Breakdown
- According to a Samsung employee, Galaxy AI is coming to smartphones and devices from the 2021 and 2022 line up
- This only includes the flagship products, so the FE line of devices won’t be getting the same benefits
- The S21 and S22 phones won’t be getting all Galaxy AI features, with it getting more limited the older the device
Much like any great rom-com, we've been thinking "will they? won't they?" on whether Samsung will bring Galaxy AI to certain older smartphones. The company has made it clear that both S24 and S23 series phones have access to the Galaxy AI features, but it's been unclear whether phones from 2022 and before will get AI.
The Galaxy AI features seem a lot less gimmicky than those seen on phones like the ASUS ROG Phone 8, with Circle to Search becoming one of the best functions of the AI. However, there were suggestions that the S22 and older phones wouldn't get Samsung Galaxy AI, but according to a recent forums post, it may be coming to phones even older.
According to a Samsung employee in a Korean forums post, as seen by 9to5Google, Galaxy AI will be coming to 2022 and 2021 flagship smartphones with the One UI 6.1 update. It's worth noting that flagship includes the premium products, so devices like the FE series won't be getting the benefits.
The forum post hints at the fact that the 2022 phones and devices would be getting S23 FE level AI features, meaning that it will be missing stuff like Instant Slow-Mo. The line of devices from the 2022 era include the S22 phones, the Flip 4 and Fold 4, and the Tab S8 series of tablets.
As for 2021's range of devices, Galaxy AI would be further limited on these. Apparently, only Circle to Search and Generative Edit would be coming to 2021's line up, which includes the S21 smartphones and the Fold 3 and Flip 3. Well, at least it's better than nothing.
It's unclear whether the same terms apply to older devices as the S24 phones. Galaxy AI's terms state that it's only free until the end of 2025, but that was shared alongside the S24's release. Let's hope that you can enjoy the features on your older smartphone until you eventually upgrade it, especially if they restart the trial period with each new line up.