SAMSUNG Electronics aims to boost smartphone sales in Jamaica by 20 per cent in 2025 through its new Galaxy S25 series, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) integration and security features to consolidate its 65 per cent market share in the country, according to Jon Criscione, sales director for Samsung Miami.

The strategy emerges amid a 6.4 per cent year-on-year growth in global smartphone shipments to 1.24 billion units in 2024, though Samsung’s quarterly shipments fell 2.7 per cent to 51.7 million in the October to December quarter.

Criscione emphasised Samsung’s regional dominance, stating: “Jamaica is one of our favourite markets because we have a very loyal user base there. We’re about 65 per cent market share [for smartphones] in Jamaica. Our expectation is that we’re going to continue to drive the right type of device and functionality.”

The Caribbean roll-out precedes broader Latin American distribution.

“Right now it is fully available. We did launch officially first in our US markets… but from a Miami standpoint, that for us is Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. So those were two of the first markets that have launched Galaxy AI, our Samsung 25 innovation. The rest of LATAM will be opened up as of this Friday, but we did have that early launch in terms of our US and Caribbean regions,” Criscione told the Jamaica Observer in an interview Wednesday. From his Miami base, Criscione covers the Caribbean and parts of Latin America.

Samsung’s AI pivot responds to cooling foldable demand, with International Data Corporation (IDC) — a research firm — noting “decreased interest despite intensified promotions”.

Its latest Galaxy S25 series incorporates cutting-edge AI technology, high-performance hardware, and strategic market positioning. The new series builds on Samsung’s history of innovation, introducing features such as multimodal AI agents, a customised Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and advanced camera systems.

The devices aim to cater to both professionals and content creators, with features like real-time AI upscaling, cross-app ecosystem integration, and seven years of OS upgrades. In markets like Jamaica, where Samsung holds a significant share of the smartphone market, the S25 series is expected to be a key player.

The S25’s Audio Eraser — silencing background noise in videos — targets content creators, a key Caribbean demographic.

“The intention with AI is to deliver productivity and creativity that technology historically couldn’t achieve,” Criscione said, highlighting personalised, natural-language interactions as pivotal. The Galaxy S25’s AI aggregates user data across applications, analyzing search patterns, language preferences, and cross-functional behaviours to tailor responses.

For example, Criscione described using Galaxy AI to coordinate dinner reservations.

“So with the Galaxy technology, I can simply open up my Galaxy source. I can talk to our Gemini AI overall interface, say, ‘hey, here’s what I’m looking for. This is the type of meal we’re looking for. Here are some of the food constraints we have. Here’s the type of neighbourhood we’re looking for. Can you help me create a reservation? Can you help me make a notation and notification in my calendar? And can you help me send a message to the people that are going to be invited so that they have the same level of information?’ And what that will do then is then take all of those different applications and areas that will help to drive that support, and off of one activation, breeds an overall level of response.”

The latest smartphone technology is revolutionizing the way we capture and edit media,” said Criscione, highlighting the innovative features of the new device.

“But it takes steps further in terms of the latest technology. So think about that through the lens of leveraging photos and videos. One of the newest technology pieces is our audio eraser. So if you’re in a very noisy and crowded area, and you want to be able to parse out the overall volume and audio from your videos that you want to be heard loud and clear versus the outstanding pieces that are, you know, call it a distraction, you can do that in very effective ways. This, of course, gives plenty of new opportunities to users in terms of leveraging this technology in a lot of different mass media ways, which we know is incredibly pertinent to today’s consumer.”

A critical component is Samsung’s Knox security, which Criscione called “best in class” for protecting user data during AI processing. The system allows users to choose between cloud and on-device data storage, addressing privacy concerns prevalent in markets like Jamaica.

“Our Knox technology, we feel, is always best in class in terms of security and user protection. That means that we make sure that we feel that our users are very confident that their information is being protected from any outside threats that could be interested in tapping into that overall information. Additionally, we want to make sure that we give the user the choice as to what is stored in the cloud versus what is stored on the device.”

While Samsung dominates Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, Criscione acknowledged infrastructure hurdles. When asked about Caribbean carriers’ slow 5G adoption, he countered: “Our devices support 3G to 5G, ensuring functionality across current networks.” This flexibility lets Samsung sidestep infrastructure delays while preparing for future upgrades. In Guyana — a “fast-paced, growing market” — Samsung prioritizes collaborations with local carriers to optimise 4G/LTE performance for AI features like real-time translation and Circle to Search, an innovation launched last year with its S24 models.

Criscione also confirmed plans to democratise AI access: “Galaxy AI will roll out to our A series, broadening its reach beyond flagship users,” he told
BusinessWeek. This aligns with Samsung’s 2025 goal to increase premium-device sales by 20 per cent in Jamaica, building on 2024’s 20 per cent growth in flagship adoption.