The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 & Watch 6 Classic will be getting One UI 6.1.
If you currently own a Galaxy Watch 4 or Watch 5, hold on to them because Samsung isn’t finished with its AI-infused One UI 6 rollout.
The company announced earlier this week that it is extending its Galaxy AI toolset to wearables, specifically its smartwatch range. “By combining powerful on-device AI with the extensive Samsung Health app, Samsung is on the path to building some of the most personalized and secure health experiences yet,” the company explained in the announcement.
The features break down to Energy Score—which measures your daily energy levels through sleep stats—previous day’s activity, heart rate variation and more. There’s also a newly enhanced sleep AI algorithm, which includes measuring more in-depth slumber metrics like movement during sleep, sleep latency and your respiratory rate whilst under.
On the exercise side, a new Workout Routine tool will create personalized workouts with different exercises, while runners get detailed Aerobic Threshold metrics and cyclists can calculate their Functional Threshold Power quickly with AI. The tailored Wellness Tips tool will provide insights on how to progress with suggestions based on your metrics.
Samsung says that these tools will make their way to the new Galaxy Watches that will likely be announced next month. Alongside the Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic via a beta program that starts in June.
With the announcement, it looks like the practice of condemning two-year-old gadgets to the dust heap seems to be on the way out. Tech manufacturers are increasingly adopting a longevity-focused approach to selling devices. The days of one Android update for $700 devices look to be over.
The Galaxy Watch 4, for example, was released in 2021. A year before AI, as we understand it today, burst onto the scene. Watch 4 owners can’t have imagined getting a raft of cutting-edge skills years after they bought it.
But there is a catch, Samsung has reiterated that these AI tools will only be free until 2025. The company said this when it announced Galaxy AI back in January and hasn’t expanded on its plans since then.
The reality is that there is a cost to extending the life cycle of a device. Whether that’s through software and security updates for eight years, or through new AI tools that cost millions to develop. Samsung may or may not charge for Galaxy AI features next year, but there is a tried and tested sales method commonly applied, in a different industry, of getting people hooked on something for free first. We can hope for the best, but these language models that AI-features are born from, are not cheap to build or maintain.
With this announcement, I suspect Samsung is laying the groundwork for a health subscription plan. Of Apple, Google and Oura, it is the only company that doesn’t currently have a premium tier for its fitness platform—Samsung Health. The arrival of the Galaxy Ring will likely mean a monthly subscription for in-depth features, which is exactly what Oura does (rumors have pointed to this, too).
I can’t think of a clearer example of premium features than those that are powered by AI. There is a clear pathway for the Korean company to introduce a new pay monthly plan for its best health features.
The question then becomes are they worth paying for? In Oura’s case, if you have already shelled out for a smart ring, then yes. The same will likely apply to the Galaxy Ring. But from the evidence we have of AI-powered features on Galaxy phones, I’m less convinced.
Google’s new One plan, which bundles Gemini Advanced with Nest Aware and Fitbit Premium, has not been worth it for me. As good as Gemini and Fitbit Premium are, neither are enticing enough for me to add another monthly payment to my stack. If, however, Gemini had full control of my smart home and could process complex requests in natural language, while syncing up with other Google products I use regularly, then yes I would pay for that.
Similarly, if Samsung’s Galaxy AI on a smartwatch can deliver insights into my health, and create a genuinely personalized fitness plan based on the data it has collected, then I might be happy to hand over some cash. How Samsung differentiates between its AI and regular smartwatch features will be interesting, because the announced skills sound like standard Galaxy Watch experiences. If the Korean company expects you to pay for them next year, there will need to be clear, standout AI features that dramatically enhance the Galaxy Watch experience.