AI Face-Off Galaxy AI vs. Apple Intelligence  

In the world of smartphones, two dominant players frequently come to mind: Apple and Samsung. The rivalry between these brands is intense, with constant competition over design, features, and technology. The latest battleground? Their own AI systems. Samsung took an early lead in 2024, launching Galaxy AI with its Galaxy S24 series and later expanding its reach. Apple, known for its measured approach, finally entered the fray in October 2024, introducing Apple Intelligence alongside the iPhone 16 series.  

This article comprehensively compares these two flagship AI systems, dissecting their capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses to determine which emerges as the leader in smartphone AI. 

Understanding the basics 

• Galaxy AI is Samsung’s all-encompassing AI system that incorporates a range of AI-driven features across its devices. In contrast, Apple Intelligence is a personal AI system that centres around generative AI models integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. 

• Galaxy AI focuses on task efficiency and productivity. It offers translation capabilities, Circle to Search, and AI-enabled photo editing features. On the other hand, Apple Intelligence aims to integrate all the apps on your iPhone. It leverages your personal context to help accomplish tasks and includes generative features like Genmoji, the Image Playground, and ChatGPT 4.0. 

Feature comparison 

Image editing: Samsung and Apple offer AI-powered image editing with slightly different approaches. Samsung’s Galaxy AI boasts “Generative Edit,” letting users move, resize, or remove objects, with AI seamlessly filling in the blanks. It also suggests image enhancements. Apple’s Image Playground, within Apple Intelligence, offers similar tools like object removal and background replacement but emphasises integration with Apple’s Photos app and other services, along with its own intelligent editing suggestions. 

Image generation: A notable feature of Apple Intelligence is the “Image Wand.” For example, if you’re on a Notes page trying to sketch a monument alongside text about its architecture, Apple Intelligence anticipates your intent and generates an image for you. Meanwhile, Galaxy AI offers the “Sketch to Image” feature, which transforms your doodles into images in five distinct styles: Sketch, Watercolor, Pop Art, Illustration, or 3D Cartoon. However, it’s essential to create a more defined sketch. Ambiguous doodles might not yield the desired results, making Apple’s predictive “Image Wand” a more intuitive and potentially powerful tool for spontaneous image generation. 

Siri vs Gemini: Samsung’s Galaxy AI is powered by Google’s advanced Gemini AI, a significant upgrade from previous versions of Google Assistant. Apple Intelligence takes a different approach, enhancing Siri with better contextual understanding and deeper integration across the Apple ecosystem. While Siri has sometimes trailed Google’s AI in the past, Apple’s emphasis on user privacy and on-device processing gives it a distinct edge. Gemini boasts more substantial language processing and a broader knowledge base, while Siri shines with its seamless connection to Apple devices and services. 

Writing with AI: Apple’s AI writing tools, powered by ChatGPT, act like a helpful writing partner that lets you rephrase emails, check for errors, and create summaries. In contrast, Galaxy AI utilises Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot, which offers similar functionalities but lacks deep integration with Gmail or the mail app. However, Galaxy AI includes a Composer feature within its Mail app that allows users to generate emails based on prompts. For example, you could type, “Draft an email to Tom explaining my plans for the weekend,” which will produce the text for you. 

Third-Party integration: Apple Intelligence is taking a more open approach, planning to integrate with other AI models like ChatGPT, which could significantly expand what AI can do on iPhones and iPads. Samsung’s Galaxy AI seems to focus more on building its AI features in partnership with Google rather than directly incorporating third-party AI. 

Cost factor 

Regarding cost and accessibility, Samsung Galaxy AI offers a significant advantage. All its AI features are free and can be used across various Samsung devices, allowing users to take advantage of AI without any extra expenses. 

On the other hand, Apple Intelligence offers free core features, but a paid subscription is required to access some advanced functions. Additionally, these features are primarily available on newer iPhone models and may not be accessible in all regions. This exclusivity could pose a challenge for users eager to fully experience smartphone AI capabilities. 

Distilled 

Ultimately, the “winner” between Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence depends entirely on individual needs and preferences. Both offer compelling AI capabilities, yet their device compatibility and processing approaches differ significantly.