- Samsung emphasizes a user-friendly approach to AI, allowing users to naturally interact with their phones to perform complex tasks.
- The Personal Data Engine prioritizes user privacy by keeping all information and actions learned on the device, secured by Samsung’s Knox security hardware.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – At its annual winter unveiling here today, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S25 series, a trio of flagship smartphones with an enticing one-stop approach to AI. More importantly, the electronics giant has also built in a plethora of new capabilities and performance improvements to entice potential buyers who aren’t at all interested in AI.
Last year – a year that was widely heralded from the start as the Year of AI – suppliers quickly discovered that consumers were interested in upgrading their phones. But not because the new phones were AI-enabled. Rather, consumers wanted to buy the new devices because they were much better at doing everyday phone things than what they had.
“A year ago, we were the first major manufacturer out of the gate with what we were describing as a new era of AI,” Dave Das, Executive Vice President in charge of Samsung’s US Mobile business, told me. “We were the first in the market. We were very excited about it and relied heavily on it.”
Das continued: “It seems pretty obvious in hindsight, but we realized a few months ago that many of our customers were still buying phones primarily for the camera, battery life, screen quality – the traditional hardware benefits that, as an industry, we have talked about for decades.”
Despite Samsung debuting some of what turned out to be 2024’s most popular AI features during the launch of the S24 series last January. One such feature – Circle to Search, which gathers information online about something you point to in a photo – boasts 10 million users, 2 million of whom scroll daily.
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Camera upgrade
With this as a backdrop, it should come as no surprise that the S25, the first major smartphone of the year after the Year of AI, is loaded with the usual improvements. For example, the ultra-wide lens — one of four rear-facing lenses on the S-series Ultra — has been upgraded to 50MP from 12MP. The remaining main camera (200MP) and dual telephoto lenses (50MP and 10MP) are unchanged from the S24 Ultra.
From a pure design standpoint, the two 50MP lenses paired with the 200MP lens help give the S25 Ultra an edge. By comparison, some of the newer high-end
Android competitors bundle three 50MP cameras. The top-end iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, pairs two 48MP lenses with a 12MP telephoto lens.
Processing skill
Also, the S25 series smartphones stand out with what the makers say is the biggest year-long leap in performance and efficiency that Samsung — or any Android smartphone maker, for that matter — has seen in a long time.
That’s due in no small part to a higher-performance, Samsung-exclusive version of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphone chipset for the Galaxy. The custom chip also records performance and efficiency scores that beat Apple’s best, the A18 Pro chip inside the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
All three models in the S25 series are available for pre-order now, with the devices arriving in buyers’ hands starting February 7. Price: $799.99 (S25), $999.99 (S25+), and $1,299.99 (S25 Ultra).
And then, of course, there’s the next-generation AI platform, which you’re probably not considering yet. But do yourself a favor and read on.
You don’t need an app for this
Perhaps the most interesting part of the new AI platform is that it is integrated directly into Samsung’s custom interface for Android called One UI. With One UI 7, the new version, on an S25 series phone, you don’t need to switch between apps to organize an evening with friends.
Just ask the Personal Data Engine. This is the do-it-all One UI 7 agent designed to be molded into your assistant. He will understand which applications to consult and what to do.
Press the home button for a second or two and start talking: “Find a night to be free when the Suns are playing and Betsy and Steve are in town. Ask my wife if she wants to have them over for dinner. If yes, let’s plan a barbecue if the weather is nice or order pizza if it’s not.”
From this single request, the Personal Data Engine will create a task list and get to work.
You don’t know me – yet!
The personal data engine is not content to wait for commands. He will look to see what he can do to make your life easier and better. What it ultimately discovers to do for you is anyone’s guess. But there are some obvious things, like figuring out what information you like to have available, whether it’s basketball news or Taylor Swift tickets.
Samsung has already noted a few things it can do. If you regularly fall asleep in front of the TV, the Personal Data Engine may use your smartwatch to see when you fall asleep. And then it will turn off the TV slowly, so you will stay asleep.
The personal data engine is designed to keep on the device everything it learns about you – and does for you. And Samsung’s Knox security device helps keep it safe.
“The S24 was more about using AI for specific uses and functions,” Samsung’s Das said. “The S25 is all about interacting naturally with the phone to accomplish tasks – tasks that used to take multiple steps.
“Along with the fact that we’re not forgetting about hardware upgrades,” Das continued.
Just like last year, of course, Samsung will still need a compelling device to entice many consumers to buy. What’s different this time, though, is that the AI just might be good enough to keep them around.
USA TODAY columnist Mike Feibus is president and principal analyst of FeibusTech, a consulting and market research firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. Contact him at mikef@feibustech.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikeFeibus.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.