Despite My AI Burnout, These 3 Galaxy S25 Features Actually Seem Useful

It’s hard to see value in the plethora of AI features tech companies have dumped on us in recent years. Do I really want AI to write my texts and emails? How often do I actually need to summarize a PDF? Is a custom emoji of a dog in a Santa hat riding a skateboard (while cute) really worth dropping several hundred dollars on the latest AI-supercharged phone?

Perhaps companies are picking up on our AI fatigue, or perhaps the technology is simply getting smarter and more intuitive. But during its Unpacked event on Wednesday, Samsung unveiled a slew of AI-powered features that the company says can pick up on our habits, offer helpful suggestions and handle mundane tasks via the S25 series. The focus wasn’t just on flexing AI capabilities, but also demonstrating how they might fit into more practical applications like streamlining everyday activities and navigating your phone’s functions — all without necessarily drawing your attention to the AI running in the background.  

It’s a subtle shift, but one that made me put my “Is AI your only party trick??” cynicism aside for a moment. Sure, many of Samsung’s AI features, which were announced last year and also present on the Galaxy S25, are trivial (yet fun), such as Portrait Studio for creating stylized images and Sketch to Image for transforming doodles into AI-generated objects. But there are also a handful of functions that could make AI’s presence feel more natural — and reflect what people actually want to see on their devices.

We’ll have to see how these capabilities play out in the real world once I review the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus. But for now, here are three new AI-backed features that piqued my interest and seem promising. 

Galaxy AI will learn your habits and offer suggestions

In order to be helpful, AI needs to learn about you. Galaxy AI seems keen on doing so, then surfacing any relevant suggestions or information to simplify your routines.

Imagine you’re someone who likes checking the weather each morning, then looking at your calendar, then reading the day’s news. Galaxy AI will pick up on that and, within the Now Brief widget, show you the weather, remind you of today’s meetings and share articles you may be interested in when you wake up, all without asking. 

Amid the proliferation of mobile AI features, this is one that seems to be relatively practical and useful. It appears to tap into what AI does best — learning — while applying that newfound knowledge in a way that can best serve you, all without being overbearing or superfluous. 

When I try this feature for myself, I’m curious which habits of mine it picks up and whether I do, in fact, feel understood in my daily routine. (Is there an “Immediately open TikTok the second you wake up” option here??)

Gemini is at your service, all with the (long) press of a button 

Google’s Gemini AI assistant now makes it easier to carry out multiple actions with one command, like finding a nearby Italian restaurant and sending the results to a friend, or finding out when an event is and adding it to your calendar, then texting your friends about it. All you have to do is long-press the right-side power button and state your request, and Gemini will do the rest. This echoes what just about every major tech company is trying to do, from Apple to Google to Amazon: Turn AI into your personal agent. 

I tend to be wary of AI taking over tasks I’m fully capable of (and not because I’m a control freak, but I often struggle to see the value), but this is something I could see actually being helpful and time-saving. Instead of hopping across multiple apps, simply stating a command and letting an AI agent take over does sound rather enticing — so long as it can do it well.   

More conversational search in Gallery and Settings

Many of us take a lot of pictures on our phones, which makes pinpointing that one shot you just know is in your gallery all the more difficult. And a traditional search only gets you so far.

Samsung is leveling up search in Gallery by making it more conversational: You can say something like, “Find pictures of me in a pink coat in London in March,” for instance. You could also be more broad to summon a wider range of results, like simply saying, “Find pictures of me in a pink coat” to see all the different ways you’ve styled it. Apple and Google have added similar functionality to their respective photos apps, and it’s nice to see Samsung catching up.

This also applies to finding the right setting within the Galaxy’s massive menu. Instead of sifting through each portion to try and find what you’re looking for, you can also type something like, “Help me find settings that make my eyes feel less strained.” Then your phone might suggest turning on Eye Comfort Shield to limit blue light and adjust the screen’s color throughout the day.

The idea is to cut back on the hassle of sifting through endless photos or menu options to find exactly what you need. 

Checking out more AI features on the S25 lineup

One AI tool that I’m most curious about is Samsung’s AI Select feature, which is accessible via a panel on the edge of the S25’s screen. AI Select can detect what’s being shown onscreen and then make suggestions, like turning part of a YouTube video into a GIF or summarizing text on a webpage. It can also help with image editing suggestions. 

This is something I’ll certainly have to explore when I review the S25 and S25 Plus, because based on Samsung’s presentation, it’s not quite clear how much value might be added by this tool, or how often I might feel compelled to reach for it. But perhaps I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Be sure to check back for CNET’s in-depth reviews of the Galaxy S25 lineup, featuring our impressions of everything from the hardware to the software to AI and everything in between.