Samsung could charge monthly FEE for top gadget owned by millions – and you'll miss perks if you don't pay
SAM DUNK Samsung could charge monthly FEE for top gadget owned by millions – and you'll miss perks if you don't pay
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CUSTOMERS could be charged a monthly fee if they want to get their hands on Samsung's latest update.
The latest software in the tech giant's smart watch line introduces unrivalled health features, but also an update that could alienate millions of its existing users.
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Samsung's new update could see customers charged a monthly fee
Credit: AFP
Samsung announced its new One UI 8 Watch update for Galaxy Watches on Monday.
The tech company is exploring the introduction of a premium subscription model, comparable to Garmin's Connect Plus and Fitbit Premium, according to senior vice president Hon Pak in an interview with CNET.
But who will be affected?
Well, with only one month until its official release, Samsung has yet to announce who will have to pay to access this functionality, and also how much it will cost.
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Pak told CNET: "We believe wellness isn't just one thing. It's activity, nutrition, mental health, and sleep combined.
"What we really think we can do is bring this data about sleep, nutrition, activity and stress, and really contextualize it for the user," Pak added.
Samsung first launched its smartwatches with the Samsung Galaxy Gear in September 2013.
This watch update comes one year after the tech giant unveiled the Galaxy Watch 7, which retailed at £289.
The update will debut with the imminent release of the Galaxy Watch 8 series next month, but is currently undergoing a trial phase.
The One UI 8 Watch Beta Programme will be launched in select countries and will be accessible to those with compatible older watches.
Available in both the USA and South Korea for customers who enrol in the programme, the update will give them access to unprecedented health features before anyone else.
The update, once released, will give users a variety of health features, including a non-invasive Antioxidant Index check, Bedtime Guidance, AI Running Coach, and Vascular Load.
The reason behind having such innovative and unrivalled features is that the company aims to make a more proactive health monitor to help stand out in a market full of like-for-like fitness trackers.
Who gets these features?
The soon-to-be-released update and watch form part of Samsung's goal of making clinical-level insights accessible at home.
While the features will make an official debut with the arrival of the new Galaxy watch in July, it will be available on some older models.
The compatibility for each device will depend on whether it has advanced LED sensory, which will be essential to power these premium functions.
Therefore, more complex features, Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index, will be available only on any watch after and including Galaxy Watch Ultra, with the AI Running Coach available on the Galaxy Watch 7 or later.
How much does it cost?
Samsung are also considering a change to how they charge their customers to access the feature.
It is not known how much this may cost.
The Sun has approached Samsung for a comment.
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The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more > What is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8? The Galaxy Watch 8 is a health and fitness tracker that connects to Samsung and other Android smartphones. Think Apple Watch, but for the people who don't own Apple products. This new model is the latest smartwatch from Samsung and at £319 it's at the upper end of the market. It has a brighter display than previous models with a simple, slim design, but the battery needs recharging regularly. It's also the first from Samsung to integrate Google Gemini AI smart assistance and can handle complex tasks with a single voice command, such as: 'Find my next nearest parkrun and save it to my calendar'. The new running coach feature also includes 160 tailored training plans, a new antioxidant level estimate and sleep apnea detection, too. That's on top of traditional functions like showing incoming calls, notifications and music playback, and health fitness features like tracking your sleep and heart rate, and an integrated GPS. JUMP TO: How we test fitness trackers When I test smartwatches and fitness trackers I wear them non-stop, night and day, and only take them off to charge. I test their general day-to-day performance, trialling unique features, testing the battery life and getting a feel for how easy they are to set up, interact with and use. I assess how they handle intense exercise like a cycling workout or a run, more casual exercise like a morning walk, and how they manage notifications coming through from a connected smartphone. I also wear them to bed as many health features rely on data like your heart rate and respiratory rate when you're asleep. I compare all of this combined health, sleep and fitness data against the readings on a Garmin Forerunner 970 high-end running watch, an Eight Sleep Pod 4 mattress and a Garmin HRM 600 chest strap heart rate monitor. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our tech experts continuously conduct in-depth, independent, real-world tests, scoring devices against pre-set testing metrics and industry benchmarks, so we can deliver definitive and comprehensive buying advice. Telegraph Recommended reviews are never shared with product manufacturers before publication, we don't accept payment in exchange for positive reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more Ease of use Score: 8/10 The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 was easy to set up and simple to use with my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphone. There are some extra hurdles to jump setup if you're not using a Samsung phone, however, and this smartwatch isn't compatible with an iPhone. The touchscreen and two-button controls on the side of the display let you tap and swipe through the screens. The set up of the display means its easy to navigation though the tools and health insights the smartwatch tracks, while manually tracking runs, cycles and swims is quick and easy. I found the automatic workout detection was swift to detect when I was on a walk and I the Google Gemini AI assistant was genuinely helpful when I wanted to track my progress or navigate a route. The smartwatch seamlessly synchronises your data within Samsung's connected health apps, making it easier to dig deeper into you daily health stats. Comfort and wearability Score: 8/10 This is a fashionable design that I found comfortable to wear 24/7, even at night. It comes in 40mm and 44mm wrist sizes with a graphite or silver finish. I tested the grey silicone sport band but you can swap it out for a pop of colour. 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