Do you remember when Samsung used to have a dedicated button on its phones to summon Bixby? It was introduced with the Galaxy S8, but the company removed it, starting with the Galaxy S20. Now, you can summon Bixby using the power button.
Samsung doesn't let you use any other AI assistant with the power button, but that could change in the future.
Gemini could soon be summoned using power button on Galaxy phones and tablets
A report from Android Authority reveals that Samsung could soon allow you to summon Google's Gemini AI assistant using the power button on Galaxy phones. Digging through the latest version of the Google app, Mishaal Rahman found strings that led them to believe that Samsung would open up the power button for Gemini.
The strings include “Hold down the Side button to talk to Gemini.” They also include the word “Samsung” so that the message specifically appears to be displayed on Samsung phones and tablets. Those strings mention “power button” instead of “side button.”
All these strings are a part of Gemini's introduction screen. So, it is possible that Samsung is planning to allow users to press and hold the power button to summon Gemini.
Bixby is expected to get a huge upgrade. The company has already announced that the new version of Bixby uses large language models (LLMs) to understand natural language more easily. The new version of Bixby is already available on some high-end home appliances.
With the One UI 7.0 update, it is possible that Bixby will be upgraded to the next version and that it will understand context and language in a much better way. Samsung could offer users the option to either use Bixby or Gemini by pressing and holding the power button on Galaxy phones and tablets.