Samsung Electronics has introduced its latest lineup of mid-range smartphones, the Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and Galaxy A26 5G, in Nigeria, bringing AI-powered features to its Galaxy A series for the first time.
This is as the AI competition among phone makers heats up in the country, especially with Transsion, Nigeria’s top smartphone seller, integrating AI-driven photography, voice assistants, and predictive UI enhancements to its phone to continue to edge out its competition.
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The Chinese phone maker holds 63 percent of Nigeria’s smartphone market, and Samsung aims to compete with its new devices which come equipped with Awesome Intelligence, an advanced AI-driven feature set powered by One UI 7, designed to enhance creativity, productivity, and overall user experience.
Tae Sun Lee, chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics West Africa, said, “The new Galaxy A series marks an important step in our mission of AI for all, by opening Galaxy’s incredible mobile AI experiences to even more people around the world.
The new Galaxy A series also features a 5,000mAh battery across all models to challenge Transsion’s hold on the market.
Oge Maduagwu, head of marketing at Samsung Electronics West Africa, said, “With the latest upgrades, users can now get even more done on their phone. Circle to Search will quickly recognise phone numbers, email addresses, and URLs on the screen so users can take action with a single tap.”
To extend the longevity of these devices, Samsung is offering up to six generations of Android OS and One UI updates, as well as six years of security updates.
Since its launch in Nigeria in 2006, Transsion, maker of Tecno, Infinix, and Itel, has cemented the top spot in the smartphone market. It has focused on affordability by offering budget-friendly smartphones with competitive specifications.
This has pushed brands like Samsung to launch midrange devices to gain market share. However, as AI becomes more integrated into daily activities, the smartphone market is increasingly shifting towards AI-driven experiences.
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This tilt will determine the next phase of smartphone penetration in the market, and the ability to blend AI-driven experiences, and affordability, with smart innovations will define the future trajectory of the market, according to Manish Pravinkumar, senior consultant for Middle East and Africa (MEA) at Canalys.