I’ve been using Samsung for two phones straight now, and while I wouldn’t say that I’m loyal to the brand, I like a whole lot of what they do. However, I’ll be the first person to say that I think the company should give up on some of its first-party options, like all the Samsung alternatives it has to things that Google already does better.
Case in point, Bixby. I don’t think there’s been a moment since Bixby debuted that it has surpassed Google Assistant in its abilities. However, Samsung still seems to have a whole lot of faith in it. Bixby hasn’t been in the news for a while, but the South Korean OEM is still working on it, judging by an upgraded version that just launched in China.
Samsung Releases A Next-Generation Version Of Bixby Along With The W25 In China
Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 in China the way that they did with the rest of the world. However, in China, Samsung determined that there’s a market for those who like their phones with a bit more… luxury. That’s exactly why the company has just announced the Galaxy W25 and W25 Flip.
The Galaxy W25 is essentially the exact same phone as the recently-released Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, while the W25 Flip is Z Flip 6. Looking at the spec sheets, there’s hardly any difference, but physically, there’s a lot. Both adopt very different faux leather packaging, are black with elegant gold accents, and you even get a 25W charger in the box.
However, there’s something that makes these phones even more different from existing Samsung devices. They’ve launched with a new version of Samsung’s Bixby assistant. Yep, the South Korean company is yet to go of its struggling assistant, but this new version definitely seems a lot more modern.
The New Bixby Tucks An LLM Inside; Only In China For Now
At the moment, the only smartphones that you’ll find this new version of Bixby on are the W25 and W25 Flip, but even though those devices won’t be leaving Chinese shores, it’s hard to think the new Bixby will share that fate. It’s bound to be a matter of time before it starts to roll out globally.
Now, you might be wondering, what makes this new version so new? Well, to no one’s surprise, it comes with the power of an LLM—AKA: “AI”—built into it, and this levels Bixby up by a substantial extent. It means that Bixby can now understand the way we speak a lot better, and talk with us more conversationally.
It will be able to remember the context of a conversation, and will also be able to understand the context of what’s on your screen, which is another massive improvement. It can give you steps on how to perform certain functions on your Galaxy phone. Plus, the UI has improved too. It’s a new era for Bixby, but whether all this trouble was worth it for Samsung remains to be seen.
