Samsung Galaxy S24 users may soon find themselves facing charges for certain AI functions, as reports indicate that Samsung-authorized experience stores in China have received notices about the same. The notice specifies that AI features, in collaboration with WPS, will start to incur charges after July 30, 2024.

You’ll need to pay for WPS AI features on the Galaxy S24 series after July 30

Users who purchase the Galaxy S24 before this date and login to WPS can avail themselves of 180 WPS AI rights for free, valid for seven days. However, after July 30, users will need to subscribe to continue using these AI functions, with pricing options ranging from 118 yuan (~$16) per year to 15 yuan (~$2) per month for continuous monthly subscription.

The collaboration between Samsung and WPS for AI functions brings about this new charging model, signaling a shift in how these features are monetized. Notably, other partnerships with Meitu and Baidu did not receive similar charging notifications, suggesting a selective approach to fee implementation. Additionally, some AI functions independent of third-party applications remain unaffected by these changes, demonstrating a nuanced approach to charging users for AI services. However, both Samsung and WPS didn’t reveal anything about the charging policies, when asked about the charging notices.

The Galaxy AI features of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series that are designed to enhance user experience include AI-driven input, translation, recording, note-taking, and camera functionalities. Most of these AI functions in China are provided by domestic manufacturers like Baidu, contributing to a tailored experience for the market. For instance, Baidu’s domestic Wenxin large language model enables advanced call and translation functions, intelligent summarization, and innovative search capabilities through gesture-based interactions.

Furthermore, Samsung has introduced a newly upgraded Note Assist to Samsung Notes, enhancing productivity and convenience for users. This feature enables content translation, refinement, summarization, and intelligent typesetting. Moreover, real-time speech-to-text transcription, multi-lingual translation, and speaker differentiation capabilities are integrated into the device-side AI, facilitating efficient communication and organization. The core Galaxy AI features such as Live Translate have not yet entered the era of subscription-based AI services. We will need to see if Samsung decides to charge for the server-side Galaxy AI features at some point in the future.

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