Samsung Galaxy S24 (One UI 6.1) AI features that first appeared on Google Pixel phones

Samsung’s Galaxy AI announcement might have sounded revolutionary, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find familiar echoes. Some of the “futuristic” AI features touted for the Galaxy S24 and beyond suspiciously resemble innovations already available on Google Pixel phones.

It’s important to note that the official launch event for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series hasn’t happened yet, so all information about it is based on leaks and rumors. This article will be updated regularly to reflect the most up-to-date information. But as it stands, here are some of the AI features speculated to come with the Galaxy S24 series that seem to draw inspiration from Google Pixel AI.

Samsung’s Generative Edit promises effortless photo editing, removing unwanted elements like distractions or photobombers. This feature draws immediate comparisons to Google’s Magic Editor tool, which made its debut with the Pixel 8 series. Samsung appears to be following in Google’s footsteps by providing users with a powerful and user-friendly photo editing solution.

Samsung’s Generative AI Wallpapers feature directly borrows inspiration from Google’s AI-powered wallpaper creation in the Pixel 8. Just like Google’s, this functionality generates unique wallpapers for users, although it’s claimed both use the power of Google’s servers and AI models to paint personalized landscapes onto your phone’s canvas.

The Galaxy S24 is rumored to include a feature that enhances low-light video, resembling the Pixel 8 Pro’s Video Boost capability. While details about whether this processing occurs on-device, in real-time, or post-on-device remain unconfirmed, the focus on improving video quality in challenging lighting conditions echoes the advancements first seen on the latest and most premium Google Pixel phone.

Google did it first with Google Assistant Summarize on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Now, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 hopes to catch up with this convenient reading shortcut. Samsung’s integration of generational AI to summarize and organize webpage content indicates a shared commitment to enhancing user convenience and efficiency. But for now, it remains unclear whether Samsung will use Google’s servers, do it themselves, or if the process will be on-device.

This gesture-based search feature debuting on the Galaxy S24 is no stranger to Pixel users. Circle to search made its debut on Pixel phones with the update to Android 14 QPR2 beta 2 back in December 2023. It lets users highlight text or images to instantly find relevant information from the web. Similarly, Samsung’s Circle to search is described as a function to “Search any image, video, or text on your screen. Circle, highlight, scribble, or tap to pinpoint what you’re curious about, no screenshots necessary.”

Tensor-powered Google Pixel phones can already live translate phone calls, but it’s only now that Samsung is embracing the feature. The feature will be baked into Samsung’s native Phone app, allowing users to translate speech to text in real-time. This tight integration with the stock phone app does away with the need of relying on 3rd-party apps. But we’ll have to wait for the Galaxy S24 launch to find out how it stacks up to Google’s Live Translate.

While Samsung’s embrace of AI is commendable, the lack of originality in some features leaves a lingering question: Is Galaxy AI truly pushing boundaries or simply catching up to Google’s pioneering strides? The answer, at least for now, seems closer to the latter. Of course, the Galaxy S24’s launch on January 17 might reveal hidden depths and unique twists on these familiar functionalities. But until then, Samsung’s AI ambitions appear more like a shadow play, gracefully mimicking Pixel’s earlier performances rather than writing their own innovative script.

One thing’s for sure: the competition in the realm of AI-powered smartphones is heating up. And while Google Pixel might have held the early spotlight, Samsung’s entry into the ring promises an exciting battle for AI supremacy in the years to come. But whether Galaxy AI becomes a true rival or merely an echo of what Google already achieved with the Pixel remains to be seen.

Featured image: Samsung (YouTube)