Samsung’s S8 and S8 Plus brought in a new design concept particularly in form of display that they call as Infinity Display, but apart from this they have also introduced a new software update and that is of a new AI assistant – Bixby.
Bixby is the new intelligent assistant that is making debut on S8 devices. This is created by Samsung to not only work with your voice but also with text and the camera. You could use touch, voice or text to say what you need as it accepts all of it.
Unlike other assistants where you have to say ‘Ok Google’ to activate Google Assistant, but for activating Bixby there is a dedicated button on the side instead, placed right under the volume rocker. Samsung felt it is unnecessary to have voice activation commands and placed this button. On pressing the button you will be taken on the Bixby Home, and if you press and hold the button you will be able to talk to Bixby.
For now Bixby is integrated with 10 Samsung Apps including phone, camera, contacts, and weather. But it will soon be coming on other Samsung Apps and Samsung also plans to open Bixby to third party developers.
One of the great features of Bixby is Bixby Vision where you focus your camera on any object and it provides you with similar searches. You can use camera to do certain things like you can focus camera on a landmark and get places to eat nearby, it can translate a text just focus your camera at it and stuff like that.
Well it seems out to be Samsung’s attempt to provide an alternative to Google Assistant. But still you are also getting Google Assistant beside Bixby in S8 devices. Still we have to see how Samsung progresses with Bixby and how useful does users find Bixby over Google Assistant.