New Samsung, LG laptops drive industry shift toward on-device AI

Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. are unveiling new artificial intelligence-powered laptops next month, joining an industry move to incorporate AI functions into their smart gadgets such as smartphones.

Industry officials expect the rush by electronics makers to launch AI laptops to revive the stagnant PC and notebook computer markets in the post-pandemic era.

Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker by volume, plans to release in January a new laptop lineup embedded with a new high-performance Intel Corp. processor.

The series – the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, Book4 Pro and Book4 Pro 360 – contains a new Intel Core Ultra 9 processor that comes with a faster central processing unit (CPU), a higher-performing graphics processing unit (GPU) and a neural processing unit (NPU) in a single package. It is Intel’s first PC chip with an NPU intended for AI work.

Samsung said its latest series is the most intelligent and powerful Galaxy Book yet, heralding the era of AI PCs.

“The Galaxy Book4 series plays a key role in bringing best-in-class connectivity to our ecosystem that will broaden how people interact with their PCs, smartphones, tablets and other devices for truly intelligent and connected experiences,” said T.M. Roh, president and head of Samsung’s Mobile eXperience (MX) division.

LG, OTHERS TO JOIN RACE

LG Electronics said on Friday it is launching a new AI-powered Gram laptop, featuring Intel’s next-generation Core Ultra processor, in January.

The two South Korean tech giants’ overseas rivals are also unveiling new laptops with AI chips.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc., a Taiwanese multinational computer maker, recently unveiled its Zenbook 14 OLED series with Intel’s latest Core Ultra processor.

Other PC makers, including HP, Lenovo and Acer, will follow suit in the coming weeks.

BATTLE FOR AI LAPTOPS WITH ON-DEVICE CHIPS

Global PC and laptop makers are racing to unveil new computers embedded with advanced chips that can perform complex computations without connecting to external networks.

Since such chips process various computational functions on the device without connecting to external servers and clouds, portable gadgets boast improved efficiency in machine learning and deep learning tasks, resulting in faster AI services.

The so-called on-device AI, designed for smart gadgets such as smartphones, laptops and autonomous-driving cars, emerges as a mega-trend for the AI industry, prompting chipmakers to jump into the race for AI-enabled memory chips.

Compared with generative AI such as ChatGPT, on-device AI enables customized and personalized functions that offer higher security, cost less and have lower power consumption.

Last week, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) unveiled the Ryzen 8040 series, a new laptop processor. Compared with its predecessor, launched earlier this year, the new product boasts 1.4 times faster on-device AI processing speed.

Asus, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo and other major laptop manufacturers plan to use the latest AMD processor in their products scheduled for the first quarter of next year.

STAGNANT PC MARKET

Apple has equipped its upcoming MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, a semiconductor developed in-house and manufactured using TSMC's 3-nanometer process technology. The M3 chip features AI machine-learning capabilities.

Industry officials expect AI-powered laptops to breathe new life into the stagnant computer market.

The global PC market has been stuck in a slump for eight consecutive quarters as people return to work following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which remote work and online classes boosted demand for PCs and laptops.

Taiwanese market research firm TrendForce forecast that global laptop shipments would reach 172 million units in 2024, up 3% from 167 million units this year, thanks to a rise in demand for AI-powered computers.

According to tech industry research firm Counterpoint Research, the AI-enabled laptop market is forecast to grow at an average rate of 50% per year through 2030, commanding half of the entire personal computer market by 2026.

Write to Ye-Rin Choi at rambutan@hankyung.com


In-Soo Nam edited this article.