Samsung Galaxy free update brings AI superpowers to S22 and S23
There's nothing like a free update to brighten your day and bring new features to your older Galaxy phone
I’ve got some good news for anyone with a Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S23 series smartphone in their pocket – and those of you with an S23 FE, Z Fold5, Z Flip5 or Tab S9 series should pay attention too. Samsung’s Galaxy AI free update is now rolling out to these older devices.
The free update includes all manner of AI features — all of which are found on the latest Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra handsets. And it’s not just the devices anbove that will get it either; the update is also coming to the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4 foldable phones as well as Galaxy Tab S8 series tablets.
- Read more: Samsung Galaxy S24 UItra review
Rather than just a boring security update (which we appreciate, but they’re hardly exciting), this Samsung Galaxy update brings you OneUI 6.1, along with Galaxy AI. This clever box of tricks includes the ability to adjust message tone and translate messages in 13 different languages using Chat Assist. There’s also support for real-time translations for voice and text translations for phone calls, while an Interpreter feature does exactly what you’d expect — letting you engage with locals on your travels without any misunderstandings.
- Read more: Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review
Circle to Search with Google is another clunkily-named (but useful) feature which generates relevant search results for anything you’ve circled on your screen. One of our favourite features, Transcript Assist, is also included, letting you quickly and easily transcribe meeting recordings while generating summaries and translations automatically. Note Assist also lets you generate summaries and translate notes, but we imagine it’s the photography wizardry that’ll appeal to most. Speaking of…
Generative Edit — it’s one of the more impressive AI features found on the Galaxy S24 range, allowing you to remove or even replace unsightly objects from your photos with a few button taps. You can even create a rather smooth, convincing slow-motion video, letting Instant Slow-mp generate additional frames, even if your phone hardware doesn’t support that functionality natively.
Throw in AI-generated wallpapers for additional customisation, and you’ve got a rather comprehensive update that should breathe fresh new life into your existing handset.
- Read more: Samsung Galaxy S24 review