Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S24 series on Wednesday, with a big focus on new AI features in the Galaxy AI suite.
Except, those features will eventually cost you money.
According to a footnote on Samsung’s website, Samsung says it will provide the Galaxy AI features “for free” until the end of 2025. Android Police spotted the footnote on the Samsung U.S. website, and MobileSyrup confirmed that it appears on the Canadian web pages for the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the S24/S24+.
“Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties.”
It remains unclear how much the Galaxy AI features will cost, though we’ll likely learn that closer to when Samsung plans to start charging for them. Regardless, the fact that Samsung plans to charge for these features might come as a surprise to many. It was one of many things the company didn’t address when revealing the phones.
Another issue Samsung didn’t talk about? Many of the Galaxy AI features require an internet connection and a Samsung account to use. Some features will work offline with on-device processing, but ‘Live Translate,’ ‘Note Assist’ and ‘Chat Assist’ require an internet connection.
Of course, it’s not all bad news. Samsung notes that AI features provided by third parties might have different terms. That could include things like ‘Circle to Search,’ which is powered by Google. Plus, Samsung confirmed to Android Authority that it’s bringing some Galaxy AI features to existing phones.
It’s unfortunate, but it shouldn’t be surprising that Samsung wants to charge additional money for features on the phone that already costs $1,800. Smartphone makers are constantly looking for more ways to squeeze money out of customers, and a favourite tactic is to offer a feature for free and then charge for it once people are hooked. Apple does this with the iPhone (free but limited iCloud storage, free trials of services like Apple TV+), and Google does it with Pixel (several new features like the Pixel 8’s Magic Editor are tied to a Google One subscription). In the past, Samsung even tried squeezing ads into the apps that come pre-installed on its phones, though the company eventually stopped following significant backlash.
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Via: Android Police
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