Earlier on Sunday, the South Korean company Samsung Electronics announced its upcoming Samsung Galaxy 8 would include a home-developed AI assistant. The tech giant hopes this move will help it regain its customers’ trust.
The announcement by Samsung follows the controversial release and recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The device presented battery failures that made it prone to catch on fire and explode. After two massive recalls, Samsung discontinued the Note 7.
Samsung intends to introduce AI technology across its entire product lineup of electronics and home appliances. The path forward toward innovation represents Samsung’s way to deal with the ever-increasing competition from the likes of Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
Samsung’s Galaxy 8 AI will control IoT devices
Samsung’s entry into the realm of artificial intelligence technologies follows endeavors from competing industry leaders. Google’s assistant was featured in the recently launched Pixel phones, while Siri has been working in iPhones for a couple of generations now.
However, the digital assistant service Samsung will introduce aims to be much more than a simple digital secretary. The company expressed its wish to interconnect all of its devices into an Internet of Things (IoT) kind of network using the new AI.
“The new AI functions of the S8 are not about its services, but the beginning of our vision,” said Samsung VP Rhee In-jong. “We are going to expand its presence into other devices ― including televisions, refrigerators and washing machines. Users will not have to operate any apps in the upcoming era, as the open AI ecosystem will allow agents to do tasks on their own.”
Rhee In-Jong added the platform would be open for third-party developers to create new apps based on the AI service. Samsung has yet to name the virtual assistant for its electronics ecosystem.
Samsung Galaxy 8: Rumored specs and release date
Besides counting with an intelligent, voice-enabled digital assistant out of the box, unofficial reports claim the Samsung Galaxy 8 will be significantly different from its predecessors.
First, the next generation of Galaxy smartphones will allegedly have a 90% screen to body ratio. Moreover, rumors and early concepts show the Galaxy 8 with no bezels and curved edges, as well as lacking the signature home button present in previous models.
Further reports suggest Samsung will experiment with materials like ceramic in the upcoming phone, offering exclusive models besides the standard metal and glass.
The Samsung Galaxy 8 will reportedly continue with the two-size trend seen in previous generations, providing a base 5.1-inch model and a 5.5-inch alternative.
Both phones will sport the same design and will pack either an Exynos processor or the latest from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon lineup.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy 8 before the Mobile World Congress in February 2017. The company has not given any official statements on the release date or confirmation of the rumored technical specifications.
Source: Reuters