In a recent showdown of smartphone photo editing capabilities, Galaxy AI significantly outperformed Apple Intelligence’s Clean Up feature, demonstrating remarkable prowess in generative editing.
The performance disparity is astounding. Users looking for advanced photo editing options may find that Samsung's S25 series is the game changer they've been waiting for.
As a long-time iPhone aficionado since 2009—to be precise, since I first held the iPhone 3G—switching to Samsung’s S25 series felt almost revolutionary. After years of sticking with the Apple ecosystem, the urge to explore Galaxy AI’s advertising-packed capabilities was too strong to resist. Over the next few weeks, I intend to thoroughly evaluate Galaxy AI against the latest iteration of my iPhone—iPhone 16 Pro Max—to discover which smartphone's AI features are genuinely useful and which ones are simply gimmicks.
Initial Impressions of Galaxy AI and Clean Up
Upon receiving my S25, the first thing I yearned to test was its photo editing functionality, especially since I've always considered Clean Up on the iPhone one of the best features of Apple Intelligence. For my first test, I decided to erase my French Bulldog, Kermit, from a photo taken on a basic grey bedspread. This seemed straightforward: a simple background with the added challenge of removing a shadow cast by him in natural light.
Galaxy AI tackled the task with ease, flawlessly removing Kermit. Not only did it clear away the shadow, but it even reconstructed the intricate brown stitching around the bed’s border and smoothed out the surface perfectly. Conversely, Apple Intelligence’s Clean Up fell flat, leaving Kermit’s shadow and transforming the area into an obvious blur—a clear indication of the limitations of its editing capabilities.
Scoreboard: Galaxy AI 1, Apple Intelligence 0
Next Test: The Coffee Shop Sacrifice
My second challenge emerged from a local coffee shop. With only two croissants remaining—the classic and a pain au chocolat—I decided to test Galaxy AI by removing the pain au chocolat from the image. The backdrop consisted of a monochrome branded paper, which I expected would yield an interesting challenge for both systems.
Once again, Galaxy AI left me awestruck. It didn’t just remove the pastry but seamlessly replicated the surrounding branded pattern, even leaving behind some crumbs for added realism. On the other hand, Clean Up offered nothing but disappointment—creating an awkward crumpled paper effect alongside the visible shadow of the pastry. Prior performances suggested a trend, and I was beginning to doubt the effectiveness of Apple Intelligence.
Scoreboard: Galaxy AI 2, Apple Intelligence 0
Pouring Over Fine Details
I then conducted a more complex challenge by attempting to remove a coffee cup from a barista’s hand in the midst of pouring a Flat White. The results? A startling difference. While Galaxy AI excelled—removing the cup flawlessly, reconstructing the barista’s thumb, and enhancing the liquid’s appearance—the performance of Clean Up left much to be desired. This trend was becoming painfully evident.
Scoreboard: Galaxy AI 3, Apple Intelligence 0
The Ultimate Test: An Empty Coffee Shop
To further push the boundaries, I took a photo of a busy coffee shop, aiming to erase every individual from the scene. Galaxy AI rose to the occasion, managing to recreate the shop's exterior and smoothly extending the furniture to fill in for the absence of people. It’s important to note that this level of performance contrasts dramatically with Apple Intelligence, which failed to achieve satisfactory results.
Scoreboard: Galaxy AI 4, Apple Intelligence 0
Concluding Remarks on AI Editing Superiority
It's abundantly clear that Galaxy AI stands as a superior choice in the realm of AI photo editing when directly compared to Apple Intelligence’s Clean Up. What shocks me even more is how the latter seems significantly behind in a technology-forward era. Previously, I had high hopes for Clean Up, remembering it to perform decently at best. After experiencing the capabilities of Galaxy AI, it's troubling to think that such a robust alternative exists while Clean Up struggles with basic tasks.
Differing philosophies underlie their AI implementations. Apple aims for minimal alteration while maintaining image integrity; however, this results in lackluster performance in practical applications. In contrast, Samsung boldly utilizes AI to showcase its capabilities, providing users with fully realized edits that enhance imagistic expression.
Acknowledging both companies' intentions is essential, but it stands undeniable that Galaxy AI has carved out a notable advantage in the photo editing arena. If you're contemplating which smartphone excels for photo editing needs, the evidence favors Samsung's S25 series.
Overall, for anyone intrigued by smartphone photography, my experience makes it evident that Galaxy AI is a far more impressive tool than Apple Intelligence’s Clean Up.