Samsung launched its Bixby virtual assistant with the Galaxy S8 last year. It claimed that the assistant was able to do almost everything in response to a voice command that the user could do by tapping on the display. You can ask it to scroll down on a page and it will comply, for example.
While Bixby can be used to launch third-party apps, it can't do much inside those apps. If you tell Bixby to compose a new email even when you're in the Gmail app, it will open Samsung's native Email app. According to a new report, Bixby 2.0 will be able to work with third-party apps on the Galaxy Note 9.
Bixby 2.0
Samsung is going to launch Bixby 2.0 with the Galaxy Note 9. The company itself confirmed this several months ago. Bixby 2.0 is going to be a “bold reinvention” of the platform according to the company as it wants to transform the assistant into an intelligence tool.
The report from South Korea claims that Samsung will offer an API and SDK to developers who want to enable Bixby to perform tasks in their apps. Given that Bixby is a permanent fixture on Samsung's flagship smartphones of which the company sells millions, many developers will likely show an interest in baking Bixby into their apps and services.
It's also claimed that Bixby 2.0 will have quicker response times and improved artificial intelligence features. Its ability to provide a customized experience based on user data has reportedly been improved as well.
Samsung has made no secret of the fact that it wants to connect many of its devices to the Bixby ecosystem. This report reiterates the company's desire to have the assistant running on consumer electronics devices such as TVs and refrigerators as well as home appliances. Samsung is also going to launch a Bixby-powered smart speaker which is going to have additional features that will position it as a high-end audio product backed up by Samsung's virtual assistant.
