Most of what’s new in the Galaxy S25 series is Galaxy AI. And it was rumored that Samsung will charge for Galaxy AI starting in 2026. Now tipster PandaFlash X claims that most of the Galaxy AI features such as the Photo Assist, AI Instant Slow-mo, and Writing Tools will remain free.
Although it was previously written as “free until 2025”, the latest rumor does not mention any specific time, suggesting the features will remain free forever. And it makes sense if you consider the upgrades: Galaxy AI and only a handful of changes in the hardware.
While we are not sure how much Samsung is going to charge for its Galaxy AI, or just how the plans are going to be positioned, we know that the Gemini Advanced subscription (that’s free for the first 6 months for Galaxy S25 series users) is priced at $20/month. The tipster also mentions that Gemini Advanced features are going to be paid.
There’s no word on which specific features depend on Gemini Advanced
So what are you going to pay for or lose after the 6-month free period? Well, Samsung was about as clear on this as it was about the Galaxy S25 Edge. They only showcased the AI capabilities and the quality of life improvements the S25 series will bring to your life, but they didn’t reveal what exact functions require the Gemini Advanced subscription.
“Gemini Advanced comes with our most capable AI models and priority access to the newest features. It will also include ‘Screen Sharing’ and ‘live video viewing’ in the future,” said the VP at ‘Google Gemini Experiences’ at the Galaxy Unpacked event:
That said, it seems like most of the AI features (such as summarization) actually take advantage of the newest model available. Even though you don’t pay for the subscription, the features will continue to function with relatively inferior output.
According to Google Store, Gemini Advanced excels at tackling complex problems with its enhanced reasoning abilities. Some of the more complex queries may not work as well as they will in the first six months, or they may stop functioning altogether. It’s a shame that Samsung left all these questions unanswered on the internet for speculation and analysis instead of addressing them clearly at launch.
Source: PandaFlash X
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