Katarzyna Petru
Samsung has announced the launch of the beta program for the new version of Bixby, which undergoes the most significant transformation in years as part of One UI 8.5. The assistant is no longer just a simple voice command tool, but starts functioning as a conversational device agent that understands natural language and user context. The new Bixby aims to simplify the operation of Galaxy smartphones and reduce the need to navigate through complex settings menus.
Bixby understands what you really want
In One UI 8.5, the One UI assistant no longer requires knowing the exact names of functions or the locations of settings. You just need to describe the problem in your own words. An example? A user can say, “I don’t want the screen to turn off when I’m looking at it.” Bixby will automatically activate the appropriate screen-on function without the need to manually search for it in the system. If someone asks why the phone turns on in their pocket, the assistant will analyse the context and suggest, for example, activating accidental touch protection. This is a real shortcut to the settings, especially for less experienced users.
Real-time search thanks to integration with Perplexity
One of the bigger changes is the integration with Perplexity AI. This allows Bixby to utilise current data from the internet and present results directly in its interface. In practice, this means there's no need to switch to a browser. If a user asks to find hotels in Seoul with a pool for kids, the assistant will display the results in the conversation window. For location-dependent queries, permission is required to access location data. Samsung emphasises that this information is used solely to generate a response and is deleted after the interaction is over.
Availability and Development Plans
The new version of Bixby in One UI 8.5 is currently available in beta in selected markets: Germany, India, South Korea, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The company is planning to gradually expand accessibility. The service can be accessed by logging into a Samsung account and with an active internet connection. Supported languages include English (various variants), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazil).
Samsung is clearly changing the direction of Bixby’s development. Instead of a classic voice assistant, we’re getting an intelligent system agent that understands context, analyses settings, and uses current data from the web. If the beta lives up to the manufacturer’s promises, One UI 8.5 could significantly improve the daily use of Galaxy smartphones.
source: news.samsung.com
