Samsung held the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 global launch conference in Paris, France last week, unveiling the new Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 folding screen phones, along with the Galaxy Buds3 series headphones, and the Galaxy Watch 7 / Ultra smartwatches among other products. Similar to the Galaxy S24 series that launched earlier this year, both of these new models come pre-installed with the Gemini app, Google's generative AI tool.

According to TrendForce, Samsung and Google are currently under scrutiny by EU antitrust regulators for their AI phone partnership. The investigation aims to determine whether this collaboration may impede other AI developers' entry into the market or limit overall market competition. Reports suggest that EU antitrust regulators have queried whether the pre-installed Gemini Nano app restricts the functionality of other chatbots and applications on Samsung smartphones, and other issues revolve around Samsung's pre-installation agreements.

Since the implementation of the Digital Market Act, the European Union has intensified its market monitoring efforts, focusing on major technology firms globally. Seven companies, including Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Booking, and ByteDance, have been designated as "gatekeepers" and are subject to specific regulations to ensure fair competition in the digital market. The EU is now turning its gaze towards the artificial intelligence sector, aiming to ascertain whether Samsung and Google’s practices restrict market entry or competition.

Sources indicate that if Google and Samsung’s anticompetitive behaviors are confirmed, the EU will initiate a formal antitrust investigation.