CES 2025 might be the most important tech event in town right now, but more interesting things are about to happen soon. The Galaxy S25 Unpacked event has an official date, and rumors say Nintendo might launch the Switch 2 at some point in the coming weeks.
The former is of particular interest to Android users looking forward to one of the best flagships of the year. The Galaxy S25 series will feature three premium devices: the base Galaxy S25 model, the S25 Plus, and the S25 Ultra. On top of that, a fourth Galaxy S25 Slim phone could be unveiled at Unpacked and then launched later this year.
Rumors say that Samsung will have to raise prices for at least one of the three main Galaxy S25 models, the Ultra. That’s not great news, but Samsung will offer buyers a way to offset that. You can already register your interest to preorder the device, which will get you free credit if you end up buying one of the phones.
But the biggest surprise concerning the Galaxy S25 series is something else that might make the price hike more bearable. Samsung is apparently ready to introduce a hardware subscription plan that will cover mobile devices.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve had on-and-off rumors for a few years that Apple planned to launch an iPhone subscription plan. The idea is that you pay a monthly fee for your iPhone, which you can trade in at any point for a comparable new iPhone model.
Apple reportedly abandoned those plans, but Samsung often tries to get ahead of its top rival when it learns of new things that are in development. There’s certainly a chance that Samsung was too far along in its race to beat Apple to the punch, so it’s going forward with the new idea even though Apple bailed on it.
According to ETNews, Samsung is ready to unveil an “AI Subscription Club” that will cover Galaxy smartphones. Other products will also be part of the hardware subscription plan, including the Ballie AI robot we saw at CES.
This isn’t a rumor. During a press conference, Samsung Electronics CEO and Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee confirmed that the subscription plan is coming to Galaxy phones next month. He also said that Ballie would be introduced first in Korea under that plan and then launched in the US. Actual release dates for Ballie haven’t been offered, but the robot should drop in the first half of the year.
ETNews says the subscription model will combine maintenance services with installment plans for mobile devices, including phones and tablets. However, it’s unclear what the buyer will have access to.
Also, price points have not leaked for Samsung’s hardware subscription plans that will include the Galaxy S25. That’s something Samsung will probably reveal at Unpacked in a few weeks.
The subscription plan should also make it easier to upgrade to the next Galaxy S model. I’m just speculating here, but I’d expect Samsung to want to keep subscribers hooked on its products. The best way to do that is to offer easy upgrades to highly coveted devices like the Galaxy S25 phones and their successors.
I wouldn’t expect the hardware subscription plan to be available worldwide, at least not initially. But if it’s successful, this might be how Samsung sells phones in the future. And it could surely be a better way to buy some of Samsung’s most expensive products. I’m not only thinking about the Ballie AI robot, but also foldable phones.
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