Skip to main content

Have one of these Samsung phones? You’re getting Galaxy AI features next month

The Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra's rear panels.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S24 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you bought a Samsung phone within the last year or so, get ready for a big software update heading your way soon. On February 21, Samsung confirmed that a number of its older smartphones are getting Galaxy AI features as part of the One UI 6.1 update in “late March.”

Samsung introduced Galaxy AI last month with the debut of the Galaxy S24 series. While the AI features have been exclusive to the S24 handsets since their release in January, this upcoming One UI 6.1 update will allow a lot more people to check them out for themselves.

Recommended Videos

As Samsung has previously confirmed, the following devices will receive the Galaxy AI toolkit when One UI 6.1 lands in March:

  • Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, S9 Plus, and S9 Ultra

When you get Galaxy AI on any of these devices next month, there’s a lot to check out. Circle to Search is one of the most useful features. It allows you to perform a Google Search for anything you see on your phone just by circling or scribbling on it. There are also helpful translation tools for in-person and phone conversations, powerful AI photo-editing tools, and a feature called “Chat Assist” that can help adjust the tone of your messages. Some of these are less successful than others.

Samsung has also confirmed that its Galaxy AI features will cost money at some point, though it hasn’t said how much or when exactly that will happen. For the foreseeable future, though, all of these features will remain free whether you’re using them on a Galaxy S24 or one of the above devices when they get the One UI 6.1 update in March.

Joe Maring
Joe Maring has been the Section Editor of Digital Trends' Mobile team since June 2022. He leads a team of 13 writers and…
The Samsung Galaxy S25 may not get the camera upgrade you were hoping for
Front and rear angled view of leaked Galaxy S25 renders.

If you were hoping the next entry-level Samsung Galaxy S phone would be a significant update, think again. For at least the third time in the last few weeks, we've heard somewhat bad news about the upcoming Galaxy S25. The latest rumor comes from reliable leaker Ice Universe.

According to a recent post, the 2025 Galaxy S25 will feature a 50-megapixel primary camera again, similar to the Galaxy S24. Furthermore, and more distressing, this same camera might also be included in the Galaxy S26 in 2026!

Read more
Your Galaxy S24 is about to get a big software update. Here’s what’s new
Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S24 users will soon receive new AI features on their devices. The company has begun rolling out the One UI 6.1.1 update for Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra users. The 2.8GB update includes the September 2024 security patch and many new features, most of which are AI-based.

This update introduces enhanced productivity tools such as Note Assist, PDF Overlay Translation, and Sketch to Image. Note Assist can translate and summarize meeting notes and create transcripts from voice recordings. PDF Overlay Translation allows you to translate text into PDF files, images, and graphs. The Sketch to Image feature generates image options based on simple sketches.

Read more
Have one of these Samsung devices? You won’t get software updates anymore
Four galaxy z flip3 5g phones.

When you buy a phone, you expect it to work for at least a couple of years, if not longer. For many people, the time to upgrade to a new device is when it no longer receives security updates. Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Tab S7, and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus will receive no more software updates. All three devices are now four years old, having launched in August 2020. That's about the average timespan for supporting mobile devices, but it still feels a little too short.

If you own one of these three gadgets, you might want to think about getting a newer version. While the Z Flip 5G, Tab S7, and Tab S7 Plus will all continue to work (at least for a while), they will be less secure. Software updates aren't just for improving performance and adding new features but also for patching vulnerabilities that could put your data at risk. If nothing else, make sure to use a VPN when handling any personal or banking information.

Read more