Galaxy AI can't be split from the Galaxy S25 series, since Samsung is relying heavily on its revamped AI features to sell its trio of new phones that are shipping with only small hardware differences from their predecessors. And while we discuss all the main Galaxy AI changes in our Galaxy S25 review and Galaxy S25 Ultra review, there's still plenty more to say.
Unlike Apple and its staggered Apple Intelligence rollout, Samsung offers its Galaxy AI suite complete at launch, leaning more toward practical applications rather than creative ones. There are definitely quirks that users need to adapt to or account for when trying them out, but all the features have a place in daily life, and most can be used without an internet connection if you're concerned about privacy or need to do some tasks off-grid.
But let's talk specifics. I've made a point of trying the new stuff that Galaxy AI has to offer, to see if it truly will make you twice as happy as Samsung promises. I don't think any tech is that good (even the best phones don't come with guarantees of a fulfilling life), but let me show you through the highs and lows of the Galaxy S25's AI experience.
Lots of parts working in harmony
I thought the Gemini/Bixby tag team behind Galaxy AI could prove annoying, but fortunately they don't trip over each other. Gemini seems to take the brunt of the active AI features, including digital assistant duties, while Bixby pops up when required for more specialized tasks like semantic searches.
The presence of the much-touted Personal Data Engine is barely felt though. You enable it when you first set up your Galaxy S25, and then it just sits in the background taking notes.
I appreciate Samsung's focus on the security of the Engine, but during my time with the S25 the most obvious thing it did was build a photo story in the Gallery app of some recent photos. Perhaps this is something you need to use for longer to see more benefits from, but it would have been nice for it to have made more suggestions by now.
A good mix of new stuff and improved stuff
While I'll go though the brand new parts of Galaxy AI in a moment, let's check in on some of the older features that got upgraded for the Galaxy S25.
Generative Edit features for photos, including moving and removing elements, or Portrait Studio for changing up your selfies, now seem to run a couple of seconds faster compared to the Galaxy S24, be it because of reworked software or the extra power in the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. Plus there’s a better-designed interface that has all the functions you might want floating by the elements as you select them, rather than requiring a tap and hold.
Circle to Search, which debuted on the Galaxy S24 last year, has received all the updates you’d hope for since the original version. That includes the option for it to listen to audio to hopefully recognize the source. It's also augmented by Gemini Talk Live, which offers shortcuts to discuss a video or file with the AI via voice chat in a more immediate way than Circle to Search can assist.
For phone calls, you can now transcribe recorded calls automatically for easier summarization later on. This is a One UI 7-based feature though, so should roll out to all eligible Samsung phones in the coming months, even if the Galaxy S25 gets it first.
Gemini voice commands are smarter and more versatile — but a bit fussy
Samsung apps (plus third-party ones like Spotify and WhatsApp) working just like Google's own with voice commands is excellent, and I hope this becomes an option for other manufacturers so users who prefer their phone maker's own take on the notes or calendar app. The fact you can access multiple apps at once with a single command is perhaps the most ambitious use of AI on the Galaxy S25, and it can live up to the hype if you play by the rules.
In some of my attempts, Gemini stalled when I tried to ask for upcoming Liverpool FC games and for them to be added to my calendar and sent to my personal number via SMS. And in others, taking too long a pause to phrase the next part of my command led to Gemini assuming I was finished and processed what it had heard so far. But if you place your orders carefully and precisely, you can indeed make, edit and delete events, messages and reminders as you need to.
It's not always faster than doing things yourself with copy/pastes and manual typing, but this is a step up from the capabilities of older digital assistants which often would struggle to perform a task in just a single app.
Now Brief is a real workhorse — but it needs a lot of feeding
The automated Now Brief is helpful, even when you only do the bare minimum to get it working. Available on your lock screen in One UI 7's new Now Bar or from a home screen widget, the Now Brief updates with info from key apps like Calendar or Weather four times a day to tell you what's coming up or what you've been up to.
With the right permissions, Now Brief also suggested meditations from the Health app, a shortcut to YouTube Shorts, and expiring (fictional) coupons. It should in theory offer news headlines, photos I've taken that day and upcoming commute times, but those didn't trigger for me for whatever reason.
These are all useful things to have in one handy AI-generated report. But Now Brief only reaches its true potential if you fill out your events and notes in detail. For instance, Now Brief can't recommend a time to leave for a meeting if you haven't put the location in the calendar event, plus it always assumes you're driving to your appointment rather than any other transit method. Not great for a public transport user like me.
It also helps to have a Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring and SmartThings to track your sleep or workouts. Sure, the phone can track enough detail from your movement to give to your health rings, but the Galaxy S25 isn't designed to deliver the really juicy insights about your wellbeing, or suggest methods of saving energy in your home, without a relevant accessory. There's a lot of potential here, but like with other tech brand ecosystems, you get more out if you put more data and money in.
Semantic searches can make tough searches a breeze — when they work
Galaxy AI makes it possible to search the Gallery or Settings apps with more natural spoken or typed phrases, showing you more personalized results of relevant images or options to tweak.
How well the Gallery surfaces photos depends on how much metadata is attached to your photos, and also seems to require indexing, or at least fresh photos, to recognize images properly. I took a photo of my favorite green mug with the S25 and search was able to find it, but the same mug in shots taken a couple of years ago and shared to the S25's Gallery weren't picked up.
And while the Settings app search will find its way to the right place, it won't toggle anything on or off for you, which could be a let-down for users hoping for full automatic control. It's cool how you don't even need to ask for a specific setting though: you can complain that "the screen's not clear enough" and settings like color options, or Super HDR mode pop up.
AI Select gives copy/paste a brain
AI Select is a new addition to the Edge Panel, accessible with a swipe in from the side of the display. It gives you precise control over exactly what you want to capture on-screen, then offers relevant options like turning a recording into a GIF, or edit or draw over the selected area.
These aren't new abilities for a phone, but the fact that the Galaxy S25 lets you specify an area before taking any action makes things far easier. You don't have to go and crop or trim images or videos you've captured after the fact — just drag the box to the right shape and you're good to go. It's probably the least spectacular of the new Galaxy AI features, but probably one of the most universally useful.
Audio Eraser sounds good, but doesn't sound great
Audio Eraser is a new video editing tool ready to detect and clean up noise while boosting important sounds like speech. Even using the automatic mode can make audio clearer, but the system is a little aggressive, leading to speech sounding unnatural.
Galaxy AI on Galaxy S25: Outlook
The Galaxy S25 series and its new generation of Galaxy AI provides the most well-rounded selection of features of any phone around right now. You'll find some more unique applications of AI on the Google Pixel 9 or iPhone 16, but Samsung's done a tremendous job of offering a wide range of tools.
You'll need to be a Samsung power user to get the best out of everything here, but I believe the secret to being happy (or even twice as happy) with Galaxy AI to focus on the features that best fit the way that you use your phone. Nobody uses 100% of their phone's potential, not even phone nerds like me.
There's fears that Samsung will soon charge for some or all of these AI features, as its original promise was free usage for Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25 users until the end of 2025. But what occupies my mind more is how many of the tools we've looked will stay as unique Galaxy S25 features.
Gemini Talk Live is already being rolled out to other devices, and it feels likely that all the other Gemini-powered abilities will follow suit. So try not to be the jealous type, and remember that if you get a Galaxy S25, there are plenty of other things to appreciate, like the cameras, performance, display technology, or battery life that rival devices likely won't match even if they share the AI highlights.
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