Even if the spec sheet appears understated, the Samsung Galaxy S25 has emerged as a truly compelling flagship phone. As someone who has used it as their primary device for weeks, I’ve especially appreciated its compact design and lightweight build. But as I’ve continued to use the Galaxy S25, it’s become increasingly clear that its Galaxy AI capabilities are a major selling point.
The S25 offers the best of both worlds in terms of AI. It includes Samsung’s own suite of AI tools called Galaxy AI, alongside a wide array of Google AI features. This includes Google’s agentic Gemini, the Circle to Search function, and Magic Editor, to name a few. Notably, Samsung provides an unprecedented level of user control over data processing with its recent Galaxy lineups.
In the Galaxy AI settings on the S25, a toggle labeled “Process data only on device” provides an option to prevent data collection and processing for advanced Galaxy AI features, which is a huge selling point for privacy-conscious users. Samsung explains that while online processing offers the best results, it is required for some advanced features.
While on-device AI processing isn’t new, the execution and available features are significantly better on the S25. Like the Google Pixel phones, the S25 uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip to handle on-device AI computations. In fact, the Galaxy S24 has this very toggle, too. However, Google does not allow you to completely switch off cloud processing, and compared to the Galaxy S24, the new S25 can run far more Galaxy AI features on-device.
Last year, disabling cloud processing for Galaxy AI meant losing out on many of the best features. Fortunately, thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, that is no longer necessary. You can use some or all of the following Galaxy AI features with on-device processing on the Galaxy S25:
- Call Assist
- Writing Assist
- Interpreter
- Note Assist
- Transcript Assist
- Browsing Assist
This makes using on-device processing a more viable option this year. Of course, there are still some compromises. Summarization features in Writing Assist, Note Assist, and Browsing Assist won’t work if cloud processing is disabled, and some advanced Photo Assist features, such as Sketch to edit and Portrait studio, won’t work either.
Despite these limitations, the option to use on-device processing is an appealing feature. Even though many users might not use it, it’s worth considering for those prioritizing privacy. Samsung deserves credit for giving users the final choice, a degree of control not offered by Google or Apple.
If you compare the S25 to the alternatives, the choice that Samsung provides is compelling. The Pixel 9 series can use the Gemini Nano model to process data on-device, but users cannot force the smartphone to solely use on-device processing, and the same goes for the iPhone 16 series. Samsung is setting the standard for user choice when it comes to on-device processing for AI features.
The key selling point of the Samsung Galaxy S25 is the combination of both Google and Galaxy AI, but the option to force all of the Galaxy AI features to run on-device boosts the phone’s value even further.
