While Samsung is reeling from the loss of its exploding Note 7s, the internet has already started buzzing with rumors about its upcoming smartphone — the Galaxy S8. The Korean giant is looking to play catch with Google and Apple to introduce its own AI-powered AI assistant alongside the Galaxy S8. This addition to the hubbub surrounding the device has indirectly been confirmed by Samsung itself, reports Reuters.
In possibly another hurried move to capture its lost market and recover losses, Samsung is planning to make use of its recent acquisition of next-gen AI assistant platform Viv to build and integrate a virtual assistant in its upcoming Galaxy smartphone lineup. The company is also expected to expand its virtual assistant services to home appliances and wearable technology devices in the coming months.
Talking about the virtual assistant coming to the Galaxy S8, Samsung’s Executive VP Rhee Injong says,
Developers can attach and upload services to our agent. Even if Samsung doesn’t do anything on its own, the more services that get attached the smarter this agent will get, learn more new services and provide them to end-users with ease.
The description for the service given by Injong gives us little-or-no insight into the features and operation of the new virtual assistant powered by Viv. The executive has shared the bare minimum about what their virtual assistant will be capable of — third party integrations and refrained from sharing any further details. But we would expect from the creators of Siri who’ve now developed this next-generation of AI assistant.
Instead of third-party integrations, Samsung should have emphasized on the highlight of Viv’s advanced AI platform. Viv is described as a breakthrough in AI technology as it is not only capable of creating its own programming but also understanding and adapting to complex needs of the user over time. This is the technology that’ll help the company rival against the likes of Amazon, Google, and Apple.
Samsung is currently having the worst time of the year. The explosion, recall, and the demise of the Galaxy Note 7 have now been followed by the recall of exploding washing machines, that too 2.8 million. The Korean giant is now looking to recapture the market with its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone, which has reportedly been delayed a few weeks due to the investigation of Note 7 fires.
Recent reports also suggest that Samsung is looking to get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack from the Galaxy S8. It has also started production of latest 10nm processor chips that will power the upcoming smartphone. This is the one piece of hardware that Samsung needs to nail(and sell abundantly) to regain its brand image and position in the market. The company is already losing a staggering $3.1 billion in the second half of this fiscal year.
