Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) unveiled its latest Galaxy S25 smartphones on Wednesday. It showcases devices powered by Qualcomm’s chips and enhanced with Google’s artificial intelligence model.
The company is positive that these upgraded AI capabilities will increase sales and help it compete against Apple and Chinese competitors. After an event in California, Samsung has also teased a sleeker version of its flagship models.
Samsung is also planning to launch the Galaxy S25 Edge in the first half of this year which is just ahead of the expected release of a slimmer iPhone by Apple. While Samsung was the first to introduce an AI-driven smartphone, it struggled to reclaim its position as the leader in the global smartphone market last year.
It faced stiff competition from Apple in the premium segment and from Chinese brands in the budget category. The executive vice president leader of Samsung’s Language AI team, Park Ji-Sun, said in an interview with Reuters, “We are one step ahead of the industry in terms of offering AI features. I believe we are going in the right direction.”
The pricing for the Galaxy S25 series remains steady, ranging from $799 to $1,299. The new Galaxy S25 makes use of Gemini, Google’s AI engine as its default and features an upgraded version of Samsung’s voice assistant, Bixby.
Park asserted that these two tools work in harmony and with Bixby being integral to Samsung’s diverse product lineup. The lineup includes everything from smartphones to televisions and home appliances.
Thomas Husson, a Forrester analyst notes that distinguishing Bixby from competitors will be a major challenge for Samsung. He remarked, “I don’t think there is really a killer application today that would convince consumers, ‘OK, I’m going to buy this one because it’s an AI smartphone.”
However, he did acknowledge that the AI features could potentially boost the overall perception of the Samsung brand.