Katarzyna Petru
Samsung has announced the start of the beta program for the new version of Bixby, which, as part of One UI 8.5, is undergoing the biggest transformation in years. The assistant is no longer just a simple tool for voice commands but begins to function as a conversational device agent that understands natural language and the user's context. The new Bixby is designed to simplify the use 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 knowledge of exact function names or settings locations. 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 stay-on-screen function without manually searching for it in the system. If someone asks why the phone turns on in their pocket, the assistant will analyze the context and suggest, for example, activating the accidental touch protection. This is a real shortcut to settings, especially for less advanced users.
Real-time Search with Integration to Perplexity
One of the major changes is the integration with Perplexity AI. This allows Bixby to access current data from the internet and present results directly in its interface. In practice, this means there is no need to switch to a browser. If a user asks to find hotels in Seoul with a children's pool, the assistant will display results in the chat window. For location-dependent queries, consent to access location data is required. Samsung emphasizes that this information is used solely to generate responses and is deleted after the interaction ends.
Availability and Development Plans
The new version of Bixby in One UI 8.5 is currently available in beta in select markets: Germany, India, South Korea, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The company plans to gradually expand availability. 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 development. Instead of a classic voice assistant, we are getting an intelligent system agent that understands context, analyzes 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 operation of Galaxy smartphones.
source: news.samsung.com
