Samsung finally confirms whether or not it’ll make you pay for Galaxy AI tools
TL;DR
- Samsung has introduced several new Galaxy AI features with One UI 8 on its latest foldables.
- These tools are expected to roll out to more Galaxy devices as One UI 8 becomes widely available.
- Despite significant improvements, Samsung has confirmed it has no plans to charge users for its Galaxy AI tools.
Samsung jumped on the AI bandwagon with the Galaxy S24 series last year, debuting a new set of AI-powered tools. The Galaxy AI suite has since made its way to more devices, picking up several new features and improvements along the way. With its latest foldables, Samsung has introduced even more new capabilities. However, despite these upgrades, the company isn’t following Google’s lead and has no plans to put its AI tools behind a paywall.
The new Galaxy Z Fold, Flip 7, and Flip 7 FE are the first Samsung devices to feature the company’s latest software release: One UI 8. In addition to Android 16 features, the update introduces several Galaxy-specific improvements, including new AI features. For instance, Samsung’s stock Gallery app on these devices can automatically detect distractions in photos and offer suggestions to remove them using the Object Eraser tool.
Samsung has also extended its Audio Eraser tool beyond the Gallery app and added a one-tap button to help users quickly and easily clean up audio in Samsung Notes, call transcripts, the video player, and the audio recorder. These changes join several other AI-powered upgrades we’ve seen in One UI 8 beta builds over the last few weeks, greatly expanding the list of Galaxy AI tools available on Samsung’s latest foldables.
Although these upgrades sparked speculation that Samsung might follow in Google’s footsteps and start charging for its Galaxy AI tools, that won’t be the case. A company executive has confirmed that while there have been internal talks about monetizing Galaxy AI experiences, Samsung currently has no plans to put the tools behind a paywall. This approach not only benefits users but could also work in Samsung’s favor, attracting more buyers to Galaxy devices who want access to AI features without paying an additional fee.
