Samsung has been quick to jump on the generative AI bandwagon. The Galaxy AI features are a bit wild, but they have the advantage of being new, and they're free—but maybe not for long! Samsung has announced the color: these AI features will be offered at no additional cost until the end of this year. After that? It's possible the company will introduce paid subscriptions.
Free features, but only on new models?
And it could start as early as this summer. Hon Pak, Samsung's vice president and head of its health division, told Cnet that a paid plan similar to Garmin's Fitbit Premium or Connect Plus could be implemented to unlock advanced health-tracking features. However, they would remain free for buyers of the manufacturer's upcoming Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Ultra, expected this summer. For older models, you'll have to dig deep into your pocket.
To encourage users to sign up for a subscription, the associated features must be compelling. Samsung already showed its colors yesterday, by unveiling a non-invasive antioxidant sensor. The antioxidant index is a needle-free test that measures carotenoid (antioxidant) levels by simply touching the watch's sensor with your thumb.
This test will return a score ranging from "poor" to "adequate" and offer personalized advice (diet, recipes, supplements). A personalized AI-powered sports coaching system is also in the pipeline: it will assess the user's fitness level after a 12-minute run and recommend a workout tailored to achieve goals such as a 10K or a marathon.
Audio advice will be given in real time during exercise (which is reminiscent of watchOS 26's Workout Buddy), and it will adapt the program based on performance. In addition, there are two new features related to sleep. A vascular load measurement will estimate the pressure experienced by the cardiovascular system while sleeping. After analyzing pulse waves, the watch will assess "arterial stiffness"; It's about directly linking diet, stress, sleep, and heart health in a visible and actionable way.
Another new feature to help you get a better night's sleep is bedtime guidance, establishing a personalized sleep window by analyzing circadian rhythms and three-day sleep debt. This feature will suggest ideal bedtime and wake-up times, and even modify the user's environment (light, temperature, humidity) by adjusting connected SmartThings devices.
These new features will be available with One UI 8 Watch, which will ship this summer alongside One UI 8 for smartphones. This new overlay for smartwatches will be available very soon in the United States and South Korea (Galaxy Watch 5 or better). These are features to be activated in Labs, the experimental section of Galaxy AI. Now the question is how much a subscription would cost...
Source: Cnet
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