Not because it was expected, Samsung has ceased to surprise. We’ve known for weeks that we’ll be getting the new Samsung Galaxy S24 in January (we’ve already had first impressions of all the Galaxy S24s) and that both the system and the SoC will focus on AI functions.

But what we didn’t expect was that Samsung would be such a strong competitor not only to Apple and the iPhone 15, but also to Google and the Pixel 8. Yes, Samsung and Google are allies but When the Galaxy S24 has new AI functions… why would we want a Pixel?

Samsung and Google are a symbiotic relationship

Frankly, there are many reasons to choose a Google mobile (that special personalized version of Android), but Samsung fired a missile at Google. And this makes perfect sense. But let’s start from the beginning and there we need to talk about the relationship between both companies.

First: Samsung is one of the companies that sells the most mobile phones, positioning them as one of the flagships of Android (and by extension, Google). Galaxy rises to the top with its own apps to replace Googlebut Google is spending a lot of money on contracts to keep its apps at the forefront on Galaxy.

This information was leaked a few months ago due to Epic’s antitrust lawsuits against Apple and Google, and it’s extremely sensitive information, but the truth is that Google wants to get along with Samsung. And vice versa, of course, because it is a symbiotic relationship.

But, This isn’t limited to the relationship between Samsung hardware and Google software; It goes beyond that.. Samsung is one of the largest companies in chip production. Exynos is one example, but when Google decided to ditch Qualcomm Snapdragon to create processors for the Pixel 6, it turned to Samsung, not TSMC.

That’s why it’s always been said like this Tensor is a type of Exynos With the introduction of Exynos 2400 a few months ago, the industry made it clear that it would be like the Tensor G3 of the Pixel 8 Pro, maybe a little more powerful, but they would be very effective in terms of artificial intelligence. calculations.

And after seeing the presentation of the new Galaxy S24, it becomes clear that this idea is not wrong. Definitely.

Galaxy S24, AI and payment functions controversy

Putting aside the capabilities of the Pixel’s camera and operating system, what Google has been focusing on most in recent years is how its Tensor processors are augmenting AI calculations to make its phones better in the future.

Most of these functions run invisibly in the systembut there are other functions that are more obvious, like the photo editor’s Magic Eraser or the newest function for swapping faces on the Pixel 8. There are other similar functions, such as different portrait modes or Gemini possibilities, but the main thing to keep in mind is that Google is not focusing on power as much as showcasing the capabilities of its AI processors.

This is exactly what Samsung emphasized in the presentation of the Galaxy S24. Yes, they said that the GPU in their new phones is very powerful, but What they spent the most time on were AI-related functions Moreover, this is the most talked about one.

Reason? There’s a Galaxy version of the Pixel’s Magic Eraser: It’s called the Object Eraser, and it works very similar to what we see on Google mobile phones. The Pixel wallpaper creator is also available on the Galaxy S24, along with a function copied from Magic Compose introduced at last year’s Google I/O for Google Photos.

And we’re not just talking about photography.but from the simultaneous translation system that Samsung now has, or the subtitles of content played on the mobile phone, among other functions borrowed from the Pixel.

Obviously, if Google boasted of these functions and Samsung was the company producing the chips, South Koreans were going to achieve something and we saw everything together in the presentation a few days ago. In fact, features like Circle to Search will be coming to Android soon but are already available on the Galaxy S24.

Now, while all this sounds good, there is one thing that taints Samsung’s presentation: its intention to charge for these functions, or just some of them, from 2025. So, Google is offering seven years of Android updates, and yet to announce anything about charging for AI functions (beyond capping them depending on which Pixel we have), Samsung’s strategy is to leave it for a trial year and start charging it later.

A very controversial move because some of these functions are executed not through online computing but on mobile thanks to the SoC’s capabilities, creating an artificial payment barrier. We’ll see what happens as there’s still time until 2025 and Samsung may back out, but it’s clear that Samsung doesn’t want anyone to take away the baton of being the bastion of Android. Not even Google.

Photos | Ricardo Aguilar

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