Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra AI features come to the S23, Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5 this week

On Thursday, March 28, the One UI 6.1 update will bring Samsung Galaxy AI to older phones

The impressive Galaxy AI features we documented in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review in January are coming to older Samsung smartphones this week, according to an official announcement from the company today.

On Thursday, March 28, the One UI 6.1 update will launch on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series as well as the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung’s trio of tablet that belong to the Tab S9 series will also get the AI-focused update on the same date. In total, that’s eight new devices that will get Galaxy AI features.

With the One UI 6.1 update, millions of more Samsung consumers will have access to the smarts of Galaxy AI thanks to a mix of on-device and cloud-based machine learning. That’s a good thing for most people who aren’t ready for a phone upgrade.

Galaxy S24 AI features for older phones

We’ve been testing the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for two months now and some of the standout features of the Galaxy AI software include being able to translate and tone adjust messages in 13 different languages using Chat Assist. It was a lifesaver when we were in Barcelona doing our MWC 2024 awards.

Live Translate, meanwhile, offers voice and text translations for phone calls, further overcoming barriers when traveling. Interpreter mode goes a step further in person, generating a text translation on a split-screen UI to aide any live conversation.

Even without translations involved, just having AI features like Transcript Assist on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has saved us time. We’ve been able to record meetings (even ones with multiple speakers) and generate summaries using AI. Of course, these can be translated too if needed. It’s never perfect, but it’s better than any other dictation app we’ve used, including Google’s voice recorder.

Samsung touted Circle to Search at its launch event in January, though this feature has also come to phones like the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro in that time. Still, it’s an impressive tool when trying to nail down which product is in an Instagram video or photo and not listed in the caption. Yes, you can do some of this with Google Lens, but the Circle to Search overlay means you don’t have to exit the app and fiddle with a bunch of menus to get results. Circle to Search is just built better.

Some, not all AI features from S24 Ultra

So why upgrade to the Galaxy S24 Ultra at all? Well, not all AI features are coming to the older phones through this update, according to Samsung. And as one of the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones with fast AI processing as one of the chief benefits, the S24 series may perform AI tasks at quicker pace than the eight Gen 2-equipped devices.

We can already tell you that it’ll be impossible to capture the same level of detail from the older cameras, as the hardware inside the S24 series in more advanced. The titanium frame and brighter display will also remain exclusive to the Galaxy S24 series, as will all of those lovely Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors. The company is also promising seven years of Android updates on the S24 series, and that’s a major win for the longevity of your smartphone, just like today’s AI update for older devices.

With Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote date likely to showcase Apple’s AI plans for the iPhone, the timing of Samsung’s AI rollout is a reminder that there’s already an AI-focused smartphone on the market. By June 10, Samsung’s AI product will already have been in the hands on consumers for nearly five months.