Galaxy AI redefined mobile AI but OpenAI could make it entirely obsolete

It was reported recently that OpenAI may be exploring a bold move into hardware with an AI-first smartphone, a concept that could challenge the foundations of today’s mobile ecosystem.

Unlike traditional devices from Samsung or Apple, this proposed device would reportedly abandon the familiar app-centric model altogether. Instead, it would rely on AI agents to handle tasks end-to-end, reshaping how users interact with their phones.

While it may take a long time before this vision materializes, if at all, there may be serious implications for legacy players like Samsung. Every major company subscribes to the ideology that AI is the future and it's going to change everything. So is it not within the realm of possibility that AI could completely change the nature of smartphones as it exists today?

The logic to OpenAI’s apparent direction is not difficult to comprehend. The current smartphone landscape is showing its age, apps are what they've always been and the user experience hasn't materially changed in decades. An AI-first device that replaces apps with agents promises something closer to intent-based computing.

The user no longer has to open five apps to plan a trip, for example, you just brain dump and everything falls into plan. If OpenAI can execute on this cleanly, it could represent the most meaningful shift in mobile since the touchscreen smartphone itself.

Samsung's approach, and similarly that of Apple, so far has been to layer AI on top of the app model. OpenAI seems to be questioning the model altogether. Beyond being technologically disruptive, it would also be strategic. OpenAI would go beyond UX to attack the economics of Apple and Google’s mobile dominance.

It would effectively be going after the cut they keep from sales on their app stores, the scale incentive they provide to developers who make apps for their platforms, etc. That would start to become irrelevant if a future arrives where AI agents broker services directly. Instead of designing apps, developers would design solutions that plug into that AI layer. This could fundamentally change how apps are distributed and monetized.

The question must be asked, though, is this idea too ambitious for its own good? There's a certain level of trust that has been earned for apps like banking, messaging, healthcare. These are serious interactions where reliability and predictability matter more than novelty. Replacing familiar interfaces with an AI intermediary would add friction, and apprehension, unless AI becomes too perfect.

We're not there yet. Even the best models still hallucinate, misinterpret, and occasionally fail in ways that are unacceptable for critical tasks. There will undoubtedly be concerns about data security. While deeper integration will give OpenAI the ability to deliver more personalized, context-aware experiences, it will also raise obvious concerns about privacy and control.

Quite a few users won't be too thrilled with the idea of handing over that level of continuous data insight to a single entity that's monetizing intelligence. At least Samsung and Apple go to great lengths to demonstrate how they're integrating guardrails into the AI ecosystem they're building. They have a legacy and reputation behind it, with that trust being built over decades.

OpenAI can't just paper over that with the novelty of its AI-first approach, it would need a compelling narrative to win trust at that scale. That's before you even consider the ecosystem inertia. Billions of users, millions of developers, and over a decade of habits aren’t easily replaced.

Even if OpenAI ships a compelling device, it risks becoming a niche product unless it can bridge seamlessly with the existing world. Ironically, to kill the app, it may first need to support it.