Samsung's Galaxy AI Pricing Strategy: Balancing Free Features and Potential Subscriptions

Samsung is reportedly still deciding which Galaxy AI features require a subscription

As soon as Galaxy AI became prominent on Galaxy devices, Samsung noted that a paid AI subscription would eventually come to consumers. New rumors indicate that Samsung hopes to finalize the plan structure for existing AI products by the end of the year. It was initially reported that Samsung was almost entirely ready to introduce a paid Galaxy AI subscription plan earlier this year, though that translation was misleading. Still, the concept of a new "subscription" remained on the company's mind, as we're likely to see one set in place soon. According to a report from DealSite sourcing Korean industry analysis, Samsung plans to finalize the Galaxy AI subscription model later this year. The current rumor states that Samsung will cut it close to the end of the year, introducing the plan by Q3 2025. It's expected that Samsung will announce the paid plan during its Unpacked event early next month. This is in addition to the expected paid Samsung Health plan that the company is likely to detail during the launch event for the Watch 8 series. Both feature sets use Samsung's AI models, and those don't necessarily come cheap for the company. Passing that cost on, in part, would ideally mean other products don't go up in price. A paid plan for Galaxy AI was always in the cards, though the company wanted to set a strong foundation with Galaxy AI before it introduced a fee. Galaxy AI was to remain free until the end of 2025. That guarantee has largely remained true, and the actual paywall will likely take effect in 2026. According to sources, the Galaxy AI plan will not require a subscription for every single feature. Certain high-performance functions will be locked away, while other "highly utilized" features might be free. The list that Samsung has put together so far is large, so it'll take some time for the company to decide what remains free and what needs to be offset by payment. The news is that Samsung has not finalized the plans as of yet, so every Galaxy AI feature is up for grabs in the new subscription model(s).

Samsung's Galaxy AI Pricing Talk Heats Up

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. We've known since early 2024 that Samsung was trying to figure out how it would charge people to use its Galaxy AI features. When it first arrived on the Galaxy S24, the fineprint on Samsung's Galaxy AI page gave folks until the end of 2025 before they might find out how much they'd pay to access the newest and best AI features on their Galaxy phones. As we approach the 2nd half of 2025 and those palms start sweating, a new report suggests a timeline for Samsung's pricing reveal. Galaxy AI subscription pricing: Backing up for a second, the idea of paying for Galaxy AI wasn't just a fineprint slip-up by Samsung during a massive launch event. Shortly after the Galaxy S24 launched, Samsung TM Roh confirmed that they believe there will be two sets of AI users in the future. We'll have one set that is satisfied using free AI capabilities, as well as another group that wants more powerful capabilities they would be happy to pay for. And look, he's not wrong in thinking that. All of the major AI platforms these days have paid tiers. Chat GPT has a free plan, but they also offer options that include a $20/mo "Plus" and a $200/mo "Pro" plan. Google's Gemini is free to use in a somewhat-limited state, but if you want more, you can pay $20/mo for Google AI Pro or $250/mo for Google AI Ultra. Samsung asking for Galaxy customers to pay for Galaxy AI+ or Galaxy AI Pro is not a wild idea, assuming they can convince power users that they have the services worth paying for. At this time, we have no idea what Samsung would want to charge people. What we do know, thanks to a report out of Korea (here), is that Samsung may be readying an announcement in Q3 of 2025. For those not looking at a calendar, Q3 starts in July, precisely when Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. A major Unpacked event is a perfect time to talk about the future of Galaxy AI and how much it might cost for some of the more powerful or pro features. That said, they did give us until the "end of 2025," so a pricing announcement may only take effect at the beginning of 2026. In fact, there's always a chance Samsung pushes out this paid Galaxy AI info until the end of the year, as they prepare to launch the Galaxy S26. Does Samsung's Galaxy AI currently offer any features you'd be willing to pay for?

Galaxy AI could stay free forever according to new rumor - Phandroid

Samsung might be rethinking its AI business model. According to a new rumor, Galaxy AI could stay free forever, easing users' concerns about whether they'd eventually need to pay for the company's growing suite of smart features. When Samsung first introduced Galaxy AI, it said the features would be free through the end of 2025. But it never clarified what would happen after that, or how much a subscription might cost. Understandably, that left some users wondering if their favorite tools would eventually end up behind a paywall. The Galaxy AI suite includes features like real-time translation, advanced photo editing, and smarter messaging tools. These are genuinely helpful additions that many users have come to rely on. Asking people to pay for them later could create friction, especially if the price wasn't clear upfront. Now, a post from tipster PandaFlash Pro on X suggests that Galaxy AI might remain free forever. If true, it would be a major win for users and could set a precedent as AI becomes more deeply integrated into everyday phone use. It's worth noting that this only refers to Samsung's own Galaxy AI tools. Some features are powered by Google, and anything tied to Gemini Advanced would likely still require a separate subscription through Google. In other words, just because Galaxy AI is free doesn't mean every AI feature on the phone will be. Samsung hasn't confirmed anything yet, so for now, it's still just a rumor. But if this report holds up, Galaxy users may not have to worry about an unexpected AI subscription charge in the future.

Samsung Reportedly To Reveal Galaxy AI Pricing By Q3 2025, With Only Advanced Features Like AI Video Generation Expected To Be Placed Behind A Paywall

When it comes to Galaxy AI, Samsung has been approaching the initiatives aggressively and wants to build on them further. Given its future plans to expand the efforts, the tech giant did let its users know that while the services would remain free until 2025, after that, there is no guarantee of the direction the company will take, leaving its plans regarding it in the air. A new rumor has now emerged that claims that we may finally be seeing the pricing for Galaxy AI by Q3 of 2025. Samsung has been vigorously working on making the Galaxy AI feature one of its major selling points in its flagship series, and we see many Galaxy device owners now using the features extensively, and even businesses using the Enterprise tools for enhancing productivity. However, the South Korean tech giant has had an unclear stance on the pricing strategy for its services, leaving users with just a disclaimer about the services being free until 2025. With competition intensifying in the AI space and rivals offering clear tiers when it comes to their AI offerings, pressure is on Samsung to clearly define what premium AI would be and which features would be available to everyone. While speculations have claimed that Samsung could keep its Galaxy AI features free altogether, with some claiming that it is still deciding which capabilities to monetize and which to keep free, we could see more details on this at the Galaxy Unpacked 2025, which will be held in a month. A new South Korean Media report now confirms that Samsung will shed light on the pricing policy for Galaxy AI by Q3 of 2025. The report also highlights how the tech giant might not put all the AI features under the pricing strategy and instead limit only the advanced AI capabilities, such as AI video generation, for monetization. Other basic features, such as Circle to Search and Live Translate, may continue to be available for everyone to use for free. If we see the industry-wise trend, the competition seems to be also going for a tiered model when it comes to their AI offerings and putting more computer-intensive features behind a paywall. We could have more insights on this at the Unpacked event in July, where it most likely will preview the new AI tools integrated in the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, and also specify which high-performance tools would become part of the paid category. Samsung has however, left plans related to its Galaxy AI features ambiguous and suggested that it is still looking into how to move forward when it comes to AI offerings. Till we have official confirmation, all the information should be taken with a grain of salt, and we could more details shape up at the keynote.