The upcoming Bixby virtual assistant set to grace the Samsung Galaxy S8 series will apparently be quite a polyglot, reportedly supporting up to eight languages.
Should this turn out to be accurate, it means that Samsung's own Bixby assistant, based on technology from Viv Labs, will support even more languages than the Google Assistant.
Samsung Bixby Languages
The information comes from South Korean publication ETNews, which has a rather mixed track record when it comes to the accuracy of its leaks. Nevertheless, the news outlet claims that Samsung's upcoming Bixby assistant will be able to understand seven or eight languages, including English, Chinese and Korean.
By comparison, Google Assistant currently supports five languages: English, Brazilian, German, Portuguese and Hindi. Samsung's Bixby could support the same languages and three more.
Based on previous rumors and reports, Samsung's Bixby will be integrated into all of the default Galaxy apps set to come preloaded on the next-generation Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus flagships. Moreover, the smartphones will even sport a dedicated Bixby button, likely located on the left side.
Bixby Power
Moreover, Bixby will reportedly be able to use the Galaxy S8's camera to visually search its surroundings and identify specific objects, then find online retailers that have those objects in stock. Simply put, if you see something you like, you'd be able to point the smartphone's camera toward that item and have Bixby tell you where you can buy it.
The AI-powered Bixby is also expected to sport Samsung Pay functionality, allowing users to pay for their purchases quickly and more conveniently. This should significantly boost Bixby's appeal, as well as the Galaxy S8's appeal overall.
In a recent financial report, Samsung notes that it's keen on making its future smartphones stand out from the crowd though a powerful combination of both hardware and software. In this context, an advanced AI assistant such as Bixby would make perfect sense, especially since the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are expected to rock top-notch specs and features all around.
Making Amends
At the same time, Samsung also has to recover from the whole Galaxy Note 7 mess, as two massive recalls put a dent in its finances and reputation. After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, it's imperative that the Galaxy S8 series smartphones are successful and Bixby could play a big role in their performance.
Following the launch of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, Bixby is expected to make its way to other Samsung devices too, perhaps reaching even TVs and Internet of Things gadgets. Rather than using Bixby as a novel, exclusive feature for the Galaxy S8 series, Samsung could push to create a whole Bixby ecosystem spread across multiple devices and categories.
Should that come true, supporting as many languages as possible can only be a plus. If Bixby does indeed support up to eight languages at launch, it should allow for a strong start and give Google Assistant some hefty competition.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are expected to debut on March 29 and go on sale in April. Until Samsung makes it official, however, take all leaks and rumors with a grain of salt.
