Samsung Unveils AI-Powered Galaxy S25 Smartphones and Teases Thinner Galaxy Edge

On Wednesday, Samsung Electronics introduced its latest Galaxy S25 smartphones, featuring advanced technology powered by Qualcomm's chips and enhanced by Google's artificial intelligence. This move aims to boost sales and compete against Apple and rival Chinese brands.

At the end of a launch event in California, Samsung hinted at a slimmer version of its flagship models, with plans to debut the Galaxy S25 Edge in the first half of this year, just ahead of Apple's expected launch of a thinner iPhone.

Although Samsung has taken the lead by releasing an AI-powered smartphone ahead of Apple, it struggled to reclaim its position as the top player in the global smartphone market in the past year, facing stiff competition from Apple in the premium segment and from Chinese companies in the budget market.

Park Ji-sun, executive vice president of Samsung's Language AI team, stated, "We are one step ahead in offering AI features. I believe we are heading in the right direction."

The pricing for the Galaxy S25 series remains consistent, ranging from $799 to $1,299.

The Galaxy S25 employs Google's Gemini as its default AI engine and enhances the functionality of Samsung's in-house voice assistant, Bixby. According to Park, these two systems complement one another, and Bixby is a key element of Samsung's diverse product lineup, which includes mobile devices, televisions, and home appliances.

However, analyst Thomas Husson from Forrester expressed doubts about whether Bixby can stand out in a crowded market. He mentioned, "There isn’t a standout application yet that would make consumers say, 'I’m buying this phone because it features AI.' Yet, AI features could enhance the overall perception of the Samsung brand."

Enhanced Personalization in the Galaxy S25

The Galaxy S25 promises a more customized AI experience with its functionality called “Now Brief.” This service provides users with tailored recommendations based on personal data securely stored on the device. Users can expect relevant updates about calendars, news, and even indoor air quality, such as temperature and carbon dioxide levels, as explained by Park.

Additionally, the phone can execute multiple tasks from a single command, like finding upcoming sports events and automatically adding them to the user's calendar.

On the stock market, Samsung's shares fell by 1.1%, which was greater than the wider market's overall decline of 0.4%.

For the entire Galaxy S25 series, Samsung has adopted Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, moving away from its own Exynos chips. This marks a significant shift in strategy for a company that previously used both types of chips to enhance its negotiating power with suppliers.

This switch to Qualcomm chips poses challenges for Samsung's chip business, which has relied on the mobile division as a primary customer. Samsung has not publicly explained its decision to discontinue its chips in this model but is looking to use its Exynos chips in upcoming foldable phone releases anticipated later this year.

Lim Su-jeong, an associate director at Counterpoint Research, emphasized the importance of the Galaxy S25 series launch, noting that it comes at a crucial time when Samsung's foldable phone sales have stalled amid intense competition from Chinese manufacturers.

Earlier this month, Samsung reported preliminary fourth-quarter profits that fell significantly short of expectations, attributed to growing chip development expenses and increasing competition in the smartphone sector.

Samsung, smartphones, AI, technology, competition