Samsung's 'AI Subscription' plan for phones, tablets is coming next month

After the company brought AI features to its phones and tablets, it was revealed that it could start charging for those features. And you might think this AI subscription plan is related to that. However, it isn't.

Samsung's ‘AI Subscription Club' allows you to subscribe to AI-equipped devices without buying them outright

Next month, Samsung will open its AI Subscription Club, a subscription plan that lets you rent/subscribe to Galaxy smartphones and tablets. The AI part in the plan's name indicates that it will be available for devices with AI-powered features.

This information was revealed at CES 2025 by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee. He said, “We will apply the subscription service to Galaxy smartphones starting next month. Ballie will be introduced first in Korea and the US, and we plan to supply it as a subscription in Korea.”

So, rather than buying a smartphone or tablet, you can subscribe to it using a monthly plan, similar to how you subscribe to media streaming services like Netflix and Spotify.

Samsung recently started a subscription service for its home appliances (air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines) in South Korea and received a very good response from local consumers. Just weeks after the introduction, subscriptions accounted for nearly 30% of all sales at Samsung Stores.

Ballie, Samsung's AI-powered companion robot for homes, will be released in South Korea and the USA in the first half of this year. It will be offered under the AI Subscription Club plan, but only in South Korea.

Offering Ballie on a subscription basis could work in Samsung's favor as the company has never released a companion robot before and is expected to be quite expensive. So, most consumers might not be able to buy it outright. A subscription plan will give them a chance to use Ballie.