Samsung promises not to charge a fee for Galaxy AI... yet

Samsung is far from the only phone maker betting big on AI features, with its Galaxy AI suite of options aimed at persuading punters that the best AI tools are on its devices. 

Now it's underlined that these features will be free to all users on compatible devices (which isn't that many of them) until the end of 2025. And, while it's not commenting on what the plan is from 2026 onwards, it likely involves at least some sort of subscription.

This reiteration has come in the small print attached to an announcement from Samsung that it's going to open a few pop-up locations in cities around the world this summer. They will give people the chance to experiment with Galaxy AI and see what the tools can actually do. 

That footnote reads: "Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices." That's likely include the new foldable phones expected to launch next week at Galaxy Unpacked in Paris.

The question remains how it'll brand whatever the 2026 version of the offering is, with 91mobiles pointing out that plenty of people assume this will be called Galaxy AI+ – a very easy way to indicate a new premium tier at that point.

The other obvious question is which features it'll lock behind a paywall. If people have just had 18 months and more to get used to taking advantage of certain features, whether Circle to Search or Live Translation, it might be a wrench if they disappear overnight. 

Of course, 2026 is also still a long way off, so it's entirely possible that by that point Samsung will have cooked up some new features that are even fresher and more easily stuck behind a subscription. However, there will be some delicate messaging required either way. 

So, if you're lucky enough to have a compatible Galaxy device right now (which means you've probably got one of the best phones on the market already) be sure to enjoy and actually use those AI features for the next 18 months. You never know if they'll be yours to access forever or not.