When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S24, it promised to bring some of the phone’s flagship AI features to older Galaxy phones. According to a recent announcement, we now know exactly when this will happen.
Almost all major mobile devices launched by Samsung in 2023 will benefit from the company’s new generation Galaxy AI “starting in late March,” the Korean company confirmed. The list of devices includes the Galaxy S23 series, the S23 FE, the last two Fold and Flip phones, and the Tab S9 series.
This story was updated Feb. 28. Updated below.
“This is just the beginning of Galaxy AI, as we plan to bring the experience to more than 100 million Galaxy users by 2024,” explained TM Roh, Samsung’s president and head of the cellular industry, in a blog post.
This is an attractive move for Samsung, as it is handing over the Galaxy S24’s flagship features to existing users for free. These AI devices (Live Translation, Circle to Search, Notes Assistant, and Generative Symbol Editing) feature prominently in Samsung’s Galaxy S24 marketing. , which focuses squarely on pitching it as an AI-powered exclusive phone, except that may not be the case anymore, as Samsung needs to make this generation accessible to millions of existing Galaxy users.
Why, then, this generosity? The answer lies in the fine print on Samsung’s website, which states that “Galaxy AI features will be available for free until at least the end of 2025 on compatible Samsung Galaxy devices. “
There’s a good chance Samsung will pay in the long run for some of those features, which are expensive to expand and operate. And now that Samsung has shown which devices will reap the benefits of the update, there’s a potential new visitor base. of another hundred million people who are likely to purchase a subscription.
This is a huge source of potential profits for the Korean manufacturer. The question is how many other people will have to pay for the existing diversity of AI features, which I don’t see as a game-changer (but still impressive) since I’ve been with the S24 Ultra.
But I think Samsung has a lot more to do. What would convince me to open my wallet is if Samsung deployed its artificial intelligence to make its phones, or any Android phone, more usable. By this, I mean making the many features that Samsung integrates into its smartphones more accessible. Or even just make users aware of its existence.
The Galaxy Z Fold is the phone I use on a daily basis, it’s a remarkable generation that I’ve thankfully called the most productive phone of 2023. But I’m still finding new features, such as the intensity of the remotes when they’re plugged in. An attractive feature, a fun discovery, but also something I would never have discovered if I hadn’t stumbled upon it.
AI can solve this problem. There’s a global option where a user can ask a chatbot to stream an app from their phone to their TV (instead of the entire phone screen), stipulate that notifications aren’t displayed on the big screen, and also set a timer for how long. . The casting consultation lasts. All of this can be accomplished with a single message. It’s a lot easier than searching through settings menus and online reading guides, just to use a probably undeniable feature.
Google is showcasing these features with its Gemini app for Android, which can analyze and summarize the contents of your Google Drive or Gmail accounts. It’s impressive to see it in action and the prospect of getting a genuine assistant that makes your smartphone more useful is tempting. Maybe it’s less engaging than creating generative images, but making your phone effective is much more exciting to me. Let’s hope Samsung agrees.
February 26 update: Samsung is offering Android and iOS users the ability to try out new Galaxy AI features through the Try Galaxy promotional app. Previously, the app was only available to iOS users and was part of a long-running marketing crusade to trap iPhone owners into transferring them to Samsung smartphones. A practice the company has been aggressively engaging in for years. Now, the app is also available to all Android users.
It works by simulating the home screen of a Samsung Galaxy phone, including a demonstration of new Galaxy AI features. It’s not a starter app that adds a new skin, but rather a very clever interactive assistant with a set of detailed features. For example, one of the AI features, Live Translate, doesn’t work. You can start your own translated phone call. Instead, users enjoy an in-depth demonstration of a call between an English-speaking woman and a Spanish taxi driver arranging a pickup.
Other skills, such as Circle To Search and Note Assist, are just videos explaining the feature. However, the overall experience is strangely detailed. The Gallery app comprises a full complement of other people’s photos, there are text messages between your other Galaxy and others, as well as a detailed Samsung Health profile.
Update Feb. 28: Last week, TM Roh, Samsung’s president and head of the cellular sector, said that the company is using more AI features for its smartphones and wearables. Specifically, the Korean company “is already making plans for the next steps for Galaxy. “AI beyond smartphones, optimizing it for various categories of devices across various services. “In the near future, some Galaxy wearables will use AI for virtual health.
We now have an idea of how AI will be implemented in its wearables, starting with the upcoming Galaxy Ring. If you’re not familiar, read my story about the computer here. In short, it’s a ring that allows you to track your fitness thanks to miniaturized sensors. Samsung claims that the new device will use AI to detect symptoms of sleep apnea, the company has not provided details on the role AI plays in this.
Two new AI-based features are also on the way. The first, My Vitality Score, uses 4 fitness points to measure a user’s overall fitness; activity, resting center frequency, center frequency variability, and sleep. The other feature, Booster Card, tracks the user’s fitness and fitness goals. Both will rely on AI to measure those metrics and recommend tactics for improvement, Samsung says. These will be exclusive to Galaxy S24 users (at least for now) and it looks like the Galaxy Ring will play a key role in measuring those metrics.