Samsung unveils AI-powered Galaxy S25 smartphones running only Qualcomm chips

Samsung unveiled new AI features in its latest handsets, which do not use any of the company’s Exynos processors, in a setback for its chip business

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People try the latest Galaxy smartphones, including the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra AI during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 winter event in San Jose, California, on January 22. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:05pm, 23 Jan 2025

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled its newest Galaxy S25 smartphones, powered by Qualcomm’s chips and Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) model, hoping its upgraded AI features can reinvigorate sales and fend off Apple and Chinese rivals.

Samsung also previewed a thinner version of the flagship models at the end of an event in California, aiming to launch the Galaxy S25 Edge in the first half of this year ahead of Apple’s anticipated roll-out of its slimmer iPhone.

Samsung was faster than Apple in launching an AI-powered smartphone but failed to regain its crown in the global smartphone market last year, squeezed by competition with the US rival in the premium market and with Chinese firms in the lower-end segment.

“We are one step ahead of the industry in terms of offering AI features. I believe we are going in the right direction,” Park Ji-sun, the executive vice-president who leads Samsung’s Language AI team, told Reuters.

Sissie Hsiao, vice-president of Google Gemini Experiences, speaks about AI during the Samsung’s Galaxy event. Photo: Reuters

Samsung kept the prices of its Galaxy S25 series unchanged at between US$799 and US$1,299.