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Is Google's Gemini AI the killer feature in Samsung's new Galaxy S25 smartphones?

Technology / news
Is Google's Gemini AI the killer feature in Samsung's new Galaxy S25 smartphones?
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung

The much-leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 series of smartphones were officially released Thursday, in a long and somewhat repetitive event in San Jose, California. 

Like every other smartphone maker in the world, Samsung is bedevilled by the annual release cycle and the fact that its most recent devices are rather good. Tech specs do not mean a whole lot to most people. Unless there's a killer feature, few people will upgrade their more-than-good-enough expensive device every year to a new one.

Samsung knows this of course. It has put together comparison pages like the one that attempts to set out the case why the $2399 Galaxy S25 Ultra (this is the top model) beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra, priced at $2449.

Long story short, the S25 Ultra and other models will no doubt be better because technology improves constantly. Whether or not the improvements sway buyers, particularly in an economy that's been taken out the back etc, remains to be seen.

Do the new Galaxies have a killer feature? Samsung hopes that the new and improved artificial intelligence (AI) is it. In fact, the launch event was all about AI via Samsung's One UI 7 Android skin, courtesy of Google which has supplied the Gemini technology for the purpose.

Initial impressions suggest Samsung and Google have worked very hard to make Gemini AI attractive to users. It seems well integrated, better perhaps than Apple Intelligence. The presentation was slick marketing though, and the only way to tell is to try out Gemini AI on the devices for yourself.

AI is black-box technology that's hard to understand, but people know that it interacts directly with their sensitive personal information. Understandably, this makes many users uncomfortable. To address this, Samsung made heaps of references to privacy, and data staying and remaining on users' devices and not being sent to the cloud, although this doesn't appear to be the default setting according to the presentation.

There's specialised hardware like the Personal Data Engine in the Galaxy phones for that; Samsung's really taken a leaf out of Apple's book here.

From a corporate cage fight point of view, Samsung's current tight Google partnership is noteworthy. Microsoft and Samsung were best buddies not so long ago, but that's now forgotten. Instead, Microsoft-backed OpenAI is found in Apple Intelligence via ChatGPT.

Gemini AI isn't quite at that stage yet, but it seems eventually, the tech could spell the end of most apps. In the operating system itself at least. This was hinted at very strongly in the presentation, and it might actually be what users want like those know-all personal devices in sci-fi stories.

"Agentic" (a horrible word that autocorrect hates) AI which means the tech can do things autonomously will add to that, provided it doesn't go rogue like HAL 9000, which by now is an absolutely ancient but potentially still valid reference.

From that point of view, AI might become a true game changer, but it could potentially undermine the billion dollar app markets that Android makers and Apple rely on for income. 

That said, it's worth looking closer at what this means for users too. Samsung only provides the full version of Google's Gemini AI, with a big two terabytes of cloud storage, for six months. After that, it's subscription time presumably (I hope Samsung can clarify how that will play out.) If so, it's a safe bet that paying another subscription charge to access the full features of your phone will grate.

Pricing for the S25 model on Samsung's confusing website starts at NZ$1599 including GST, for a 6.2-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite processor with eight cores, 512 gigabytes of storage and 12 GB of memory. There's a three-camera system at the back, with 50 megapixels for the main unit.

The S25+ plus has a bigger 6.7-inch display, and starts at $1999. Top of the line is the S25 Ultra, which as mentioned starts at $2399 for 512/12 GB, and a 6.9-inch screen. The main camera in the latter has a whopping 200 megapixel resolution.

More on the devices later, if Samsung sends any for review. Ideally for a little longer than six months to give it a good workout.

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27 Comments

Going to have to drop down from the flagship models now, just stupid expensive and covered in cameras I don't need. Take away all the rubbish and it would be $1000 plus cheaper. I just need something rugged that is IP67 and has long battery life with the best possible reception. Looks like a new phone is going to be required for the Space X, even for texts as Samsung probably cannot be bothered with the software updates for the older phones even if they are capable. I need an AI phone like I need another hole in the head, more crap you have to pay for.

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My Note20 Ultra 5G is still going strong. Upgraded from a Note9 which was physically broken, which I'd only upgraded to from an S5 due to the latter running out of HDD space for the OS.

I expect one day Samsung will do an Apple and release an update that simply kills the phone.

I do miss 14 days of battery life though, but the cameras on the Note20 are still pretty damn good.

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If you have a look on Cheapies.nz and Geekzone you can get pretty decent discount codes to make the prices somewhat more sane, especially if you have an old device to trade-in

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You could say the same about Cars. all sorts of bells and whistles.

I'm keeping my old ice for now - an example as to why.. the last windscreen was under $300. Compare that to the latest models which runs to thousands.

And with our roads like they are now it can be a regular thing.  How long before insurance is based on k's travelled as well?

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You can get a glass extension on your insurance that makes glass replacement free with no loss of no claims bonus.

You can also get km-limited insurance, which is especially handy for weekend fun vehicles.

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Don't worry..however way you slice it you are paying 10X more (or whatever) for the tech in a new windscreen than an older one. Just because you can't see it....

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I wonder if there's a way to assess the additional climate impacts of the use of a smartphone like this, running AI? I assume it runs mostly cloud-based, rather than on the phone, hence will have high energy use.

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Huawei Mate and Pura 

Honour Magic 

Xiaomi / Redmi

Oppo

Vivo

One Plus

Nubia

There are so many brands with good price and quality cannot reach NZ.

 

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There are so many brands with good price and quality cannot reach NZ.

This is true. ASEAN and South Asia consumers benefitting the most. The Chinese brands are killing Apple in these mkts. The cachet of owning an iPhone doesn't really exist anymore.  

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Oppo, vivo and one plus are all the same company.

 

Once upon a time one plus was good, now it's just samey oppo/vivo trash.

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Oppo sub-brands: OnePlus, Realme, iQOO. Vivo and Oppo are independent brands that operate under the same parent company, BBK Electronics.

Huawei sub-brands: Honor, Nova, Ascend, Pura

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Had my Oppo for 5 years... superior to my previous Samsung in many ways, including not bending in half if in my back pocket when I knell down. 

Samsung are made to break eventually.

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All about cost the Samsung S20FE5G has an aluminium frame not plastic so it lasts. Kind of what I mean would rather have rugged, alloy and even a thicker glass display than 5 cameras I don't need.

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I loved my Huawei Mate but Samsung Fold was more useful for business as I didn't need to open my laptop as often. I sometimes use the Huawei still and the feel of it, the interface and speed is just beautiful. I won't be buying Samsung again though. Their software is intrusive and I get the feeling that they slow things down when they think it's time for you to upgrade. Could be my imagination. Oppo do a nice Fold version but I'd definitely go Huawei Fold if that brand was available again. 

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My brief interactions with AI tell me I don't really want much to do with it in an on-my-phone context. More interested in improvements to Healthcare. 

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The Perplexity app works fine on my S24 for my needs. Of course if you need fancy pants solutions for content generation on a phone, that's a more specific use case 

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S24 ultra for $1680 on Pricespy, S25 ultra 2400 @ Noel Leeming with $600 gift card

 

S9+ still going strong

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A slightly more recent and possibly apter reference than the HAL9000, is the Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2 synthetic - representing the interests of its company over the phone's owner.

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I hope AI gets better because, while I was very excited about it a few years ago, that has worn off now I've seen the appalling AI products actually being launched.

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Can I buy a phone without artificial insemination?

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That is what my ex-dairy farmer mother would say 😁

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iPhone 7 cost $200 3 years ago. Still fine alongside the 2002 Honda Jazz.

And folks, this phone represents the mindset of many people who struggle financially. Ford Ranger financed, new phone financed and dinner out with friends on Friday (plus several $14 beers). But no house…..

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Yep not just about cutting out the daily cafe coffee is it ? Its about serious cutting across the board on everything.

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Yep, kiwis want to look wealthy and ‘successful’ whilst financially weak. No medical insurance but can smoke, no commitment to retirement savings but can go overseas…

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But they don't fold to fit nicely in your pocket whilst protecting the screen from getting scratched.

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Geez. Who needs this?

I mean - seriously - who does?

A single device that is all things to all people?

Aren't buyers paying for functions - in a single device - at huge cost - that they're unlikely to ever use?

Discl: My mobile setup is: iPhone 5s paired with a 10 year old 2nd hand laptop. Cost? Phone? Free. Laptop $200.

Horse for courses. And 99% of courses don't need jack.

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As already pointed out, its all about "Looking" the part these days. Latest iPhone, label clothing, new cars the list goes on.

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