It looks like the Galaxy Note 9 will not launch the highly anticipated in-display fingerprint sensor, but rather the second version of the underperforming digital assistant Bixby.
The Galaxy S10 will be the smartphone to debut the Samsung in-display fingerprint scanner, and not the Galaxy Note 9 as first rumored. The reported Bixby 2.0 launch on the Galaxy Note 9, meanwhile, does not inspire the same excitement as the delayed feature.
Galaxy Note 9 In-Display Fingerprint Scanner Not Happening
According to a recent report from South Korea, the plan to launch the Samsung in-display fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy Note 9 will not push through. The feature, which will use technology that is superior to similar systems used by Chinese smartphone manufacturers, will instead debut on the Galaxy S10.
With the in-display fingerprint scanner delayed until the Galaxy S10, the Galaxy Note 9 would be left with no significant features to launch. This would make it a very boring update to its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 8. A new report from South Korea, however, claimed that this will not be the case.
Samsung Bixby 2.0 On Galaxy Note 9
The Korea Herald reported that the Galaxy Note 9 will instead launch Bixby 2.0, the upgraded version of the artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant of Samsung.
The announcement was made by Gray G. Lee, head of Samsung Research's AI Center, in a press conference. According to Lee, Bixby 2.0 will feature "enhanced natural language processes, improved noise resistance capability and quicker response times."
Unlike the in-display fingerprint sensor, there is nothing about Bixby 2.0 that will make the Galaxy Note 9 stand out from its rivals in the flagship smartphone space. While details remain scarce on what Bixby 2.0 will actually be able to do, there is doubt that it will be able to match up with the capabilities of rival digital assistants such as Google Assistant, Apple's Siri, and Amazon's Alexa.
Galaxy Note 9 Release Date Earlier Than Usual?
Whether Bixby 2.0 will make the Galaxy Note 9 a popular smartphone is a question that may be answered sooner than expected. Also according to the Korea Herald, Samsung is accelerating the schedule for its flagship smartphones, with the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S10 launch dates to be earlier than usual.
The report claimed that Samsung is making these moves not just to try to better challenge iPhone X, but also to make space at the Mobile World Congress 2019 for a major announcement. The Samsung foldable smartphone, known as the Galaxy X, will allegedly be unveiled at the annual event.
