In recent months, Samsung's long-term update policy has faced challenges with the integration of AI features. With the introduction of Galaxy AI alongside the Galaxy S24 series, consumers were eager to know if older phones would also receive these exciting features. Samsung, known for its industry-leading update policies with five to seven years of major updates, had set high expectations for timely and comprehensive feature support.

To everyone's delight, Samsung promptly rolled out its One UI 6.1 update, including Galaxy AI, to devices such as the Galaxy S23 series, Tab S9 family, and foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5. Older handsets ran Galaxy AI as efficiently as the newer S24 series, raising the question of why upgrading would be necessary.

Samsung assured users that older handsets with long update commitments would eventually receive a similar update. That time has now arrived, with the rollout of One UI 6.1 to 2021 and 2022 flagships in South Korea, soon to be available globally. However, upon reviewing the changelogs, it appears that some older handsets will only receive a subset of Galaxy AI features. This has left many customers with a limited version of Samsung's AI experience.

For instance, the Galaxy S21 series appears to only gain access to Circle to Search, which is essentially a rebranded version of Google Lens. On the other hand, the Z Fold 3 is set to receive AI-generated wallpapers and AI image editing. This discrepancy could be attributed to the difference in AI-capable hardware between the S21 and Z Fold 3, especially considering the presence of Snapdragon variants within the Galaxy S21 series. Samsung has traditionally been hesitant to split features across chipset lines to ensure a level playing field for its customers.

Nevertheless, the varying features within the same update for devices in the same generation create confusion and potential dissatisfaction among users. Samsung acknowledges that bringing every new feature to every device indefinitely is unfeasible due to hardware limitations and the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The pace of AI advancements, particularly on-device features, necessitates higher hardware requirements to run the latest tools effectively.

The situation echoes Google's struggle to bring all advanced AI features to its older handsets, as seen in the Pixel 8 AI feature fiasco. Even with the powerful Tensor processor in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series, certain features have not been backported to older devices. This indicates that there are limits to what can be achieved with older hardware.

Additionally, some AI features in the Galaxy AI suite, such as Note Assist, Live Translate, and Chat Assist, require a web connection, while Web Translation in the Samsung Browser has a cloud-based mode. However, these features are not included in the update for older handsets from the Galaxy S21 series. The reasons behind this exclusion are unclear, as it remains uncertain whether these features still require on-device processing that older phones cannot handle or if Samsung is considering the cost implications of cloud computing for a larger consumer base.

Furthermore, the inclusion of these features in a new version of One UI raises questions as to why they couldn't be delivered as app updates, especially if the processing is cloud-based.

The integration of AI has undoubtedly posed challenges for fulfilling all expectations of long-term update support. Nevertheless, Samsung must be commended for delivering core operating system upgrades to older Galaxy flagships in a timely manner, demonstrating how Android updates should be executed.

In conclusion, the AI arms race has presented obstacles in backporting cutting-edge features to older devices, leading to dissatisfaction among pundits and consumers who may find that the latest One UI version lacks certain advanced features. This should be considered by those who invest in phones promising extended update periods, as it is possible that new features may be desired long before the promised update term concludes.