes related to youth education and mutual growth cooperation directly and indirectly create more than 8,000 jobs, the company added.

Fellow South Korean giants SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group also announced plans to hire thousands of workers, which appears to be a response to President Lee Jae Myung’s call to address the country’s declining youth employment.

Across all group companies, Samsung has hired about 10,000 people over the past 12 months, Business Korea stated.

Samsung alone employs some 125,000 people in South Korea.

*Additional reporting by Kavit Majithia

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Powered by Samsung’s latest One UI 8 platform, the Galaxy S25 FE smartphone aims to bring flagship-level AI capabilities to a broader set of users. The device comes equipped with AI editing tools enabling users to turn parts of a regular video into slow motion, remove background noise from video clips and erase unwanted objects or people from images.

The handset’s 12MP front-facing camera is enhanced by Samsung’s ProVisual Engine, an AI-driven tool designed to improve lighting, sharpness, and facial detail. Additional AI features include Circle to Search and Gemini Live, which enables real-time visual interactions and contextual assistance.

The Galaxy S25 FE also features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a triple-lens rear camera system and a 4,900mAh battery with 45W fast charging. A larger vapor chamber has been incorporated to improve thermal performance and ensure smooth AI processing.

Jay Kim, EVP and head of customer experience office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung, said the new smartphone “plays an important role as a gateway into the broader Galaxy AI ecosystem, making these experiences more attainable for a wider range of users”.

Thinnest tablet
Alongside the handset, the South Korean vendor introduced the Galaxy Tab S11 and its higher-spec Ultra version, which marks Samsung’s thinnest tablet to date at 5.1mm.

With both tablets powered by the company’s One UI 8 platform and a 3nm processor, their AMOLED 2X displays offer up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. The tablets also feature a redesigned S Pen and an improved multitasking setup through Samsung DeX, allowing the devices to connect to an external monitor and operate in dual-screen.

Both models support multimodal AI tools including Gemini Live, Drawing Assist to enable real-time interpretation of visual input and Writing Assist to help refine emails and documents.

All devices are now available in selected markets.

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In a 29 August filing, the Federal Register, which is the official journal of the US federal government, stated the validated end-user (VEU) authorisations for the chipmakers to produce chips in China will be removed.  

The government’s end-user review committee (ERC), which is responsible for administering the VEU, removed Intel, SK Hynix and Samsung from the VEU programme.

The ERC is primarily composed of representatives from the US Departments of State, Defense, Energy and Commerce.

Reuters reported the chipmakers need to obtain new licences to buy equipment in China.

The news agency also reported the licensing change could reduce sales to China by US equipment manufacturers KLA Corp, Lam Research and Applied Materials.

Reuters also noted China-based equipment makers could benefit from the revocations by suppling companies with their gear.

Intel sold a factory in Dalian, China to SK Hynix five years ago, but Reuters reported it continues to manufacture wafers there.

The rule is effective 120 days after the Federal Register publishes it on 2 October, according to the filing.

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The device features a 10.9-inch display with up to 600 nits of peak brightness and lower blue light emission for improved visibility and eye comfort. It comes equipped with an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, supporting basic imaging.

Offering Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the tablet is powered by an upgraded processor and an 8,000mAh battery with enhanced charging to support extended usage.

Alongside the device, the South Korean vendor will also bundle the S Pen, bringing stylus functionality to the budget segment. The device supports Samsung Notes, with capabilities that allow users to annotate documents, sketch designs and organise content.

These features include Handwriting Assist and Math Solver, which enable users to convert handwriting to text and solve equations. Split View allows multiple apps and documents to be used side by side, while the Google-powered Circle to Search AI function enables intuitive online research.

Users will also gain discounted access to a suite of third-party creativity and productivity applications, including Clip Studio Paint and Notion.

The new device is “designed to bring practical, everyday functionality to more people around the world”, said Changtae Kim, EVP and head of new computing R&D team at Samsung.

The tablet will be offered in grey, silver and red colour options.

While the vendor has not yet disclosed pricing, the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite is set to launch on 4 September.

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The Device eXperience (DX) division, which comprises Samsung’s mobile and consumer electronics businesses, launched InnoX Lab yesterday (4 August).

With the goal of driving forward-looking change and technological breakthroughs, the unit will run on a flexible project-based model, selecting appropriate talent across organisational boundaries and focusing on rapid execution, the newspaper wrote.

Specific projects will cover expanding digital twin applications, improving logistics operations using AI and boosting manufacturing automation.

The company set up a dedicated AI productivity innovation group within the DX division in May as part of its broader AI for All strategy.

In December 2024, the tech giant established an AI centre within its chip business, restructuring the existing innovation centre.

Samsung reportedly invested $10 million in a Series B funding round for Skild AI, a start-up focused on developing software for consumer robots.

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