Galaxy AI will only reach Samsung cell phones launched in 2023, says executive
Galaxy AI tools will not be compatible with phones launched before 2023, a Samsung executive confirmed this week. According to him, older devices would not have powerful enough hardware to handle the new features.
“We want to ensure that over time our AI experiences can be supported by device performance, which leads to CPU and GPU capacity. So for now, we're learning; we'll take it step by step,” said the head of customer experience, Patrick Chomet.
“We know Galaxy AI works well on the Galaxy S24 series, and we know it will work well [no S23]. But we don't know how intense AI usage will be for the average customer, and how that intensity will affect device capabilities and cloud resources,” he added.
Because of this, the Galaxy AI platform will be limited to Samsung's most recent releases:
- Galaxy S23;
- Galaxy S23+;
- Galaxy S23 Ultra;
- Galaxy S23 FE;
- Galaxy Tab S9;
- Galaxy Tab S9+;
- Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra;
- Galaxy Z Fold 5;
- Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Possible strategic decision
Pointing out hardware limitations as a justification for the restriction is understandable, but it implies comparisons: the Galaxy S23 FE, although launched in 2023, is equipped with an Exynos 2200 processor in some regions, the same chipset present in the Galaxy S22, launched in 2022.
If the Galaxy S23 FE has enough performance to take on the Galaxy AI features, the S22 theoretically does too. When asked about the matter, the Samsung executive reinforced that the features will only be launched for “high-end devices, for now”.
Although Samsung does not mention it, the cost of cloud processing may be one of the reasons for restricted support. Most AI functions depend on the company's servers to function, which generates costs for the company.
