Samsung’s Ballie home robot is facing another setback, extending a cycle of anticipation that has surrounded the device since its debut. First introduced in 2020 as an AI-powered domestic companion, Ballie reappeared at CES 2024 with more advanced features, including the ability to project images and videos onto walls. Despite those demonstrations and earlier indications that the robot would reach consumers in the US and Korea during the summer of 2025, the product has still not launched. With the year drawing to a close, Samsung has now confirmed that Ballie’s release has been delayed again.
The company offered limited detail in its most recent update, saying only that it is continuing to refine the technology to deliver a more polished user experience. The statement did not clarify whether the delay is tied to hardware limitations, software development, or the integration of AI systems like Google Gemini, which Samsung has previously said would support Ballie’s interactive capabilities. This lack of specificity leaves open several possibilities about what exactly is proving difficult to finalize.
Given the last public demonstrations, much of the work may center on improving Ballie’s mobility and perception systems. The robot is designed with LiDAR sensors, dual cameras, and speakers — a combination that should, in theory, allow it to move autonomously through a home while responding to prompts. Samsung’s past experience with robot vacuums suggests it already understands household mapping and navigation, but the level of responsiveness expected from an AI companion device is considerably higher than that of a cleaning appliance. Creating a product that safely maneuvers around a variety of domestic environments while offering conversational and projection-based assistance is a more complex engineering challenge than early marketing may have suggested.
AI advancements over the past two years have also changed expectations, raising the bar for any new consumer robot hoping to stand out. If Samsung intends Ballie to operate as more than a novelty device, its AI capabilities will need to be strong enough to justify its role in an already crowded ecosystem of smart-home assistants. That could explain why refining the software is taking longer than originally planned.
The delay does not necessarily indicate long-term trouble for the project, but it adds to a pattern of shifting timelines. With CES 2026 only weeks away, attention will likely turn to whether Samsung provides a meaningful update — either a clearer release window or a reassessment of Ballie’s feature set based on the current state of the technology. For now, interested consumers can still sign up for updates, though the company has not committed to a revised schedule.
