The change was made possible by a significant increase in the performance and efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
The Galaxy S25 series will handle generative photo editing using artificial intelligence locally, which will reduce dependence on the cloud. This writes Android Police.
Transferring AI processing to powerful cloud data centers provides functionality and can contribute to good battery life of the smartphone. But it also introduces lag and requires an active internet connection when using features like Summarize in Samsung Notes or generative editing in Samsung Gallery.
Insider AssembleDebug posted on X/Twitter that the Galaxy S25 family will have AI-powered photo processing on-device. This should further help decouple everyday actions from the cloud, taking advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s powerful capabilities.
While reviewing the code behind Samsung’s Universal App Collection, AssembleDebug noticed a number of comments describing certain features available on different chipsets. Among them was a reference to the SM8750, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip. The code comments mention three tools supposedly related to the upcoming S25 series:
- FEATURE_WALLPAPER
- FEATURE_INOUT_PAINTING
- FEATURE_GEN_EDIT_ON_DEVICE
The final tool, FEATURE_GEN_EDIT_ON_DEVICE, will enable AI photo editing without having to send images to the cloud. This will ensure speed, convenience, and privacy.
The code also mentions inpainting and outpainting, which refer to blending edits into an image and extending an image beyond its original boundaries, respectively. Theoretically, these fall under the umbrella of generative editing, although the minimal evidence so far does not provide a clear idea of where cloud processing becomes a mandatory requirement.
Currently, Galaxy AI’s generative photography allows you to isolate objects in images and move, resize, or erase them, but cloud processing consumes chip and battery power. For example, Google’s Gemini Live toolkit loses almost all functionality when the user is offline. Galaxy AI takes a more localized approach in some cases, using translation tools in the Samsung Phone, Keyboard, and Notes apps, as well as Instant Slow-Mo frame interpolation.
The slow but significant shift to on-device processing is partly hardware-driven. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset opens up new horizons for mobile devices’ ability to run demanding software. It enables wearables to use data-intensive models at high speeds and without excessive battery drain.