Samsung unveils 'Companion to AI Living' vision at CES 2026 First Look

Samsung Electronics Company Limited on Monday unveiled its "Companion to AI Living" vision at The First Look, its CES 2026 preview event held at Wynn Las Vegas in the United States. The event focused on how artificial intelligence is shaping Samsung's next generation of consumer technologies. CES is the world's largest consumer electronics show, currently underway in Las Vegas. The products to be released in 2026 are displayed at the convention centers.TM Roh, CEO and head of Samsung's Device eXperience Division, opened the First Look Event by highlighting the company's AI leadership. He said that Samsung's vast, AI-enabled, connected ecosystem enables the company to provide users with an AI companion experience in their daily lives. "Samsung is building a more unified, more personal experience across mobile, visual display, home appliances and services," Roh said.He added, "Now Bixby, a voice assistant, are now even more intelligent, offering context-aware systems working seamlessly across our devices. For AI to become a true companion, trust and privacy are essential. Our security platforms, Samsung Knox and Knox Matrix, set the standard and are at the heart of all our experiences. We will still make every effort to prioritize governance, protect privacy, and secure our AI services."Displays and Vision AI CompanionSW Yong, president and head of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, and Sukhmani Mohta, chief marketing and partnerships officer for the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics America, outlined how Samsung's displays combine hardware and visual intelligence. Samsung has built a full AI TV lineup that introduces new ways for users to interact with their screens."We are proud to be the world's No. 1 TV brand for 20 years straight. How many TVs Samsung sold in that time? It's over, 830 million. Now, if we take all those Samsung TVs and lined them up side by side, they would wrap around the Earth about 24 times. Incredible.""We have built a 2K AI TV lineup that sets the standard in display technology. MicroLED is the pinnacle of display engineering, the ultimate viewing experience. MicroRGB, which has a bottom layer, gives you the purest and most vibrant color ever achieved on a TV. OLED brings cinematic contrast, glare-free in any room and any light. Neo-QLED is reaching more homes than ever before. Mini-LED is becoming more accessible. And of course, there's UHD TV, now AI-enabled." he said.He added " And today, we take the next major step forward. With the new 130-inch microRGB." At the centre of the display lineup is the 130‑inch Micro RGB, which Samsung described as a major leap in scale and picture quality. The panel uses micro‑sized red, green and blue light sources, with each microscopic diode shining independently to produce colour in its purest form. The Micro RGB AI Engine Pro enables precise RGB colour control, delivering vivid picture quality across scenes.Samsung highlighted intuitive modes that personalise viewing. For soccer fans, AI Soccer Mode Pro uses AI‑driven picture and sound tuning to deliver stadium‑level quality. AI Sound Controller Pro allows users to adjust the volume of crowd noise, commentary or background music. VAC supports contextual voice requests across TVs equipped with the feature, including Micro LED, Micro RGB, OLED, Neo QLED, Mini LED and UHD models.VAC also enhances lifestyle experiences by helping users find recipes for meals shown on TV and offering recommendations aligned with health and fitness goals. It supports multi‑device functionality, sending recipes directly to devices such as the newly unveiled Movingstyle display and connected kitchen appliances.Home CompanionCheolgi Kim, executive vice president and head of the Digital Appliances Division at Samsung Electronics, and Elizabeth Anderson, head of integrated marketing for the Division at Samsung Electronics America, outlined Samsung's shift from providing home appliances to developing true home companions that reduce the stress of daily chores. Kim announced that as of December 2025, SmartThings serves more than 430 million users globally, giving Samsung a scale and depth of insight unmatched by competitors.This insight is reflected in the Family Hub refrigerator, the centrepiece of the connected home. With an upgrade to AI Vision built with Google Gemini, the system improves recognition of food items placed into or removed from the refrigerator, simplifying meal planning and food management. Family Hub has won 10 CES Innovation Awards, and Samsung's AI‑enabled refrigerators have received the award for three consecutive years.A gamified feature called "What's for Today?" provides recipe recommendations based on available ingredients or random suggestions. Selected recipes appear through SmartThings Food, offering step‑by‑step guidance and enabling users to send instructions directly to connected cooking appliances. Video to Recipe converts cooking videos into easy‑to‑follow steps, allowing users to cook without pausing or rewinding.Samsung also introduced FoodNote, a weekly report summarising food usage patterns, frequently used ingredients and items that need restocking. The Now Brief feature adds more widgets to the Family Hub display, and Voice ID distinguishes between family members to show personalised content.