We’re slowly moving to a subscription phone, thanks to AI

For better or worse, AI is shaping up to be the cornerstone of smartphones for the foreseeable future. Google’s Pixel 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 series are already imbued with various AI capabilities, while many other Android brands and even the usually snail-paced Apple are hurrying to make their upcoming phones properly “smart.” Although we’re currently enjoying the explosive growth phase, with manufacturers throwing features at us left and right, we will soon find out whether consumers are willing to pay extra for AI in the longer term.

The writing is on the wall that at least some mobile AI features will eventually move behind a paywall. Samsung states that Galaxy AI will remain free until 2025. While the brand hasn’t made concrete decisions about the fiscal future of Galaxy AI, it has hinted that more advanced AI features could arrive for paid subscribers at the very least. Google already charges more for some of its latest AI features. Video Boost, for example, is only available on the more expensive Pixel 8 Pro, owing to data center costs. Cloud-based processing, in particular, has to be paid for somehow, and an “AI subscription” seems like the inevitable outcome.