Google’s AI-powered photo editing feature – Magic Editor – is now coming to Samsung smartphones and older Pixel devices. The feature was first introduced with the Pixel 8 line of smartphones and remained exclusive to them for a while. However, Google announced in April that many of the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered photo editing features will also be found on other Android smartphones and will be available through the Google Photos app.
AI-powered editing features on Android smartphones
While Google previously announced that Magic Editor would be available on Android smartphones starting May 15, it is now reportedly rolling out to a wider range of mobile devices. First spotted by 9to5Mac, the changes are reflected in an update to the Google Photos app that brings it to version 9.85.
One of the features reported to be coming to Android devices is the Magic Editor, which was first introduced with the Google Pixel 8 series. Using generative AI, Magic Editor can reinvent photos by giving users the freedom to tweak images. Using the tools in Google Photos, I can change the position of the object or change the background or the sky.
Gadgets 360 staff members were unable to verify the rollout of the Magic Editor feature on Samsung smartphones, not even on the Google Photos app version 9.86.
Magic Editor is free to use on older Pixel smartphones, but there is a restriction on Samsung and other Android devices, according to the report. Users will be able to save 10 Magic Editor libraries per month, after which a Google One subscription will be required, the report said.
According to the report, other features like Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser, Portrait Blur, Sky Suggestions, Cinematic Photos, Portrait Light and more have become free for Android users, which were previously under the paid package. This means that when editing photos, users will no longer encounter the limitations of Google One. This change was visible to Gadgets 360 members on multiple devices from other OEMs.
Namely, Google One subscription starts from Rs. 130 per month for a basic plan that gives users access to up to 100GB of storage for Photos, Gmail and Drive. However, only the Premium plan offers access to Magic Editor and other AI-powered photo editing features, priced at Rs. 650 per month.
