Samsung Galaxy S25 may get this new AI voice assistant dubbed next-gen Bixby
Samsung has announced a next-generation version of Bixby, and it could come to a future Galaxy phone
π€ Samsung has launched an upgraded version of Bixby with generative AI
π§βπ It includes features like smarter responses and the ability to generate documents with text prompts
π¨π³ The new experience is available in China
π± All signs point to some Bixby AI features creeping onto the Galaxy S25 next year
Samsung confirmed earlier this year that it was working on an upgraded version of Bixby to compete with ChatGPT and Apple Intelligence, and now, weβre getting our first look at it. Dubbed the βnext-generation Bixby,β the new assistant has debuted on the companyβs Galaxy W25 (a.k.a. a special, thinner version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6) in China, and there are several interesting features that could creep onto the Galaxy S25 come next year.
The new Bixby should work like the current version of Bixby, at least for the most part. You can talk to it and ask for the weather, check your calendar, play music, send a text, pull up a specific setting, and more. The key difference between the old and new versions is AI, which is now deeply integrated into the Bixby experience. It relies on generative AI to generate responses, just like ChatGPT or Google Gemini does. But instead of a third-party AI model, Samsung uses its own.
Itβs hard to say whether this model is any good, but itβs whatβs powering the new Bixby experience. This includes the ability to ask text-based questions, or even couple your text with video for more specific answers. It also looks like the new Bixby will be able to handle more natural language input so you donβt have to enter βvoice assistant modeβ when you talk to it.
Samsungβs preview of the features also suggests youβll be able to generate full-fledged Word documents and PowerPoints with the new Bixby, which suggests itβll integrate with Microsoftβs suite of Office apps. In addition, Samsung says the assistant can read the content on your screen so you can learn more about whatever youβre looking at.
Is it comparable to Apple Intelligence or Gemini?
From what weβve seen thus far, Samsungβs new generation of Bixby doesnβt seem ready to compete head-to-head with Apple Intelligence or Google Gemini. But thatβs okay, since Samsung isnβt sticking to Bixby as the sole AI assistant you can use on Galaxy phones. Youβll still have access to Gemini and even ChatGPT, which will also be available through Apple Intelligence in the near future.
That being said, Apple Intelligence seems far flashier than Bixby. From Genmoji to Visual Intelligence, Apple has a lot of features built into the iOS system that give you more of a reason to use AI. With Bixby, you have to trigger it before you use any AI, which can bring you out of the core experience of your Galaxy phone.
Still, itβs early days for Samsungβs AI, and things could change rapidly over time to make Bixby a more capable assistant.
Is the new Bixby coming to Galaxy S25?
When will the new Bixby roll out to everyone? We have no idea. Samsung has only made it available on the Galaxy W25 and W25 Flip in China, and thereβs no word on when itβll reach other markets like the United States. However, itβs worth noting that Samsungβs goal with Bixby AI was to launch it this year, which it has, and that could mean itβll ramp up availability over the coming months, potentially landing on the Galaxy S25 early next year.
In Samsungβs preview of One UI 7 last month, the company stressed its mission of βAI for Allβ to bring AI features to more users around the world. AI will play a big role in One UI 7 when it lands next year for phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so itβs safe to say that we can expect some AI news when the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes out.
Max Buondonno is a writer at The Shortcut. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop.