Samsung's Ballie encounters another delay, needing to establish its residential niche
Samsung's AI home companion, Ballie, which was initially planned for a launch in the first half of 2025, has been delayed once more[1][3]. The primary reason for this delay is that Samsung is grappling with defining Ballie's role and place in users' homes, which are already filled with various AI-powered devices[1][3].
Ballie, a ball-shaped, autonomous robot with AI capabilities, was designed to assist users by recognizing voice commands, making calls, projecting information, and monitoring elderly people and pets, among other tasks[3]. The hardware and tooling seem to be ready or close to ready for production, but Samsung is taking time to refine its features and finalize pricing, given concerns about its potentially high cost and unclear market positioning[1][3][5].
Samsung has not committed to a new official launch date following this delay, indicating that they are holding back to make necessary adjustments[1][3]. While there was speculation of a possible debut at the July 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event, recent reports suggest this is unlikely as the company presses pause to reassess the product's place in users' daily lives[1][2].
In an effort to enhance Ballie's capabilities, Samsung announced a partnership with Google Cloud, bringing the Gemini software to Ballie. The Gemini software is designed to make Ballie more interactive and responsive to home tasks by improving its multimodal reasoning capabilities[1][4].
Ballie is also equipped with powerful chips, a high-res projector, and sensors to assist with daily home life. It was teased to be Samsung's human-centric vision toward robots, with a tagline stating that it "understands you, supports you, and reacts to your needs"[3]. However, there are questions about whether Ballie's features offer anything new and interesting that consumers can't get from their phone or other smart home devices[1][6].
Despite the initial planned launch date, Ballie's release has been delayed, leaving many questions unanswered about its services and price point[1][3]. Samsung's vice chairman, Han Jong-hee, announced that Ballie is gearing up for a launch in 2025[1][7]. As the launch date approaches, Samsung continues to work diligently to ensure Ballie fits seamlessly into consumers' lives and justifies its value before proceeding with a full market launch[1][3][5].
| Aspect | Details | |------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | **Current Status** | Delayed again; launch postponed beyond initial 2025 summer window | | **Reason for Delay** | Difficulty in defining Ballie's role/usefulness in AI-smart homes; pricing concerns; identity crisis | | **Hardware Status** | Largely ready or near-ready for production | | **Expected Launch Date**| No confirmed date; possibly beyond summer 2025 |
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22744370/samsung-ballie-robot-delayed-2025-launch-uncertain [2] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/samsungs-ballie-robot-delayed-again-to-2025/ [3] https://www.engadget.com/samsung-ballie-robot-delayed-again-to-2025-192034300.html [4] https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22744370/samsung-ballie-robot-delayed-2025-launch-uncertain [5] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/samsungs-ballie-robot-delayed-again-to-2025/ [6] https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22744370/samsung-ballie-robot-delayed-2025-launch-uncertain [7] https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/samsungs-ballie-robot-delayed-again-to-2025/
Samsung is taking time to refine Ballie's features and finalize pricing, as the company aims to ensure that Ballie, a ball-shaped, AI-powered robot, justifies its value before proceeding with a full market launch. To enhance Ballie's capabilities, Samsung announced a partnership with Google Cloud, bringing the Gemini software to Ballie, which is designed to make Ballie more interactive and responsive to home tasks by improving its artificial intelligence capabilities.
