In what Senior VP Raju Pullan calls a “tectonic shift,” Samsung India is moving to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is no longer a luxury reserved for the ultra-premium S26 series. By launching the Galaxy A07 5G at an aggressive ₹15,000 starting price, the South Korean giant is attempting to democratize features like live translation, AI-assisted photography, and smart scheduling for the “next hundred million” Indian users.
This strategy isn’t just about hardware; it’s a massive infrastructure play involving 10,000 tech experience zones and deep integration with Indian financing partners to make “AI Phones” accessible to the rural and semi-urban heartland.
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The Death of the “Smartphone”: Samsung’s AI Shift
During the S26 launch, Samsung leadership made a bold claim: the era of the traditional smartphone is over.
The New Label: Moving forward, Samsung will categorize its entire lineup as “AI Phones.” * The Goal: By integrating AI at the entry level, Samsung hopes to differentiate itself from Chinese rivals like Vivo and Oppo, who currently lead the volume market.
Platform Synergy: Samsung is partnering with various global AI platforms to optimize “on-device” and “cloud” AI, ensuring even lower-memory devices can handle complex tasks.
Galaxy A07 5G: AI for the Masses
The Galaxy A07 5G is the “trojan horse” for this new strategy.
Price Point: Starting at ₹15,000, it targets the most competitive segment in India.
AI Features: While it may not have the full “Circle to Search” or “Generative Edit” capabilities of the S26, it includes AI-powered battery management, call screening, and enhanced low-light photography filters.
Connectivity: 5G remains standard, ensuring that cloud-based AI features have the low-latency bandwidth required for smooth operation.
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Tier II & III Expansion: The 10,000 Store Strategy
Samsung realizes that selling AI requires more than just a spec sheet; it requires a demonstration.
Experience Points: More than 10,000 stores across India are being upgraded with interactive “AI experience points” where customers can test features in their local languages.
Affordability: Through Samsung Finance Plus, the company is offering “no-paperwork” loans in smaller towns, acknowledging that price escalation is a major hurdle for the category.
Focus on Small Towns: The expansion is heavily skewed toward Tier II and III cities, where Samsung believes the next wave of “ultra-premium” buyers will eventually graduate from the A-series.
Reality Check
Bringing AI to a ₹15,000 phone is an engineering feat. Still, “entry-level AI” is often a watered-down version of what you see on a flagship. Therefore, while the Galaxy A07 5G is “AI-enabled,” the processing speed and accuracy will naturally be lower than the S26 Ultra. In fact, many “AI features” on budget phones are simply rebranded software optimizations that have existed for years.
The Loopholes
Samsung aims to cross 100 million units in 2026. In fact, this is an “Aggressive Volume Loophole”—to reach this number, they will likely have to heavily discount older M-series and A-series models that don’t actually feature the new AI chips. Therefore, the “100 million AI phones” claim might include legacy hardware. Still, the “Partnership Loophole”—where Samsung uses third-party AI platforms—allows them to save on R&D costs while marketing the tech under their own “Galaxy AI” umbrella.
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What This Means for You
If you are looking for a budget phone in early 2026, the Galaxy A07 5G is a strong contender for longevity. First, realize that “AI-enabled” devices usually receive better software optimization updates over time. Then, if you live in a smaller city, visit a Samsung Experience Store to try the features before you buy; do not rely purely on online descriptions for AI performance.
Finally, understand that financing is your friend. You should check for Samsung Finance Plus offers that can bring the monthly EMI down to less than ₹1,000. Before you buy, compare the A07’s “On-device AI” capabilities with the Google Pixel 9a (if available), as Google remains the benchmark for budget AI software.
What’s Next
Samsung will likely roll out more “AI-first” A-series models (A17, A27) by mid-2026. Then, look for a major One UI 8.1 update that will bring even more “lite” AI features to the A07. Finally, expect Counterpoint’s Q2 2026 report to reveal if this “AI-for-all” strategy has helped Samsung regain the top spot from Vivo.
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