Could Samsung succeed where its competitors have failed? According to an article from The Verge, which relays a publication from the Korean media ET News, the Korean giant is preparing the launch of a subscription which would allow it to use its smartphones, without purchasing them. According to this Korean media, this was revealed by Han Jong-hee, vice-president of Samsung Electronics, during CES in Las Vegas.
More precisely, smartphones and tablets would be integrated into the manufacturer’s “AI Subscription Club” offer, starting next month. This is a subscription launched by Samsung in Korea, but only concerns its AI-powered home appliances. Unfortunately, it is not known whether the manufacturer intends to extend this program to other countries, such as those in the EU. But it is possible that we will know more about this new service in a few weeks.
Other brands have backed down
In any case, Samsung will not be the first brand to offer a subscription to use a smartphone, as an alternative to purchase. In 2021, Google launched its Pixel Pass subscription in the United States. Priced at $45, it allowed access to various paid Google services and the use of a Pixel smartphone. HMD, the company that sells Nokia smartphones, also launched a Circular subscription in 2022. And in the same year, Fairphone introduced a similar subscription system. But today, these three services no longer exist.
Fairphone ended its subscription in 2024, indicating that subscriber numbers were not growing fast enough. “Our study showed that people were five times more likely to buy a Fairphone than to rent one”explained the brand in its announcement. Otherwise, rumors have also mentioned Apple’s plan to launch a subscription for the iPhone. But, according to an article published by journalist Mark Gurman (Bloomberg) in December, this project was abandoned.
- Samsung would soon offer smartphones via subscription
- More precisely, Galaxy smartphones and tablets would be added to a subscription already offered by Samsung in Korea, to use its connected household appliances
- At the moment, it is not certain that this subscription will arrive in Europe, but it would not be the first time that a smartphone brand offers a subscription
- However, HMD, Fairphone and Google have already ended their subscription programs
- Furthermore, Apple would have had a similar project (which would have been abandoned)