Part 2: Who offers more AI – Samsung or Apple?

A look at the smart capabilities of the two brands shows us that both Apple and Samsung each have their own strengths and that, in the end, it’s down to the customer’s own preferences and priorities. We’ve put together an overview of the AI features currently available below.  

Samsung: AI agents Bixby and Gemini 

The AI agents from Samsung aim to simplify a user’s life and help them complete their tasks, search for stuff, communicate and create things. Everything is personalised and protected by the proprietary Knox security system.  

To use the Galaxy AI features, users have to set up a Samsung account and activate AI via «Settings», «Advanced Settings» and finally «Advanced Intelligence».  

The launch of the Galaxy 25 on 22 January 2025 now gives users completely new AI features:  

• Now Bar on the lock screen: This smart feature gives users direct access to their Now Brief notifications, music, timers and much more without needing to unlock their smartphone. It acts as a kind of entry-level AI for users who have little to no AI experience.  

• Cross-app feature: Regardless of whether it’s a Google or Samsung app, Samsung Galaxy AI handles the tasks assigned to it across apps. A simple voice command is all it takes. There’s no more tedious jumping from one app to another. 

• Smart camera system: The Audio Eraser feature filters out unwanted background noise, and AI Select captures the perfect moment in a video to create a profile pic or GIF. Or you can simply hold your camera directly over a text and use a voice command to ask your phone to create a quiz about it.  

• Photo assistant: Adjusts images, fills in edges, adjusts backgrounds, puts people and objects in a better position or takes them out of the picture altogether. The user can also add hand sketches to photos, with AI then replacing the sketch with a real image. Distracting shadows and reflections on the images are removed and the colouration is optimised. 

• Circle to Search: A handy image search function to find information about an object on the Internet – press and hold the home button then circle the required object with your finger and Google will automatically start the search.  

• Bixby voice recognition: Samsung’s Bixby offers a high level of integration with Samsung devices and services. Bixby provides contextual answers and learns continuously from interactions with the user. The assistant not only works with speech, but also interacts with visual inputs. Thanks to Bixby Vision mode, users can scan objects and obtain instant information about them. As an alternative to Bixby, Samsung users can also use Google Assistant, which is widely used on all Android devices and is known for its accuracy and versatility. 

• Chat assistant: Helps you create texts and finds the right tone to suit the contact person. Messages can currently be translated into 29 languages. 

• Translation app: Provides a live translation in real time. The speakers communicate in their own language. The other person can not only hear the translation, but also read it on the screen. This means that lectures can also be followed simultaneously in a foreign language. 

• Voice recorder app: A transcription aid that converts speech into text. Minutes are taken by the AI feature and the individual speakers in a meeting are even recorded separately. If desired, the minutes can be summarised and translated into a variety of languages. 

• Browsing assistant: The Samsung Internet app translates content from a website and summarises longer texts for you. The summary can be copied and pasted into other apps like Samsung Notes, for example, and the browsing assistant can even do translations.  

• Note-taking assistant:  Samsung Notes converts handwritten notes into text that is then automatically formatted, checked for grammar and spelling, and summarised. AI can make the text more formal or translate it into another language if desired.  

• Instant Slow Mo allows users to watch videos in slow motion by touching them during playback, or to select parts of the video to be played in slow motion.  

• System performance: The device’s resources are adjusted dynamically based on usage in order to maximise performance while optimising and maximising battery life. 

The AI works across all devices throughout the Samsung ecosystem – in other words not just on smartphones, TVs, tablets and laptops (not yet available in Switzerland), but also on smart devices at home, such as Samsung washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. The devices monitor one another using the Knox matrix chain. 

… and what does Apple Intelligence offer? 

Apple Intelligence is exciting for anyone who owns other Apple devices like an iPad or Mac in addition to their iPhone. By integrating AI into the overall Apple ecosystem, users enjoy a seamless and powerful AI experience. This means that they don’t just experience AI on their iPhone, but they can also have the same functions on their laptop and iPad. 

• Visual intelligence: The new camera controls on the iPhone 16 models allow users to learn things about objects and places. Visual intelligence copies and summarises text, translates, recognises phone numbers and email addresses, and adds them to contacts – and there’s so much more, too. With camera control, users can also use Google search to find out where to buy a particular item or use ChatGPT’s problem-solving capabilities.  

• Writing tools: Allow users to refine their language by rewriting, proofreading and summarising texts, emails, messages, notes, etc., creating priority messages, or displaying text in a bulleted or table format. Smart Reply provides suggestions for quick email responses and identifies questions to make sure everything is answered. Prose text can now be rewritten in the form of poems. The writing tools (including via Siri) now allow direct access to ChatGPT without having to switch back and forth between tools. With Paraphrase, the user chooses from different text versions, each with a different tone (professional, concise or friendly). Proofreading checks grammar, word choice and sentence structure while suggesting changes. 

• Photos and videos: Photo Engine, Deep Fusion and Smart HDR allow automatic image optimisation in low-light and medium-to-low-light conditions, while colours, lighting and shadows are adjusted in real time. Scenes are detected and the app then automatically selects the best exposure or white balance. Using a simple description, you can, for example, find Theo in the red jacket on the ski slopes in the photo collection or in the middle of a video. The Clean-up tool removes distracting elements in an image and the Memories feature creates personalised movies – based on a description given by the user – with the best photos and videos. A brand-new feature allows you to create and personalise your own Genmoji by giving a description. 

• Notes and Phone: Allow users to record, transcribe and summarise audio. If a recording is started in the phone app during a call, the participants are notified of this automatically. After the call, the app prepares a summary with the most important points. 

• Image Playground: Lets you create playful images in just a few moments, and Image Wand turns notes or rough sketches into visually appealing images. When the user circles an empty space, Image Wand creates an image using the context from the environment. 

• Siri: Seamless integration means Siri will not only make calls and send messages for you, but can also control HomeKit devices, play music or manage appointments, and switch fluently between text and voice. What’s more, Siri’s extensive product knowledge allows it to answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple products. Siri Suggestions are based on usage behaviour and make recommendations derived from it.  

• System performance: Intelligent AI-based battery management: optimised battery charging ensures that the device only charges when necessary in order to help extend battery life. 

Samsung or Apple? 

Both Apple and Samsung have impressive AI functions that will amaze the AI novice. With Neural Engine and the deep integration into the ecosystem, Apple is committed to providing an end-to-end, powerful AI experience, especially with the camera features and Siri voice control. Samsung offers greater versatility, especially with the integration of Google Assistant. Samsung AI is not intrusive, but rather a welcome companion that operates across apps (Google and Samsung apps) for the user.  

Both brands use advanced AI technologies for image processing, with Apple scoring particularly highly in difficult lighting conditions. Samsung, on the other hand, impresses with a wide range of camera-optimisation features that further personalise and enhance the user experience. 

While Apple offers a user-friendly solution with Siri that’s highly integrated into its own ecosystem, Samsung allows for wider interaction across different media with Bixby and Gemini. However, Google Assistant is the preferred choice for Samsung users in many cases, not least due to the better voice-control quality.  

Both brands use AI to optimise battery life. While Apple focuses more on sustainable, long-term battery care, Samsung focuses on a method that immediately adapts the battery performance to reflect the level of use. 

AI performance: dependent on location and device 

For both Samsung and Apple, more or fewer AI functions are available depending on the specific smartphone and region. Essentially, the newer the device, the more AI it has. Samsung exclusively sells the high-end smartphones in the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z series, while Apple offers a beta version of Apple Intelligence in Switzerland. The following requirements apply for use: iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max; at least – iPad with A17 Pro or M1, Mac with M1, iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 or macOS Sequoia 15.1 – or later; at least 7 GB of memory, and the device and Siri language must be set to English. Apple Intelligence is currently only available in English. Additional languages, including Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese, will be added during the year. Support for some of these additional languages will be provided via a software update in April. Samsung AI currently offers 45 languages on the devices mentioned. Bixby currently speaks nine languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Croatian, Chinese and Japanese. 

It’s a personal choice 

Despite everything, one shouldn’t expect any AI miracles – from either Apple or Samsung. A shaky snapshot remains a shaky snapshot and not every translation is perfect, which is why some tolerance and patience are required. Ultimately, the choice between Apple and Samsung depends on the individual needs of users. Those who appreciate seamless integration (phone, tablet, Mac) and a high level of data security are more likely to opt for an iPhone. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a wider range of AI services, a more flexible platform and a wide range of languages, the Samsung Galaxy is the one for you. 

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The World of Samsung at Sunrise 
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