You no longer need to purchase Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup to get Galaxy AI, a new suite of AI-powered features that debuted earlier this year. Samsung will start rolling out the One UI 6.1 update on March 28th, bringing Galaxy AI to older devices including the Galaxy S23 lineup, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung previously announced plans to bring Galaxy AI to last year’s Galaxy S phones and foldable phones, but it only recently revealed when the update would launch. The development is just the latest sign that phone makers believe generative artificial intelligence, or AI that can create content after being trained on data, is a key part of where smartphones are headed. do not have.
In addition to the phones listed above, the Wi-Fi version of the Galaxy Tab S9, S9 Plus, and S9 Ultra will also be updated starting this week. Samsung said One UI 6.1 will be available on devices sold through its retail channels as well as carriers and partners including Best Buy, Amazon, AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular and Verizon.
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Galaxy AI is a collective term for several software features introduced with the Galaxy S24 series. These features include Circle to Search, which lets you start a Google search for a specific item or product by simply circling your finger on the screen. There’s also Chat Assist, which translates text conversations and rewrites texts in a different tone before sending, and Live Translate, which translates phone calls in real time.
Photo and video editing is also a major focus area for Galaxy AI. For example, you can use Generative Edit to manipulate or erase objects in your photos. Also, with Instant His Slow Motion, you can preview the clip in slow motion by simply holding your finger on the video.
However, a Samsung representative said that Photo Ambient Wallpaper, a feature that uses AI to change wallpaper photos based on time and weather, will continue to be exclusive to the Galaxy S24 series.
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Samsung’s update comes as generative AI is expected to play a larger role in smartphones in the future. International Data Corporation, which monitors the mobile market, predicts that 170 million next-generation AI smartphones will be shipped in 2024, representing nearly 15% of total shipments. According to Bloomberg, Apple also plans to introduce new generative AI features to the iPhone in the next major software update, iOS 18.
Samsung’s choice to bring Galaxy AI to its current phones is also very telling. This suggests that the company is focused on getting Galaxy AI into the hands of as many people as possible, rather than using AI to force shoppers to upgrade.
Correction, 4:49 p.m.: A previous version of this article’s headline incorrectly listed the release date of Samsung’s One UI 6.1 update. The update will be released on March 28th.
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