Samsung Might Start Charging For Galaxy AI After 2025
A few months ago I wondered whether the AI built into the Galaxy S24 would be available for free or whether the buyer would have to pay for it via a subscription or an increase in the price of the phone. As ChatGPT has shown, AI capabilities are not free. If you want to get the most out of ChatGPT, you'll need to pay for a subscription.
Going back to the Galaxy S24, we now know that Samsung hasn't increased the price of its flagship phone this year, other than raising the price of the Ultra model by $100. At first I thought Samsung would have to pay for the AI separately, perhaps through a subscription.
When I met Samsung at the Galaxy S24 conference, I asked how much the Galaxy AI phone would cost. Samsung says it currently has no plans to charge for its AI services. This means things could change in the future and it looks like we now have a deadline straight from Samsung: 2025.
Galaxy AI is a complete set of artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence features built directly into Android. It's not just Samsung's Gauss AI: the Korean giant is collaborating with Google on some AI features. I would say that Circle to Search, the amazing AI feature of the Galaxy S24 series, has nothing to do with Samsung.
This means that it's not just Samsung that has to decide how to pay for AI. And I say it again and again: nothing is free on the Internet. You pay for Google features like Circle to Search using your personal data. The same goes for any other generative AI technology developed using Google Gemini or other Google LLMs.
Others, like Samsung, may find other ways to monetize AI. Samsung told me it doesn't collect user data through its AI features. Additionally, Galaxy AI will not learn via messages and chats.
Samsung has quietly started teasing the possibility of loading some AI features in the future. A footnote in the Samsung Galaxy S24 announcement for Australia, first spotted by Android Central , states that Galaxy AI features may not always be free:
Galaxy AI features will be available for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.
There is no such warning in American advertising. However, there are footnotes on the Galaxy S24 product pages with a similar disclaimer:
Galaxy AI features will be available for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms and conditions may apply to AI features provided by third parties.
We're still in the early days of Galaxy AI, and things will change as Samsung Galaxy AI continues to improve features and add new ones. Samsung also plans to bring Galaxy AI capabilities to select devices later this year. Additionally, I expect all Galaxy flagships and even some mid-range phones to come with Galaxy AI capabilities.
I would also like to add that there are some Galaxy AI features available in the device. Translation of messages, calls and translators. Camera editing suggestion function; The image wallpaper is selectable on the Galaxy S24. Therefore, Samsung cannot monetize it. However, most Galaxy AI systems require cloud processing. This is where Samsung can implement subscriptions.
Finally, I'll also mention that Samsung's Knox security suite allows you to disable Galaxy AI features on the device. This is a feature that can be useful if you don't care about AI creation features, free or paid.
In the meantime you can pre-order one of the three versions of the Galaxy S24 using this link.
