Samsung reportedly to charge for some Galaxy AI features. These functions are to remain free

Artificial intelligence in Samsung phones has been free since the launch of the Galaxy S24 series, but it has been speculated for some time that the manufacturer will lock some features behind a subscription. SammyGuru now speaks more specifically about a Galaxy AI Premium plan, with which free features would get limits and three new features would be for paying users only.

Many features will remain free, but will be limited

The website SammyGuru gained access to an application where Samsung is preparing the subscription. The free version retains standard features, which the application lists as Photo Assist photo editing, Browsing Assist website summaries, Now Brief overview, Creative Studio, Smart Capture, AI in Samsung Keyboard, and Personal Agent. However, their use is to be limited. Those who exhaust it will reportedly have to purchase a credit pack or upgrade to the paid Max plan with quadruple limits.

Screenshots published by the server show a Max plan with 40,000 credits per month and a top-up pack with 3,000 credits. How many credits one photo edit or article summary creation consumes, and how many we get without having to pay, is not clear from the leak. This will determine whether a regular user will even hit the ceiling.

Subscribers to the Max package are also to receive three new features. According to the app’s description, Gen Video will create AI videos from your photos, Bixby Action is to automate tasks across applications, and the third feature, Daily Briefing, does not yet have a description. SammyGuru assumes it will be something different from the existing Now Brief.

The Max plan is said to cost around a hundred per month

SammyGuru found specific prices in the app’s text strings: the Max plan is expected to cost approximately 110 CZK per month (4.99 dollars) when converted. For annual payment, it should be about 1,050 CZK (47.99 dollars), making the annual subscription roughly one-fifth cheaper. The app does not specify the price of credit packs.

However, the final prices are sent to the phone by Samsung’s servers and the Galaxy Store, so they may still change. Furthermore, the amounts are in dollars, and how much the subscription would cost in the Czech Republic is not clear from the application.

The subscription is to be addressed first with the Galaxy S27

The application does not contain a list of supported phones. However, it has a condition for an AI version labeled 20271, which, according to SammyGuru, suggests that the Galaxy S27 series will be the first to receive the subscription, which Samsung is expected to unveil early next year. It could be extended to other models only after testing is complete.

The test takes the form of an early access program, which users sign up for themselves. According to SammyGuru, Samsung will refund money spent during the test after it concludes. Country-based restrictions are missing in the app; availability is likely to be controlled by the Samsung account. South Korea and the USA are provisionally expected to be included at a minimum.

Originally, Samsung promised Galaxy AI for free until the end of 2025, then removed the deadline from the note and replaced it with a sentence stating that basic Galaxy AI features are free. However, in the same note, it anticipates that future versions may bring extended features or new services for a fee. Moreover, already in October, an unnamed informant claimed that more demanding AI features might end up behind a subscription with One UI 10.

Would you pay approximately 110 CZK per month for Galaxy AI, or would the free limits be enough for you?

Sources: SammyGuru, Android Authority, SamMobile