Samsung is making its AI-powered service available as a paid subscription to its smartphones and other devices. For the first time, it’s a quick upgrade from the previous AI Subscription Club launched for home appliances in South Korea.
This one will touch the Galaxy phones, as well as the soon-to-be-launched Ballie AI robot.
New AI Subscription Model of Samsung: What’s Offered?
Samsung’s Paid Subscription Coming to AI-Powered Smartphones: Will it Expand
Samsung
Since the AI Subscription Club was released by Samsung, this technology has been capable of enabling subscribers to make use of anything ranging from AI-powered televisions and fridges to even washing machines on a pay-as-you-go basis. According to a recent report by ET News via The Verge, it’s now about time when the firm takes its subscription-based payment model out for its phones and the AI robot Ballie.
While the exact features remain in the dark, it is clear that Samsung wants to give a more enhanced experience powered by artificial intelligence for a monthly fee.
“We will apply the subscription service to Galaxy smartphones starting next month. Ballie will be introduced first in Korea and the US, and we plan to supply it as a subscription in Korea,” Samsung Electronics vice chair Han Jong-hee said.
The subscription service will grant the users access to the advanced functionalities of AI that may include sophisticated camera features and voice assistants along with even better integration for smart homes.
The company, however, has cleared the ambiguity stating that all these services won’t be essential for the Galaxy phone users in case they opt for using its basic AI capabilities.
The South Korean tech giant, in the first place, said that all core features would be free till 2025. Later plans have not been stated yet.
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What’s in the AI Subscription for Samsung’s Home Appliances?
In December last year, Samsung unveiled its AI Subscription Club, an application that applies to home appliances in South Korea, allowing consumers to pay monthly for smart devices and services such as repair and maintenance.
This model allowed users to reduce the up-front costs of high-tech appliances while ensuring support and upgrades are available over time. The program runs the gamut from AI TVs to refrigerators, and many add on the benefits of extended warranties and service packages.
It remains to be seen whether the subscription model will go global. Yet with Samsung growing fast in the smart home space, this might just be an opportunity that eventually filters into other parts of the world, starting first in the United States and Europe.
What to Expect from the Upcoming Galaxy Unpacked Event
The highly-anticipated Galaxy Unpacked event from Samsung is scheduled for Jan. 22, in San Jose, California. There are high hopes for this event because it may present the new series of the Galaxy S25 including the new Galaxy S25 Slim, according to GSM Arena.
Many are speculating that this event will reveal the first glimpse of the full AI subscription service for Galaxy smartphones and perhaps more details on how the Ballie robot will integrate into users’ daily lives.
Is This Subscription Model a Game-Changer for Samsung?
Although the AI Subscription Club is in its very infancy, it marks an ambitious new venture for Samsung. For South Korean users, this is a convenient way to embrace the latest technology with a payment structure that’s more flexible and affordable. On the other hand, it exhibits Samsung’s promise to integrate more artificial intelligence within its ecosystem.
The key to this model’s success will depend on whether Samsung can offer enough value to justify the subscription fee, especially when most AI features will still be accessible for free in the near term.
If the subscription proves successful, it could lead to a more widespread rollout, changing how consumers engage with Samsung’s devices and services.
What we don’t know so far is that the Samsung subscription will not only be limited in Korea. Of course, Samsung fans also anticipate that it will be ready for global launch soon, but this still might take some time.
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