Galaxy A26 5G: Samsung’s Budget-Friendly AI Smartphone
April 01, 2025: Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, continues to push the boundaries of AI democratization with the launch of Galaxy A26 5G, its most affordable smartphone with the power of AI. Crafted for a seamless experience, Galaxy A26 5G delivers a balance of style, durability, performance, and innovation, making it a perfect choice for everyday use.
AWESOME INTELLIGENCE
Samsung brings Awesome Intelligence to Galaxy A26 5G, making everyday tasks smarter and easier. The Intelligent AI Suite enhances user experience with features like Circle to Search with Google, AI Select, Object Eraser, My Filters and more.
Circle to Search with Google – a fan-favourite on Galaxy A series devices last year – now goes beyond just images, allowing users to identify songs, discover information, and take instant actions with minimal effort. With the latest upgrades, users can now get even more done on their phone. Circle to Search with Google will quickly recognize phone numbers, email addresses and URLs on the screen, so that users can take actions with minimal effort.
Galaxy A26 5G also comes with the Object Eraser which allows users to remove unwanted objects from photos. Users can manually or automatically select objects to erase, achieving a cleaner, more polished final image with just a few taps.
AI Select intuitively understands the context by enabling instant search and extraction of information with a single click. My Filters enables users to create their personalised filters. This innovative function allows users to capture the look and feel of their preferred photos by mimicking their colours and styles and instantly applying them to new images. Each custom filter is conveniently saved in the Camera app for easy access in future projects, allowing for a more personalized and creative photography experience.
AWESOME DESIGN AND DISPLAY
Galaxy A26 5G stands out with its premium glass back appearance in four stylish colours—Peach, Mint, White, and Black—allowing users to express their personality through its expressive design. The larger 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display enhances viewing experiences with a 120Hz refresh rate. The device is also thinner than its predecessor, measuring just 7.7mm in thickness, making it sleek and easy to hold.
AWESOME PERFORMANCE
At the heart of Galaxy A26 5G is the Exynos 1380 processor, ensuring seamless multitasking, enhanced gaming, and smooth everyday performance. The vapour chamber is now 3.7 times larger as compared to the last generation, which keeps the device running efficiently even during intense gameplay. Backed by a 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charge support, Galaxy A26 5G provides all-day power to keep up with your lifestyle.
AWESOME CAMERA
Photography enthusiasts will love the flagship 50MP OIS Main Camera, which captures crisp, blur-free images. The 8MP Ultra-Wide Camera is perfect for expansive landscapes, while the 2MP Macro Camera enables detailed close-up shots. A 13MP Front Camera ensures high-quality selfies, and helps capture sharp, steady images
AWESOME DURABILITY
Galaxy A26 5G sets a new benchmark for durability in its segment, and is designed to withstand everyday challenges while ensuring long-term reliability. The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ offers superior scratch and drop resistance, providing enhanced protection against accidental bumps and falls. The IP67 water and dust resistance rating ensures added peace of mind, making Galaxy A26 5G resilient against spills, splashes, and dust exposure.
The Galaxy A26 5G is built to last with segment-leading 6 years of OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates, ensuring users benefit from the latest software advancements and robust security protections for years to come. By combining a durable build with future-ready software support, Samsung reinforces its position as a brand that prioritizes long-term value and reliability for consumers.
AWESOME PROPOSITION
Designed to offer a premium experience at an accessible price point, Galaxy A26 5G is now available at an incredible price of INR 22999* starting today on Samsung.com, Samsung Exclusive Stores, leading online platforms, and retail stores across the country. Galaxy A26 5G comes with 8GB RAM in two storage options – 128GB and 256GB, both of which are expandable up to 2TB via microSD, providing ample space for all content.
Gartner Forecasts GenAI Spending to Hit INR 644 Billion in 2025
STAMFORD, Conn., April 1, 2025 — Worldwide generative AI (GenAI) spending is expected to total $644 billion in 2025, an increase of 76.4% from 2024, according to a forecast by Gartner, Inc.
“Expectations for GenAI’s capabilities are declining due to high failure rates in initial proof-of-concept (POC) work and dissatisfaction with current GenAI results,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “Despite this, foundational model providers are investing billions annually to enhance GenAI models’ size, performance, and reliability. This paradox will persist through 2025 and 2026.
“Ambitious internal projects from 2024 will face scrutiny in 2025, as CIOs opt for commercial off-the-shelf solutions for more predictable implementation and business value. Despite model improvements, CIOs will reduce POC and self-development efforts, focusing instead on GenAI features from existing software providers.” said Lovelock.
GenAI spending is poised for significant growth across all core markets and submarkets in 2025 (see Table 1). GenAI will have a transformative impact across all aspects of IT spending markets, suggesting a future where AI technologies become increasingly integral to business operations and consumer products.
Table 1. Worldwide GenAI Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars)
|
2024 Spending |
2024 Growth (%) |
2025 Spending |
2025 Growth (%) |
|
| Services | 10,569 | 177.0 | 27,760 | 162.6 |
| Software | 19,164 | 255.1 | 37,157 | 93.9 |
| Devices | 199,595 | 845.5 | 398,323 | 99.5 |
| Servers | 135,636 | 154.7 | 180,620 | 33.1 |
| Overall GenAI | 364,964 | 336.7 | 643,860 | 76.4 |
AI Capable Consumer Devices to Drive GenAI Spending
GenAI spending in 2025 will be driven largely by the integration of AI capabilities into hardware, such as servers, smartphones and PCs, with 80% of GenAI spending going towards hardware.
“The market’s growth trajectory is heavily influenced by the increasing prevalence of AI-enabled devices, which are expected to comprise almost the entire consumer device market by 2028,” said Lovelock. “However, consumers are not chasing these features. As the manufacturers embed AI as a standard feature in consumer devices, consumers will be forced to purchase them.”
Gartner’s GenAI spending forecast methodology relies heavily on rigorous analysis of the sales by over a thousand vendors across the entire range of GenAI products and services. Gartner uses primary research techniques, complemented by secondary research sources, to build a comprehensive database of market size data on which to base its forecast.
The Gartner GenAI spending forecast delivers a unique perspective on GenAI spending across the hardware, software and IT services segments. These reports help Gartner clients understand market opportunities and challenges. The most recent GenAI spending forecast research is available to Gartner clients in “Forecast Alert: GenAI IT Spending, 2023-2028, Worldwide.”
Additional leadership trends will be presented during Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, the world’s most important conference for CIOs and other IT executives. Gartner analysts and attendees will explore the technology, insights and trends shaping the future of IT and business, including AI, business transformation, cybersecurity, customer experience, data analytics, executive leadership and more. Follow news and updates from the conferences on X using #GartnerSYM, and on the Gartner Newsroom.
Upcoming dates and locations for Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo include:
September 8-10, 2025 | Gold Coast, Australia
October 20-23, 2025 | Orlando, FL
October 28-30, 2025 | Tokyo, Japan
November 10-13, 2025 | Barcelona, Spain
November 17-19, 2025 | Kochi, India
IREDA Loan Sanctions Up 27% to Rs 47,453 Crore in FY 2024-25
Mumbai, 1st April 2025: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) today reported significant growth in its financial performance for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, as per provisional data.
Loan sanctions for FY 2024-25 stood at ₹47,453 crore, marking a 27% increase from ₹37,354 crore in the previous year. Loan disbursements rose by 20% to ₹30,168 crore, compared to ₹25,089 crore in FY 2023-24. The outstanding loan book also expanded by 28%, reaching ₹76,250 crore as of March 31, 2025, up from ₹59,698 crore in the previous year.
Shri Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director, IREDA, stated, “Announcing IREDA’s annual performance on the last day of the financial year underscores our strong commitment to the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency with our investors. IREDA’s consistent growth in loan sanctions, disbursements, and loan book reflects our strong dedication to financing renewable energy projects. We remain committed to supporting India’s clean energy transition through innovative and accessible financing solutions.”
“I sincerely thank Hon’ble Union Minister; Hon’ble Union Minister of State, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy; Secretary, MNRE; our Board of Directors; Regulators; and officials of MNRE and other ministries for their unwavering support. I appreciate the dedication and relentless efforts of the Team IREDA, whose commitment drives our success”, Shri Das added.
Dalmia Bharat Hits 49.5 MTPA Production Capacity Target by FY25
Mumbai, 1st April 2025: Dalmia Bharat Limited (DBL), India’s leading cement company, has achieved its target of 49.5MTPA for FY25 with the commencement of commercial production of an additional 0.5 MTPA at its Rohtas Cement Works (RCW) plant in Bihar effective 30th March 2025. This strategic expansion with an investment of Rs. 96 crores at the existing integrated unit increases the plant’s total capacity to 1.6 MTPA. The commissioning of Line 2 reinforces DBL’s commitment to strengthening its market presence in the Eastern region and aligns with its long-term vision of scaling capacity to 110-130 MTPA by 2031.
Commenting on the expansion, Mr. Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director & CEO, Dalmia Bharat Limited, said: “Our growth in the East reflects our strong belief in the region’s development potential. With this expansion, we are enhancing our ability to support key infrastructure projects and contribute to economic progress in the region. This milestone reinforces our long-term vision for sustainable and strategic growth. I am pleased to announce that we have successfully reached our target of 49.5 million tonnes by FY’25, marking another key achievement in our expansion journey.”
Dalmia Bharat has a strong footprint in the East with manufacturing units in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. This expansion will enhance the company’s ability to cater to the increasing infrastructure demands in the East, across sectors such as roads, railways and airports. The initiative is also expected to generate employment opportunities and contribute to the region’s economic development. Dalmia Bharat remains dedicated to innovation, sustainability and delivering high-quality cement solutions to meet India’s growing infrastructure needs.