Bixby – A New Feature Released On All New Galaxy S8

Samsung has introduced a digital assistant called "Bixby” which will be featured on the new Galaxy S8 that is set to be launched on the 29th of March this year. Samsung is hoping the release of the S8 will help it recover from last year’s Note 7 disaster which was killed off due to the device overheating and catching on fire.

Bixby was developed using Samsung’s in-house technology, and will have many competitors such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and more. However, Samsung insists that Bixby is "fundamentally different from other voice agents or assistants." Further stating that “Bixby's ability to work across supported apps sets it apart from Siri or Cortana.”

Users will be able to switch between using Bixby to issue voice commands and using smartphones via touch commands. Unlike its competitors, the S8 will come with a button specifically for Bixby. Samsung aims to make Bixby available on all its appliances, including air conditioners and TVs.

Injong Rhee, Samsung’s head of research and development said, "We believe Bixby will evolve from a smartphone interface to an interface for your life." He also said that Bixby would be "at the heart of our software and services evolution as a company." According to a mobile devices analyst with HIS Markit, Ian Fogg, "they've never made such a strong statement that they need to be a software and services company before.”