Bixby as digital assistant for Galaxy S8 and S8 +

March 26, 2020

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Voice assistant Bixby finally on all Samsung models

With Bixby 1.0, Samsung got off to a rough start, but the Korean Samsung has learned from its mistakes. Voice assistant Bixby 2.0 is on the "Democratization of the IoT" mission, as Eui-Suk Chung explained at the Samsung developer conference: Bixby should be able to communicate with smartphone apps and smart health home components unlimitedly and flexibly – and this on all Samsung models.

Devices and applications are networked in a fluid system under the "Samsung SmartThings" umbrella – equivalent to the Alexa app or HomeKit. Samsung's Smart health home services Artik Cloud and Samsung Connect are also integrated into the SmartThings platform.

SmartThings is a decidedly open platform that includes third-party products and services when they implement the Bixby API during development.

It all sounds like the open approach that Amazon also takes with Alexa. However, Samsung made sure in the developer conference that Alexa acts like a schoolgirl against Bixby.

Bixby 2.0 compared to Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri

“Bixby 2.0 is a major realignment of the platform. A realignment that aims to develop the rudimentary digital assistant as a novelty into an intelligent tool as a key role in everyday life. ”This is how Samsung's Executive Vice President Eui-Suk Chung describes the development from Bixby to Bixby 2.0.

Samsung already took the first step in this direction when the company took over Viv in 2016 – an American start-up that launched Apple's Siri by 2012 and then began developing its own voice assistant. Viv is now called Bixby (2.0) and, thanks to Samsung's dominance of smartphones and Viv's development know-how, has the best systems to become the world's best voice assistant, which controls our apps and household appliances centrally.

With Bixby 2.0 everything should be easy – including the smart health home control including the refrigerator

(Samsung) 

Bixby 2.0 fully supports apps

Compared to Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, Bixby should be able to fully support apps. This means that not only some functions can be used with the help of specified voice commands (as with Alexa Skills), but the entire app. Everything that can be done via the touchscreen is then easily done via Bixby.

Bixby 2.0 learns the language of the user

Just send a message, then write down a memo and delete an entry in the calendar – this is possible with almost all language assistants. Compared to Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, Bixby 2.0 supposedly reacts much more flexibly. Instead of just responding to certain keywords and standard phrases, Bixby learns from the user how to address a particular application.

Bixby 2.0 is cognitively tolerant

Bixby 2.0 simply writes its code in a self-learning manner. This enables a more natural language flow in dialogue with the language assistant. If Bixby is missing information, he politely asks instead of canceling the request. Samsung calls this “cognitive tolerance”. Bixby's willingness to engage in dialogue would save us having to memorize numerous commands. Or the repeated repetition of a command until the variant is understood, as is currently the case in comparison with Alexa and Co. Siri, however, is said to have a similar cognitive tolerance, which Apple promised together with the launch of the HomePod at the end of the year.

Bixby 2.0 knows where it is

Bixby should also think while we operate the smartphone via touchscreen. If, for example, we are in our mail app and prefer to dictate the text, Bixby knows immediately what it is about when we switch on the microphone using the Bixby button. Switching between manual and spoken use of apps will no longer be a problem, according to Eui-Suk Chung at the Samsung Developer Conference with Bixby 2.0.

Bixby 2.0 knows who he is talking to

If Bixby is used in a family household, it is advantageous if the voice assistant knows the voices of the family members. Otherwise everything ends up in a shopping cart on Amazon or the messages are sent from the same account. To avoid this, Samsung has equipped the new Bixby with “Context-Aware Personalization”, ie “context-related personalization”. The smart health home devices thus automatically identify the respective contact person. Since Bixby will not only be found on Samsung devices in the future, the voice assistant, like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, will communicate via a cloud.

Bixby 2.0 as a (shopping) tour guide

Photos of products and sights can be evaluated and commented on by Bixby (by the way, already in V1). In this way, prices or historical backgrounds can be found out. When sightseeing, the digital assistant also uses the position data of the smartphone to achieve the highest possible hit rate for its answers.

Bixby 2.0 recognizes objects and shows their providers

(Samsung) 

What is compatible with Bixby 2.0?

With the Bixby 2.0 update, these devices and applications should be compatible with the voice assistant:

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  • All Samsung smartphones

  • Samsung SmartThings devices

  • Samsung apps

  • Third-party apps and smart health home devices with Bixby API

A list of the currently compatible services for Bixby Version 1 can be found in the Bixby app.

The developer SDK for Bixby 2.0 is currently only accessible to a selected group. However, the API will soon be freely available to all manufacturers, so that, as was the case with Alexa skills, the compatibility list for Bixby will grow rapidly in a short time.

Conclusion: Bixby 2.0 sounds cool

The Korean actually manages the artificial intelligence of Bixby to increase the announced extent, the entertainment with Bixby 2.0 is much more fun compared to Alexa. By specializing in the control of apps, also for smart health home components, the reality of a useful digital assistant has come a lot closer. For Samsung users in particular, Bixby 2.0 could soon be the better alternative to Alexa and Google Assistant.

Availability of voice assistant Bixby 2.0

Voice assistant Bixby 2.0 is currently in the beta phase. Selected developers work with the new Bixby SDK to make their applications completely Bixby-compatible.

With Bixby you can manage images (galleries)

(Samsung) 

The Bixby V.1 problem

Bixby V1 has not exactly made itself popular. In Germany, this is mainly due to the fact that the assistant was only available in German very late. Up until summer 2017, Samsung's voice assistant only spoke Korean and English. Another incomprehensible decision: Bixby could only be used by users of the flagship models Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 + and Note 8, all other Samsung fans were left out. For example, the popular smartphone manufacturer could hardly spread its voice assistant, let alone establish it as the smart health home standard, as Amazon is currently doing with Alexa.

Anyone who is one of the selected can see a somewhat diffuse concept. The four main functions of Voice, Vision, health home and Reminder had to be addressed first.

Finally, there is a hardware glitch. Bixby is activated on the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 + and Note 8 via a special Bixby button. Unfortunately, the button was placed in such a way that users often unintentionally activate the voice assistant. Samsung has now ensured that the Bixby button can be deactivated.

Deactivation of the Bixby button for Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 + and Note 8

The Bixby settings menu can be used to deactivate the Bixby button on the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 + and Note 8. However, the Bixby Voice function remains active and cannot be deactivated. To use the function, keep the Bixby button pressed longer.

It's too good to be true: Bixby is not yet reliably researching data in Germany

(Samsung) 

Overview of the functions of the voice assistant Bixby V1

  • Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 + and Note 8

  • Activated via an extra button on the left side of the smartphone or by swiping to the right

  • 4 main functions: Voice (speak), Vision (see), health home (recommend), Reminder (recall)

  • Indicates where products can be bought with the smartphone camera

  • Can recognize sights and provide background information

  • Finds similar images to existing ones

  • Reminds of appointments or (via digital marking) the location of the car

  • Managed to-do lists

  • Translates texts

  • Reads QR codes

Bixby also reminds you of important things to do

(Samsung) 

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