For over a decade, we’ve had giants competing in the smartphone industry over who has the strongest performance and the best camera set-up. Now, we’re entering a new era where tech companies will be competing over who has the best phone AI.
So far, each manufacturer has taken their own approach to smartphone artificial intelligence tools. The three most prominent artificial intelligence models for smartphones are Apple’s Apple Intelligence, Samsung’s Galaxy AI, and Google’s Gemini AI, which is available for Pixels.
Artificial intelligence is shaping the future of smartphones and technology in general. Despite a common misconception, artificial intelligence can be more than just a generative tool, creating new photos or writing from a prompt.
Smartphones will be able to utilise artificial intelligence for everything from optimising battery to virtual assistance tools and enhancing personalisation. Already, AI-powered smartphones are able to simplify navigation through voice commands and break down language barriers in real time with live translation.
If you’re interested in having an artificial intelligence-powered smartphone, it’s important to understand the differences between the three major AI tools on the market. In this article, we’ll be covering the best smartphone AI and the major differences between them.
iPhone AI
Apple Intelligence is an artificial intelligence system developed by Apple for MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads. It was first announced on June 10, 2024, at WWDC 2024 and is now available as a built-in feature for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.
Apple Intelligence consists of an on-device model and a cloud model. For smartphones, it is currently available for the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. All future Apple-developed smartphones will also support Apple Intelligence.
Apple markets Apple Intelligence as ‘AI for the rest of us,’ and it is a strong contender for the best phone AI available. Apple Intelligence is designed to be simple to use, and most of its current features focus on writing and communication.
ChatGPT integration is also planned to be seamlessly integrated into Siri and Writing Tools as part of Apple Intelligence. Another major feature of Apple Intelligence is that it is also integrated into Apple’s ecosystem. You can seamlessly swap between your iPhone, MacBook or iPad and continue from where you left off.
The major tools as part of Apple Intelligence include:
Writing Tools
Writing Tools is one of Apple Intelligence's main selling points. It’s a feature similar to Grammarly and ProWritingAid. It can proofread your text in real-time, rewrite your text to match a certain tone of voice, and even generate replies to messages and emails for you.
Summaries
Summaries are another major feature of Apple Intelligence. With this feature, users will be able to quickly summarise group chats/conversations, emails, and web pages/articles at the click of a button.
Siri update
Siri has seen a massive upgrade and redesign as part of Apple Intelligence. Siri is now ' smarter ' on devices that can run iOS 18.1 due to AI. It will ask follow-up questions, and there will also be more ways to interact with Siri.
Photo editing tools
The new iOS Photos app will have AI-powered tools, including ‘Clean Up’, which is Apple’s competitor to Google’s Magic Eraser.
Transcription
Transcription is a new feature for iOS 18.1 that is made possible due to Apple Intelligence. Apple’s AI transcription can now record phone calls and turn them into notes. It can also transcribe voice recordings on Notes.
Visual intelligence
Visual intelligence is a new AI-powered feature exclusive to the iPhone 16 range of devices. It’s similar to Google Lens, but for iPhones, it allows you to search for anything you point your camera at.
Genmoji
Genmoji is a fun and creative Apple Intelligence feature that allows you to generate your own emojis using AI.
Image playground
Image playground is like a souped-up version of Genmoji. The tool allows users to generate pictures from almost anything, from text descriptions to concepts and photos.
It’s important to note that some of the Apple Intelligence features listed above may not be out yet or are still in beta testing.
There’s also another Siri update planned to be released by mid-year, known as ‘Siri 2.0’. Siri 2.0 is planned to be a massive overhaul of the voice assistant, further integrating it with Apple Intelligence. It will feature improved language understanding, enhanced voice recognition, AI-generated replies, and more.
Samsung Galaxy AI
Galaxy AI is Samsung’s answer to Google’s Gemini (for Pixel) and the iPhone’s Apple Intelligence. Galaxy AI is designed to be intuitive, efficient, and increase personalisation. Samsung also wants its AI to learn about its user's preferences and adapt to their lifestyle.
Galaxy AI is currently available on a range of Samsung smartphones, tablets, and earbuds. Galaxy AI is available on the S24 series of devices, the Z Flip5 and the Z Fold5. It’s also available with limited functionality for the Galaxy S23 line of phones.
The current key features of Galaxy AI include:
Live Translate
Live Translate is an AI tool that can translate in real time, whether you’re on a phone call or chatting with someone in person. Live Translate listens to what’s being said and can automatically translate it to a language of your choosing.
Note Assist
The Note Assist tool is designed to make taking notes easier and organised. Along with generating headings and lists, it can also check for spelling mistakes and grammar issues. If you have a lot of notes, it can also summarise them.
Transcript Assist
The AI-powered Transcript Assist feature is part of the Voice Recorder app available on Samsung devices. It can transcribe anything, from meetings to lectures, with a high level of accuracy. It can even translate it into different languages and summarise the information for you.
Chat Assist
Chat Assist is designed to streamline and enhance the writing experience. For example, if you want to change the tone of your writing, Chat Assist can provide suggestions. Chat Assist can also do quick fact-checks, saving you time.
Photo Assist
Photo Assist is an AI-powered tool designed to improve your photo-taking experience. It is similar to Apple Intelligence and Google’s photo editing tools. You’re able to move and remove objects, enhance photos using AI and receive AI-generated suggestions for editing.
Samsung is also planning to launch a range of new AI-powered features alongside the new Galaxy S25 flagship, which they’re referring to as the start of their AI-powered smartphone era.
Google Pixel AI
The Pixel line of phones (from the Pixel 9 onwards) features Google’s Gemini AI. Google’s Gemini AI is designed to be the ‘ultimate’ built-in personal assistant. The Gemini AI is also deeply integrated with a range of different Google apps and the Android OS.
Gemini AI is also multimodal, meaning you can communicate with it over text, image, and voice. There’s even the option to have a ‘conversation’ with Gemini AI. Gemini AI has also been implemented into Google’s overall ecosystem. A huge plus of Gemini AI is that it can be accessed on any device through a browser, and it has also been implemented on the new Pixel Watch and Pixel Bud Pro models. Here is everything you can do with the Pixel’s Gemini AI on a smartphone:
AI Photo Editing
As part of Gemini AI, Google’s photography and video capabilities have been upgraded massively. Gemini AI can help with providing photo-editing suggestions, improving photo quality, using better editing tools (like the Magic Eraser), and reimagining photos using Generative AI and AI-powered zoom options.
Pixel Studio
The new Pixel Studio is an AI-powered app available for Pixel devices and is a first-of-its-kind image generator powered on-device. It allows you to quickly generate images with prompts and share them with others.
AI-powered Weather Reports
The Pixel’s Weather app got a massive upgrade due to Gemini AI. Now, weather forecasts are more accurate and can provide in-depth information, such as when rain will start/stop.
Pixel Screenshots
The new Pixel Screenshots feature allows users to easily save, organise, and recall information from screenshots or photos. For example, if you take a photo of a recipe but don’t know when you took it, you can ask Pixel Screenshots to easily find it for you.
Call Notes
Call Notes is a new feature that allows users to save information from conversations in a phone call. This can be handy for remembering important details, like appointment times or an address.
Personal Assistant
The Gemini AI built-in assistant is easy to access and is replacing Google Assistant. It can easily handle queries like ‘Where is a well-reviewed pizza place near me?’ and complex questions with ease. It can also be used to get help with writing, summarising information, making plans (like on Google Maps/Flight), and more.
Users with a Pixel device can also opt-in to ‘Gemini Advanced’, which gives them access to the latest features, including experimental tools. Gemini Advanced requires a subscription as part of the Google One AI Premium Plan.
While older Pixel devices (like the Pixel 8) don’t have full access to Gemini or Gemini Advanced, you can still use Gemini Nano as an on-device AI option.
The Differences Between Each Smartphone AI
There are major differences between each company’s iteration of smartphone artificial intelligence. From how to use it, the hardware required, the features and the tools, Apple Intelligence, Galaxy AI, and Gemini are all extremely different. Detailing all the differences between the smartphone AI options would require its own article. The main differences between artificial intelligence models are in design and usage.
Compared to Gemini and Galaxy AI, Apple Intelligence is currently focusing on offering on-device AI focused on writing, providing summaries, and image generation. It also has a huge focus on accessibility.
When it comes to Android-based AI options, there’s a massive difference between Gemini and Galaxy AI. Gemini is more feature-packed than Galaxy AI, and its built-in personal assistant is also more in-depth. With Gemini, you can ask the assistant almost anything and get an answer, from asking the assistant questions about the best restaurants nearby to helping you write an assignment and providing sources for research. Galaxy AI, on the other hand, while not being as feature-packed or offering much in the way of generative AI, is focused on improving user quality of life. Most of the features of Galaxy AI are designed around streamlining phone navigation, live translation for easier communication, and summarising information. While Google’s Gemini AI for Pixel does have a few quality-of-life tools, it shines with its generative AI features and photo/video editing tools.
Which Is The Best Smartphone AI
Determining the best smartphone AI is a hard task. The answer will depend on several factors. If you’re committed to the iOS ecosystem, then Apple Intelligence would be most appealing to you. It’s also a great choice if you value seamless integration across other devices (like tablets and computers).
If you’re looking for the most innovative and feature-packed AI experience, then Google’s Pixel devices with Gemini are the ideal choice. The only downside is that many of the features available for Gemini AI are still experimental and in testing. It’s important to note that some devices that support Galaxy AI can potentially utilise Gemini AI features, too, like the Samsung Galaxy S25. So, while Galaxy AI currently lacks the features that Gemini offers, it is possible to utilise both on the Galaxy S25.
Ultimately, the best smartphone AI will depend on your preferences and what ecosystem you’re tied to. If you already own other Apple products, sticking with Apple Intelligence makes the most sense.
When it comes to Android devices, Gemini is currently ahead of Galaxy AI with features, but that may not always be the case. If you’re contemplating between a Pixel or Samsung device because of the AI features, we recommend doing more research into both and seeing which tools would be most beneficial for you.
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