Samsung's AI alliance with Google could spell trouble for the iPhone – here's why

Today at its Unpacked event, Samsung announced its new lineup of AI-packed Galaxy smartphones, including an on-device LLM that learns from your habits and multimodal AI that can take action based on what it sees and hears. After some users gave a lukewarm reception to Apple Intelligence in the iPhone 16, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 lineup remains focused on innovative AI features, while doubling down on integrations across its ecosystem of products.

Samsung wants its ecosystem to be persistent across all its devices, understanding that the lines between tablets, smartphones, and laptops are starting to blur. “Consumers’ lives are not as binary as they used to be,” Danielle Moten, Samsung’s director of PC product told me in an interview. “We’ve taken the ability to continue what you’re doing from device to device.”  

Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2025 

Samsung repeatedly referenced its “shared vision for an open AI ecosystem” during its Unpacked keynote event, highlighting its partnership with Google and positioning the pair as leaders in AI innovation, with AI existing across devices and operating systems.

“We want to offer a truly cross-OS platform experience,” MC Lee, Samsung corporate VP, elaborated in the same interview. “When it comes to the Galaxy ecosystem, we made no compromises.” 

The Galaxy S25 lineup backs up that claim, with a focus on software and flexible, multimodal AI that Samsung says will break down barriers between different functions, ultimately transcending the app structure as we know it altogether. Samsung’s partnership with Google’s Project Astra imbues its devices with cutting-edge features like screen share and live video streaming, setting the Galaxy devices apart from other Androids (even Google’s own Pixel line).   

Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge first look: Specs and features, release date, price, more

Many of these features have certainly been informed by Apple, which has a reputation for having (arguably) the best integration across its own ecosystem. Samsung seemingly wants to take a page from Apple’s book, but do it better, with the understanding that deep cross-device integration is what keeps users embedded within the ecosystem. 

This is something Apple knows all too well: the iPhone is ubiquitous, and many of the users stick with the device because they know how to use it, it does what they need, and all of their other devices “just work” with it. Once you have that established, most consumers will not bother to unravel the web. That is, unless there’s a strong reason to. 

Samsung’s vision is to attract new users by expanding its market share across the wearable, laptop, and smartphone markets, uniting all of these products under one usability stream and fueled by useful, unique AI features. Right now, it’s capitalizing on the fact that consumers hear a lot about AI, but most people still don’t even know how to use it. 

Also: Why I may finally switch from Pixel to Samsung Galaxy this year – and it’s Google’s fault

It’s not alone in its quest. In partnership with Google, Samsung is positioning itself as the arbiter of AI innovation opposite Apple (a partnership that may also yield AR glasses) and bring the gains made by Google’s Gemini to not just a singular product, but a living, breathing ecosystem that can scale en masse. 

With Google’s help, this design philosophy could be the fuel that propels Samsung to a position to truly challenge the iPhone. We’ll just have to wait and see once we can fully test the new Galaxy S25 devices. Until then, I’ll be keeping my eye on further developments.