Samsung is taking some pretty big steps for the Galaxy S8 by adding in a dedicated button to launch the AI it's going to come with, presumably in a bid to appeal to consumers following the fiasco that is the Galaxy Note 7 recall — or rather, recalls.
What this entails is that the South Korean company is now catching up to the smart assistant race, and it's planning to make a huge splash in the scene to take on the likes of Siri and Google Assistant.
The Galaxy S8's AI Button Is Easy To Access
According to The Wall Street Journal, "people familiar with the matter" says that Samsung is testing the aforementioned AI button on the Galaxy S8.
Based on the prototypes of the upcoming flagship, the button will be found on the side, and when it's pressed, the handset will bring up the AI virtual assistant instantly.
However, considering that it has yet to be finalized, that design is subject to change.
More than that, it's still unclear whether or not it's a physical or a touch button.
It's also worth pointing out that since Samsung is rumored to be ditching physical buttons for power and volume, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the AI switch will also be touch based.
Samsung's AI Could Be Called Bixby
Samsung is going to roll out an aide similar to Siri, Reuters says.
Possibly named Bixby, the AI running things behind the Galaxy S8 may have a lot to bring to the table. Most notably is that it'll let developers attach and upload services, which will make the assistant smarter each time even if the company doesn't focus on it too much.
This was more or less expected, as Samsung already acquired Viv Labs back in October.
On an interesting note, Viv Labs is made up of the co-creators of Apple's Siri.
Can The AI Bixby Save Samsung?
The big question is whether or not Bixby and the AI button on the Galaxy S8 will be enough to save Samsung after the whole Galaxy Note 7 debacle, which cost the company billions of dollars.
Of course, that will mainly depend on how the AI button will function and how Bixby can deliver services to users.
With that said, the people behind Viv showcased the virtual assistant's capabilities back in May at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, and long story short, it impressed viewers then when it answered even sophisticated queries.
To put two and two together, Bixby could be an improved version of sorts of Viv, and coupled with how it allows developers to attach and upload services, Samsung's virtual assistant could be considered to have a high chance of being successful in appealing to consumers.
Before wrapping things up, it should be pointed out that The Wall Street Journal also reports that the Galaxy S8's unveiling date could be delayed to April, and that means it may not appear at the Mobile World Congress 2017 event.
What do you think of the dedicated AI button and Bixby of the Galaxy S8? Feel free to drop by our comments section below and let us know.
