What you need to know
- Samsung's mobile chief, TM Roh, discussed the company's review of whether or not it could bring full Galaxy AI support to the S22 series.
- Roh stated there is little difference between the S22 and the S23 FE, which is eligible for Galaxy AI, so the company is preparing to investigate further.
- Roh also mentioned the company's interest in a rollable Android phone, stating the company is looking into how consumers could use it and its place on the market.
A new development from Samsung's mobile division chief could signal a change in its Galaxy AI approach for a past-gen series.
According to a post on Naver, Samsung's mobile division chief TM Roh spoke about potentially bringing Galaxy AI support to the Galaxy S22 series (via Android Authority). Roh added, during the company's 55th annual general shareholders meeting, that it is "reviewing" whether or not such AI features could be applied to the two-year-old series.
Galaxy AI relies heavily on a device's hardware capabilities as Samsung reportedly aims for "hybrid AI" that blends on-device and cloud-based features. However, Roh stated that the capabilities of the Galaxy S22 aren't vastly different from the Galaxy S23 FE, which is eligible for the AI update.
Roh mentioned that Samsung is "gradually preparing" plans to bring full Galaxy AI support to the S22 series. Despite that, there are other "limitations" to take into account before proceeding. So, there's a chance that the makeup of the S22 series proves too difficult.
During the meeting, Roh discussed the company's apparent interest in a rollable Android phone. He stated, "we are currently steadily pursuing these procedures." Consumers and a rollable phone's place on the market is another object of discussion Samsung is currently reviewing internally.
Regarding the S22, it was reported in January that Samsung would skip the past-gen series. It was a curious decision, considering the S22 and the S23 FE utilize the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, meaning there was likely another aspect of the former that swayed Samsung's decision.
For now, owners of a Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, or S22 Ultra can expect the upcoming One UI 6.1 update.
Meanwhile, Samsung's interest in a rollable phone has been floating about for a while as the company showed off more concepts during CES 2024. During the conference, folks were treated to a look at the Korean OEM's "In&Out Flip." The device could fold its display 360 degrees, meaning users could still utilize its main display even while "closed."
Another device, the Rollable Flex, was presented as a device that could unroll and become five times larger than its original form.
