The Samsung S25 Could Do Wonders for Google’s Gemini AI

Mark
The Samsung S25 Could Do Wonders for Google's Gemini AI
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At Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked, Google’s AI efforts took center stage. Last week, there was a lot of talk about Gemini, Google’s AI platform, making waves this year. While we didn’t see the rumored ‘Hey Gemini’ voice activation at the S25 launch, Samsung’s latest phones are shaping up to be a key avenue for spreading Google’s AI tools.

The S25 series has something new: the power button is mapped to activate Gemini by default. This is a first for Google.

The Assistant never got this treatment, and while users of older Galaxy models could tweak their devices to assign Assistant to the power button, that required using Samsung’s Good Lock app—something most people don’t bother with. Now, with Gemini built into the button, it’s likely to get a lot of attention, even unintentionally.

Samsung calls it the side button, but most of us still think of it as the power button. This change could result in a lot of accidental Gemini launches when users go to power off or restart their phones.

Samsung’s S24 series saw 35 million sales last year, a leap from the S23 numbers. The S25’s success is hard to predict, but with Gemini preinstalled, it’s clear more people will try Google’s AI on Samsung devices than on Google’s own Pixel phones.

In 2023, Google shipped 10 million Pixels globally, which was a big milestone for them but far below what Samsung’s flagship series achieves.

Another smart move is Samsung’s preorder bonus for the S25. Customers who preorder get six months of Gemini Advanced for free. It’s not as generous as the year-long free trial offered with Pixel 9 Pro, but it’s still enough to drive millions of new subscriptions. For context, over 1.2 million S24 units were preordered in South Korea alone last year.

Gemini’s integration with Samsung’s apps is also a nice touch. You’ll be able to ask it to make events in Samsung Calendar, add tasks to Samsung Reminder, or save restaurant suggestions in Samsung Notes. It’s a practical way to introduce more users to AI without making it feel overly complicated.

Interestingly, Samsung isn’t ditching its own AI projects. The S25 is launching with Now Brief, a feature similar to the old Google Now.

It shows info like weather, calendar updates, news, and selected photos. You can also use simple commands like ‘I can’t hear my phone ring’ to find sound settings or ‘my eyes hurt’ to adjust the display.

That said, Samsung isn’t directly competing with Gemini on the S25. The more advanced version of Bixby, which includes generative AI, is limited to other devices like the Galaxy W25 series and isn’t included in the S25 lineup at launch.

As Google focuses more on pushing Gemini through partnerships with companies like Samsung, it raises questions about the future of Pixel phones.

While Google’s own devices still have exclusive features, like Call Screen, the widespread availability of Gemini on competitor devices could challenge the relevance of Pixel hardware.

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Mark is the kind of person who gets way too excited about new software updates and can’t resist taking apart gadgets—just to see if they can put them back together. With years of experience in tech journalism and a love for all things digital, Mark writes about the stories behind the screens, from game-changing innovations to the everyday tech that keeps life running smoothly. Outside of work, they’re the go-to “tech support” for friends and family, whether it’s fixing a printer that won’t cooperate or explaining why Grandma’s laptop keeps showing pop-ups. When Mark isn’t glued to their screen, they’re probably building their dream PC, rewatching sci-fi movies for the hundredth time, or testing a gadget that promises to “change everything.” Spoiler: they’ll let you know if it actually does.