The Pixel 10 and the Galaxy S26 may very well be the tip of Google and Samsung’s bromance

In the event you’ve been listening to Google and Samsung press occasions up to now few years, you’ve got in all probability seen that the businesses appear unusually shut. There’s an apparent hyperlink — Google makes Android, which Samsung wants for its telephones — nevertheless it goes past that. Samsung telephones have featured prominently at Google occasions, and the 2 have collaborated on varied AI options, together with giving Gemini a distinguished place within the Galaxy S25 lineup. That is regardless of Samsung having its personal AI assistant, Bixby, and Google providing loads of Pixel phones on the market.

These days, although, rumors have pointed to the 2 firms drifting aside. Is it a severe risk? Personally, I feel it is too early to inform, however there’s a case to be made that cracks are exhibiting. My very own prediction is that the businesses will keep related, given their motivations and examples from the remainder of the tech business.

What’s threatening the Google/Samsung relationship?

New alternatives, or possibly decreasing dependencies

The factor that kicked off this op-ed is a current Bloomberg report, claiming that Samsung might pre-install Perplexity‘s AI app and assistant on Galaxy telephones, probably starting with the Galaxy S26. On high of that, Perplexity features may very well be built-in into Samsung’s net browser, and even Bixby. Samsung’s assistant nonetheless handles a whole lot of native machine instructions on S25 telephones, however lacks any type of generative AI, which is why Gemini’s arrival was so vital.

For sure, these items may pose a risk to Google’s plans, particularly if Perplexity turns into Samsung’s default assistant. The majority of Google’s income comes from promoting, which is able to clearly diminish if Perplexity takes over Galaxy net search. Additionally, if Gemini turns into nothing greater than a secondary possibility on Samsung telephones, there may very well be fewer individuals keen to pay for the AI Professional tier of Google One.

Samsung is not the one one considered pulling away, although. For some time now, rumors have indicated that the Tensor G5 processor within the Pixel 10 might be Google’s first chip produced by TSMC as a substitute of Samsung. Shifting past designs rooted in Exynos chips may result in higher effectivity — a typical grievance about earlier Pixels — however at the price of chilly onerous money for Samsung’s chip manufacturing enterprise.

In brief, the businesses appear to be making strikes that won’t solely scale back their dependence on one another, however damage one another financially. You would possibly take that as an indication that issues are about to disintegrate, however I am uncertain for a couple of causes.

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Symbiosis and the character of doing enterprise

Extra to lose than achieve from a break-up

Actually, there’s an excessive amount of at stake for the pair to half methods fully. Samsung is not simply the main Android telephone maker, however the greatest telephone maker on the earth, with a 20% marketshare as of Q1 2025, in accordance with Counterpoint. Google wants the corporate to perpetuate Android and all of the related providers that convey it income, particularly within the US, the place telephone manufacturers like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo are merely non-existent. Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, and Google itself may conceivably fill within the hole — however there’s simply no cause to fabricate that disaster and threat ceding floor to Apple’s iPhone.

On the flip aspect, Samsung would not be the place it’s in the present day with out Android. The corporate was fast to take advantage of the platform and imitate Apple as soon as the unique iPhone launched in 2007, serving to it outperform rivals like Nokia, RIM, and Motorola. It does have its personal software program — One UI — however that is only a layer on high of Android. With out Google, Samsung could be pressured to whip up a full-fledged working system, which may simply fail with out the providers customers have come to anticipate. Think about getting right into a automobile and discovering that your Samsung telephone is lacking Android Auto, Google Maps, and Gemini. You’d rightfully be headed to the shop for a brand new machine.

That brings us to a different level, nevertheless, which is that firms can scale back ties with out absolutely severing them. Take into account Microsoft and OpenAI. Whereas the businesses have competing AI merchandise — Copilot and ChatGPT — OpenAI continues to be Microsoft’s greatest infrastructure buyer. OpenAI could be left scrambling with out Microsoft servers, and that infrastructure enterprise could be diminished with out the expansion of ChatGPT.

An excellent higher instance to level to is Apple and Google. Whereas Steve Jobs as soon as promised to go to “thermonuclear conflict” over Android, arguing it was a rip-off of the iPhone, the businesses finally settled into a snug relationship. Google pays billions of {dollars} to stay the default search engine on Apple units, and the recognition of iPhones would probably plummet if individuals did not have entry to apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. Certainly, Apple is even poised so as to add Gemini as an extension possibility for Apple Intelligence alongside ChatGPT.

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What does the long run maintain for Google and Samsung?

Some last ideas

Google

At a minimal, we should always look forward to the Galaxy S26 announcement to get a real trace of the partnership’s prospects. If Samsung goes all-in on Perplexity, displacing Google on its telephones, I would not be shocked to see the businesses preserve distancing themselves. Conversely, if Perplexity finally ends up being an addition to Google’s software program and providers and never a substitute, I would anticipate enterprise as normal. Samsung may be upset at dropping a few of its chip gross sales, however that generally occurs, and it isn’t prefer it will not profit from the Pixel 10 lineup in any respect — Google is anticipated to maintain utilizing Exynos modems.

I am betting that Google and Samsung will keep joined for years to return. That relationship goes to evolve, as an example, emphasizing Android XR, however the mutual advantages ought to proceed to outweigh some diversions in enterprise technique.

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