Galaxy AI Behind Paywall? Samsung Tests Subscription Service
The idea isn't new, but some Galaxy AI features may end up being paywalled. According to SammyGuru, Samsung is testing a subscription model for Galaxy AI.
Free with a limit; pay for more
Samsung is testing the new setup under the name Galaxy AI Premium, reports SammyGuru based on the app shown to test users. In this context, “Premium” isn’t the subscription itself, but the umbrella term: it encompasses two tiers—a free “Standard” and a paid “Max.” Here’s how they relate to each other:
| Name | What it is | Price (test) |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy AI Premium | The name of the entire program Samsung is testing; not a standalone subscription | N/A |
| Standard | The free tier: seven features, each with a usage limit; additional credits can be purchased | Free |
| Max | The paid tier: about 4x as much usage plus three features not yet announced (Gen Video, Bixby Action, Daily Briefing) | $4.99 per month or $47.99 per year |
The Standard tier includes Browsing Assist, Now Brief, Creative Studio, Smart Capture, Samsung Keyboard, Photo Assist, and Personal Agent. All of these have usage limits. Once you’ve exceeded those limits, you can purchase additional credits, though the price for these hasn’t been disclosed yet.
The Max plan offers about four times as much usage and unlocks three features that appear in the test app but which Samsung has not yet officially mentioned: Gen Video, which, according to the app, is intended to create AI videos from your own photos and is presumably the feature Samsung has been working on since 2024; Bixby Action, which is said to automate tasks across apps; and Daily Briefing, though it’s unclear how it relates to Now Brief. Samsung is offering the entire package as early access; participants will get their money back at the end of the test.
Converted, Max works out to roughly €4.50 per month or €43 per year. According to SammyGuru, the dollar amounts are placeholders: the final price comes from Samsung’s servers and may vary, so a European price isn’t available yet.
What Samsung promised in 2025
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S24 series in 2024, Galaxy AI was the main selling point, with the caveat that the features would be free until the end of 2025. In July 2025, Samsung went a step further in a statement to Android Police: features that come standard on the phone, such as Live Translate, Note Assist, Zoom Nightography, Audio Eraser, and Browsing Assist, would never require a fee. Samsung has never officially commented on the year 2026; in practice, everything has remained free to date.
Compare that promise with the test lists, and questions remain. Browsing Assist—which Samsung specifically named as permanently free—is listed in the “Standard” category with a usage limit. It’s still free, but no longer unlimited, and the test app doesn’t clarify exactly what that limit entails. More intriguing is what’s missing from the lists: Live Translate, Note Assist, Writing Assist, Call Assist, and Interpreter. Especially with a feature like Writing Assist—which you can use for every message—a limit would be immediately noticeable. Will these features remain completely free, or will they soon be subject to the same limit? The test version doesn’t answer that question, and that’s precisely the question an S24 or S25 owner wants answered. Back then, you bought a device whose AI features were marketed as free, with only an expiration date noted in small print.
Will this come with the Galaxy S27?
The app doesn’t include a list of supported devices, but it does check for the code “20271.” SammyGuru interprets this as a reference to the Galaxy S27 series, which is expected to launch in early 2027. So it’s quite possible that Galaxy AI Premium will debut alongside the S27 and only come to older devices later—if at all. Whether existing users will retain unlimited access to its features remains anyone’s guess for now.
The idea of an AI subscription isn’t new. Google charges a monthly fee via Google One for the more advanced Gemini features, while Apple is keeping Apple Intelligence free for now. Samsung’s Max would likely fall somewhere in between. Our advice until then: don’t buy a phone just for the promised AI features. As long as Samsung doesn’t specify what will remain free, evaluate a Galaxy based on what it can do today—without a subscription.
