The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra were the first Samsung devices to run One UI 6.1, featuring several new AI features and additional tweaks. Samsung announced last month that it will release the One UI 6.1 update to older devices before the end of the first half of this year. The company has now offered a more accurate timeline for the release of the One UI 6.1 update.
One UI 6.1 update is coming to some high-end phones in March 2024
Samsung has announced that it will start rolling out the One UI 6.1 update to the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the Galaxy Tab S9 series at the end of March 2024. This update will bring several Galaxy AI features seen on the Galaxy S24 series to older high-end phones through a hybrid approach. Some AI features will work on-device, while others need an active internet connection.
By the end of 2024, Samsung aims to bring Galaxy AI features to over 100 million Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and wearables.
List of AI features coming with One UI 6.1 to older Galaxy devices
The One UI 6.1 update will bring Browsing Assist, Chat Assist, Circle to Search with Google, Generative Edit, Instant Slow-Mo, Interpreter, Live Translate, Note Assist, and Transcript Assist to the devices mentioned above.
The Browsing Assist feature allows users to create summaries of articles or webpages, and it only works with the Samsung Internet web browser. It helps users read content and understand it faster.
The Chat Assist feature will enable users to adjust the tone of their language while messaging. Users can get grammar and tone improvements, and the feature works with messaging apps in 13 different languages. With the Circle to Search with Google feature, users can circle anything on the screen to get more information about it online.
With Generative Edit, users can select and erase unwanted objects from images. They can also choose and realign/reposition objects to make an image look like a great shot. They can also adjust images with bad angles and fill the remaining space with matching content created by Generative AI. The Instant Slow-Mo feature lets users turn any regular video into a slow-motion video. It uses AI to generate intermediate frames to double the frames in a video.
The Interpreter mode allows people to converse with others who don't speak their language. This mode opens in split-screen mode on conventional phones, foldable phones, and tablets. Words spoken by a Galaxy device user are transcribed and converted to any other chosen language. Translated text is then converted to voice so the other person can hear it in their language. Similarly, the Live Translate feature translates languages in real time during voice calls. It also works in supported messaging apps, including WhatsApp.
You can check out all these features in our in-depth video below.
The Note Assist feature helps users summarize the text in a note inside Samsung Notes. Summaries can even be used with certain text formatting templates. The Transcript Assist feature works with Samsung's stock Voice Recorder app. It transcribes voice in the recording to text and can even tag up to ten speakers so that users can understand things better. All that transcription can then be summarized, which is great for classes and meetings.
In our video below, you can watch other non-AI features introduced with the One UI 6.1 update. Some of those features, such as wallpaper support on Always On Display, will not be coming to any Galaxy smartphone or tablet launched before the Galaxy S24.
As for other Galaxy phones, many will receive One UI 6.1, but the AI features are currently expected to be exclusive to Samsung's flagship devices launched in 2023 and beyond.
TM Roh, President and Head of the Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “Our goal with Galaxy AI is not only to pioneer a new era of mobile AI but also to empower users by making AI more accessible. This is only the beginning of Galaxy AI, as we plan to bring the experience to over 100 million Galaxy users within 2024 and continue to innovate ways to harness the unlimited possibilities of mobile AI.“
