• New updates to Samsung’s Bixby’s voice assistant will see an improved Text Call, with the ability to create an AI-generated voice of the user.
• Bixby can now also personalise your music depending on the exercise selected in the Samsung Health app.
• New AI enhancements now allow Bixby to perform key commands like set a timer, take a screenshot or turn on the flashlight while the device is offline

For many users of Samsung smartphones, Bixby is either your run-of-the-mill voice assistant or something that is completely ignored. We very seldom stumble over to Bixby, and it has not managed the same popularity as Apple’s Siri, or the base Android version of Google Assistant, for example.

Despite this, the South Korean electronics giant has not given up and has announced a series of new updates to Bixby that will further enhance its functionality. While most of the features are still early in terms of their worldwide release schedules, Samsung says that international versions are in the works and will roll out in due time.

First and foremost, Samsung says in a press statement that the new updates bring enhanced language recognition.

“When Samsung first launched Bixby as a voice assistant, it was part of a vision to create a human-to-machine interface that makes life easier and can advance over time with Samsung Galaxy innovation,” said YoungJip Kim, Samsung’s EVP and head of Artificial Intelligence Team in Mobile eXperience.

“Today, we introduce updates to build a more intelligent interface that is proactive and adaptive, giving people greater control over their mobile experience.”

As part of the updates, Bixby Text Call has been made available in English, but only on select Samsung smartphones like the Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold4, and Z Flip4. It also requires OneUI 5.1 or above.

This feature allows users to select Bixby Text Call when being phoned, where they can simply type a message and Bixby will turn the message into an audio clip to be played to the person phoning you.

Users can also personalise their Bixby Text Call voice using the new Bixby Custom Voice Creator. With this, users can record different spoken sentences and have Bixby create an “AI-generated copy” of their own voices that will be used to read messages back to callers.

The Bixby Voice Creator is currently only available in South Korea, with Samsung working to make the generated voice compatible with other Samsung apps beyond phone calls in the future.

Bixby is also being updated to better understand contextual scenarios and process follow-up requests. For example, now Bixby can play music depending on the workout or type of exercise you are doing simply by asking it to “Play music for this workout” and launching the Samsung Health app.

However, only music from applications Melon, Bugs, Genie and FLO is supported as of yet.

Finally, Samsung says it has expanded Bixby’s on-device AI support. Users can now run key commands entirely offline, such as setting a timer, taking a screenshot or turning on the flashlight.

“By integrating on-device AI with its native applications, Samsung was able to further expand its language offering and capabilities with advanced AI-based voice dictation,” the company concludes.

[Image – CC 0 Omar Markhieh on Pexels ]