Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest Galaxy S25 smartphones on Wednesday, powered by Qualcomm chips and Google’s AI model. The new AI features aim to boost sales and help Samsung compete with Apple and Chinese manufacturers. The event also teased a slimmer Galaxy S25 Edge, set to launch in the first half of the year, ahead of Apple’s anticipated slim iPhone release.
Despite being the first to release an AI-powered smartphone, Samsung has struggled to reclaim its leading position in the global market, facing strong competition in both premium and lower-end segments. “We are leading the industry in AI innovation,” said Park Ji-sun, Samsung’s executive vice president overseeing its Language AI team.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Pre-Order and Release Timeline Revealed
The Galaxy S25 lineup retains its price range of $799–$1,299 and uses Google’s Gemini AI engine alongside an enhanced version of Samsung’s Bixby assistant. These tools are designed to complement each other, with Bixby playing a central role across Samsung’s diverse product range. However, analysts like Thomas Husson from Forrester believe it will be challenging for Samsung to differentiate Bixby and persuade consumers to buy an AI smartphone solely for its AI capabilities.
AI features on the Galaxy S25 aim to provide a personalized experience, including the “Now Brief” service, which offers customized recommendations like calendar updates, news, and environmental data based on user preferences. The device can also handle multiple tasks with a single command, such as finding sports events and adding them to a calendar.
Samsung has shifted entirely to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for the Galaxy S25 series, moving away from its in-house Exynos chips, which may impact its chip business. The company did not explain the decision but plans to use Exynos chips in upcoming foldable phone models.
The Galaxy S25 series is seen as a critical release for Samsung, as its foldable phone sales have stagnated due to competition from Chinese brands. The company’s fourth-quarter profits recently missed expectations, attributed to rising competition and high chip development costs.
Samsung shares dipped 1.1%, underperforming the wider market’s 0.4% loss.
