Key Takeaways
- Galaxy AI features from the new Galaxy S24 lineup are heading to older Samsung devices through OneUI 6.1, rolling out in late March.
- OneUI 6.1 includes a suite of generative AI features like Chat Assist, Browser Assist, Transcript Assist, and more for improved user experience.
- To access OneUI 6.1’s Galaxy AI features, make sure to install the update, have a Samsung account, and expect to need an internet connection.
Samsung is finally ready to share which Galaxy AI features are making the jump to older phones, and when. Galaxy AI is heading to last year’s tablets, foldables, and smartphones as part of OneUI 6.1, which should start rolling out to your Samsung device in late March.
Galaxy AI is the catchall name Samsung uses to describe a suite of generative AI features that were the highlight of the company’s new Galaxy S24 lineup. They cover everything from translating live phone calls to suggesting possible edits to photos, and based on what Samsung has shared, the flashiest features will be available on the Galaxy S23 series of phones, the Z Fold and Flip 5, the S23 FE, and the Galaxy Tab S9 series of tablets.
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Samsung/Pocket-lint
OneUI 6.1 will include Galaxy AI skills
OneUI 6.1 includes all the novel Galaxy AI features Samsung included with Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra. The company hasn’t made it clear which features, if any, are processed locally on these older devices, and we’ve reached out to Samsung for clarification.
Galaxy AI features included in the upcoming update:
- Chat Assist
- Live Translate
- Interpreter
- Circle to Search
- Note Assist
- Browser Assist
- Transcript Assist
- Generative Edit
- Edit Suggestions
- Instant Slo-mo
Chat Assist, Live Translate, and Interpreter improve communication by integrating translations and, in some cases, tone adjustments to text messages, live phone calls, and conversations you have out in the world.
Note Assist, Browser Assist, and Transcript Assist introduce automated summaries for text and audio stored in Samsung apps or articles viewed through the Samsung Internet Browser.
Lastly, Generative Edit, Edit Suggestions, and Instant Slo-mo make the process of editing videos and photos easier, primarily by using generative AI to fill in blank spaces that get left behind when you remove an object from a photo or slow down a video.
In our review of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, a feature that isn’t exclusive to Galaxy AI, Circle to Search, ended up being the most useful. Essentially, by holding down on the home button of your phone, you can enter into a mode that lets you circle anything on your phone’s screen and conduct a Google Search. It makes perfect sense with the S Pen on the Ultra, but Google’s also brought it to the stylus-less Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
Samsung/Pocket-lint
Requirements to use Galaxy AI
The OneUI update needs to be installed, you need a Samsung account, and until we get final confirmation from Samsung, you’ll also need an internet connection to take advantage of all the AI features. On S24 devices, translations and tone adjustments in chats are two of only a few skills that run entirely locally on-device, but it seems like older Galaxy devices will need to rely on an internet connection to take advantage of Galaxy AI.
Samsung/Pocket-lint
OneUI 6.1’s expected release date
OneUI 6.1 should be available to download in late March. We’ve asked Samsung to share a specific start date, but in general, these kinds of software updates become available to waves of customers over the course of a few days or weeks. Typically, the release starts in Samsung’s home country of Korea before expanding to the rest of the world.
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