What you need to know
- Samsung’s vice chairman, Han Jong-hee, announced that the company will begin a phone subscription service under its “AI Subscription Club.”
- This service pertains to South Korean residents only as Samsung has said whether the U.S. or other markets will see the Club or the phone plan.
- Han Jong-hee also announced that Samsung’s robotic companion, Ballie, will arrive in Korea and the U.S. in the “first half” of 2025.
- Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series is preparing to debut on January 22.
Samsung is reportedly preparing to reveal the details of its proposed smartphone subscription service.
The report arrives courtesy of EtNews (Korean), which cites Samsung’s vice chairman, Han Jong-hee, from a recent CES 2025 press conference (via The Verge). According to Han, the company is preparing to bring a smartphone subscription option to its “AI Subscription Club” in South Korea. The vice chairman said, “We will apply the subscription service to Galaxy smartphones starting next month.”
So, it seems consumers in Samsung’s home region of South Korea can expect this new phone option to appear sometime in February.
The publication adds that bringing Samsung’s Galaxy phones to its subscription service will surface no possibilities for Korean consumers. In short, consumers will have access to “maintenance services” — for repairs — in an installment plan that works for them.
Samsung notably launched its AI Subscription Club on December 1, letting users engage in AI-powered home appliances for a set period. The plan, which is set to include phones, seems reminiscent of purchasing a contract phone from a cellular provider. This is something the vice chairman noted, as well, as the publication states “It is expected to have a positive effect on improving the sales performance of mobile devices at Samsung Store.” Consumers can instead slowly pay off a device in smaller amounts, instead of dropping a chunk of cash at once.
Han Jong-hee adds that South Korea and the U.S. can soon expect the arrival of its personal robot, Ballie. The bot is expected to arrive in the “first half” of 2025. Those in South Korea will see the bot available via the AI Subscription Club, as well, if consumers would like to avoid a complete purchase.
Meet #Ballie, Samsung’s human-centric vision of robots that takes personalized care to the next level. The small rolling robot, “understands you, supports you, and reacts to your needs.” #CES2020 #SamsungCES2020 pic.twitter.com/YzwgZN1LgwJanuary 7, 2020
With Samsung’s South Korean consumers preparing for this phone subscription service, it’s unclear if folks anywhere else will see it. Other regions would need Samsung’s AI Subscription Club — that’s for sure, but Han Jong-hee didn’t allude to anything of the sort. So, for right now, it’s probably best to not hold your breath about it.
In other news, Samsung’s Ballie was first highlighted five years ago during CES 2020. The small, rollable home companion was showcased in a video turning the TV on and cleaning up floor messes. Ballie was also stated to follow its owner around with cute chirps alongside the ability to understand and adhere to voice commands.
For home security, Ballie was also equipped with a camera, meaning users could check in on their house when away. The first half of 2025 includes January to June, so we have a few months before we see this little bot.
While U.S. users aren’t getting in on this phone subscription, we have the Galaxy S25 launch in our immediate future. Samsung’s January Unpacked is set to get going on January 22 with the Galaxy S25 series, One UI 7, and more likely on deck.