Samsung's AI advancements could leave the iPhone in the dust

The AI smartphone race has begun, and Samsung has hinted that its next handsets – the anticipated Samsung Galaxy S24 series – could be equipped with some seriously impressive AI features. We're talking on-device AI image generation, live language translation for texts and phone calls, and using AI for composing emails too. 

I've been waiting patiently for the ultimate smartphone camera upgrade from my reliable Samsung S21 Ultra, and this new Samsung AI announcement paired with leaked specs for the Galaxy S24 Ultra really has me excited. 

AI is becoming a huge selling point for next-gen smartphones, including the latest Google Pixel 8 Pro series which was the first to incorporate AI features into a handset. But with every manufacturer fighting it out for the AI crown, it begs the question – what is Apple doing? 

Following the iPhone 15 announcement, I wrote a piece explaining why as a photographer, I have no interest in the iPhone 15 Pro Max due to the lack of upgraded features and mediocre camera quality sacrificed through pixel binning. Apple might've missed the boat on creating the first AI phone, which could be all the more reason for consumers to switch over to Android devices in 2024. 

Samsung isn't holding back at all on AI or photography, announcing at the Samsung AI Forum 2023 event last week that the company plans to directly integrate AI into future handsets resulting in on-device artificial intelligence that “enhances work efficiency by facilitating tasks such as composing emails, summarizing documents and translating content.”

The reveal of Samsung's own Generative image AI model, Samsung Gauss, and the move towards what it calls the Galaxy AI experience demonstrates innovation that, in my opinion, knocks Apple devices out of the park and makes the iPhone 15 even more of a flop. 

Rumour has it that most of the exciting features we can expect from Samsung's next-generation flagship smartphones will be software-based more so than a focus on upgraded hardware or any fancy design changes, but I'm okay with that. 

A render from a reliable tipster, Ice Universe via X (Twitter), depicts a model with similar features to the phone's predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but with more symmetrical bezels. 

The Galaxy S24 series will most likely include a new Galaxy AI assistant based on Samsung Gauss, as a ChatGPT alternative, which Samsung says will be able to execute commands and proactively handle tasks by analyzing device data such as usage patterns and frequented apps to offer helpful information. For example, it could offer traffic updates or a live weather report if it knows your driving route. 

The most exciting feature of all announced by Samsung, however, is the integrated AI Live Translate Call feature that will enable audio and text translation between languages in real-time using the Gauss Language generative language model. As SamMobile reports, this feature will be integrated into the native call function and be the first Galaxy AI feature coming to flagship smartphones. 

Should we be cautious of AI on our phones? 

Despite my initial excitement about an AI-based Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra model, is it really the best move? We already know that our phones listen to us 24/7 and collect data for personalized ads, but just imagine the next level this would take once advanced AI tech makes its way to our personal devices. 

Samsung has reassured us in its press release that the company is focused on safe AI usage and has a team dedicated to keeping the principles of AI ethics in mind, with user privacy becoming a critical factor. It says that the new AI features can all run in on-device mode, as opposed to cloud services, to protect any private information. 

Our sister site Tom's Guide has highlighted some additional caveats regarding this Samsung AI announcement, suggesting that the overall implementation of an AI assistant from Samsung might not be as great as we think, especially if previous lackluster "Siri" rivals like Bixby or Cortana are anything to go by. 

There's also speculation from tipsters that a paywall could be put in place to limit some of these exciting AI features to a subscription-only basis, but we don't know for sure if that's the case yet. Android users hate paying for things, so Samsung probably knows this wouldn't go down too well. 

All we can do for now is speculate while we await further information on this anticipated AI Galaxy phone, at least until the official Samsung Galaxy S24 device series announcement comes, predicted for early January 2024.