Republished on March 13 with new analysis on Apple’s AI problems, which also affects Android users with tracking warnings.

Google is facing a serious Android issue, highlighted in a new report. The AI competition between Google, Samsung, and Apple has revealed long-standing problems hidden deep in Android’s system.

Google has been trying to close the security and privacy gap with iPhones. Android 15 and the upcoming Android 16 bring important upgrades. Samsung users have waited a long time for these updates, but they’re finally close. Android 16 also seems to be rolling out in a new way. But one big problem remains: hidden tracking that users cannot block. This is especially bad for Galaxy and Pixel owners, who are buying phones advertised with “on-device privacy.”

Here’s the contradiction.

  • The new promise: Google and Samsung are promoting AI features that protect privacy by keeping processing on the phone itself. For example, Google’s scam detection and photo scanning are processed directly on the device, keeping results private. Samsung also promises that its AI features “never compromise on privacy.”

  • The old reality: A study from Trinity College, Dublin, found that Google still tracks Android phones using cookies, identifiers, and other data secretly collected by default apps. This happens without asking for permission and without any way to opt out.

The researchers say this raises legal concerns and should be a “wake-up call” for regulators to step in and protect Android users’ data.

Google replied to the legal point by saying: “The researcher admits in the report that they are not a lawyer, and we do not agree with their legal view. Protecting user privacy is very important for Android, and we follow all privacy laws and rules.”

But when it came to the actual tracking, the Trinity team explained: “We told Google about our findings and waited before publishing so they could reply. They gave a short response, saying they would not comment on the legal issues (though we didn’t ask them to). They did not correct any errors (which we asked them to do). They also did not answer our question about whether they plan to change the cookies and other data stored by their software.”

Google also said: “This report mentions several Google tools and technologies that help us provide useful products and services.” However, there is no sign that Google plans to stop or change this on-device tracking, so the concerns raised remain unanswered.

On top of this, Google has delayed ending cookies in Chrome and even brought back digital fingerprinting, which is also controversial. So, despite all the talk about on-device AI for privacy, the core issues haven’t changed. It looks more like a marketing push than a true privacy effort.

This puts Samsung in a tricky spot. It wants to compete with iPhone, but it depends on Android. That means its users are also affected by these tracking issues. At the same time, Samsung cannot release security updates or system upgrades as quickly as Google’s Pixel phones, because it doesn’t control both the hardware and the software.

For now, while Android and iPhone still have differences in security and privacy, Apple has fallen behind in AI. The company failed to deliver the AI improvements it promised for 2025 with the Apple Intelligence upgrade, which was meant to be a key feature of the iPhone 16 and the latest iPad Pro. This failure shifts attention away from privacy and security issues, especially since Google and Samsung are now focusing on AI that runs directly on devices.

Google’s on-device AI assistant keeps getting better, while Apple’s Siri seems outdated. Macworld even says, “Siri isn’t an assistant, it’s an embarrassment,” and criticizes Apple for not making Siri competitive. Apple admitted that major Siri features have been delayed by at least a year, and there’s little reason to expect quick improvement.

Apple had promised that its AI would be more secure because of on-device processing and its secure cloud systems, setting it apart from Google and Samsung. But since Apple hasn’t delivered yet, there’s currently no more secure alternative to Google’s Android AI. This matters because even though Google and Samsung emphasize on-device AI, the difference between device-based and cloud-based AI is still unclear due to privacy policies.

Some think that security concerns may be why Apple’s AI upgrade is delayed, which reduces pressure from competitors. 9to5Mac notes that privacy is a major selling point for Apple, and any flaw that lets apps access personal data would be a disaster.

Right now, Apple’s AI struggles could shift the debate from security to AI features. Without a strong AI on iPhone to match Google’s Gemini, people are less focused on privacy and more on what devices can actually do.

Media attention is growing, especially after John Gruber’s post on Daring Fireball, which highlights the risks of Apple Intelligence’s delay. Gruber admits he underestimated the problem and says the stall could harm Apple’s reputation.

Apple’s past reliability in releasing promised products may have lulled people into complacency, but now the gap between iPhone and Android looks worse. Samsung released Galaxy AI months before Apple, and Google’s Gemini still outperforms Siri. Six months after the iPhone 16 launch, Apple’s “smart Siri” is still not available—effectively making it vaporware.

Apple is no longer seen as a major player in AI for smartphones. In fact, Apple’s AI isn’t really being discussed much. According to Android Police, “AI is now the main battleground for smartphones, with features that make our devices smarter. Google and Samsung are leading the way.” For example, Google Pixel phones like the Pixel 9 use AI through Gemini, with features like Add Me, Call Screen, and Magic Eraser. Samsung’s Galaxy AI has Circle to Search, Live Translate, and Drawing Assist. Both companies approach AI differently, but Apple isn’t leading the AI revolution.

Google’s AI features are real and available now. Android Police explains that Gemini, Google’s built-in AI assistant, can do things like identify objects in photos, suggest restaurants, help brainstorm ideas, act as a fitness coach, and even identify LEGO pieces. It works directly on the phone without needing extra apps, thanks to integration with Google Cloud and Tensor chips, which also improves speed and privacy. This is similar to what people expected from Apple’s on-device software and hardware control—but Apple hasn’t delivered yet.

Even when Google faces criticism for tracking users, such as spying on Android users before they even log in, it doesn’t seem to hurt their AI progress. Meanwhile, Apple has delayed its AI features, saying it will take longer than expected to release them. According to Gruber, Apple could have shown these features to the press live or online, but they didn’t. If Apple’s AI features even exist in a working state, no one outside Apple has confirmed it.

Still, the bigger issue for Google and Samsung users is Android’s tracking. There needs to be transparency about what is happening on devices, who controls it, and how it works. Reviews of “silent” tracking and digital fingerprinting would help. Default opt-outs for tracking would be even better. Until then, any AI marketing claims might need an asterisk.

Published: 24th September 2025

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