Samsung have announced the Galaxy S8 will feature an artificial intelligence digital assistant to compete with Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri.
The news follows Samsung’s acquisition last month of AI software company Viv Labs, run by one of the co-creators of Siri. The company is planning to include features not currently available with Google Assistant or Siri, according to executive vice president Rhee In-Jong.
“It will be significantly differentiated from the current services we see in the market now,” he said.
The Galaxy S8 will be Samsung’s first flagship smartphone since the Galaxy Note 7 launch and subsequent recall. The company will be aiming to win back trust and market share with the new smartphone, with the addition of features such as a unique digital assistant giving Samsung potential leverage over other manufacturers.
Samsung also plans to employ AI technology from Viv in appliances and other electronics.
Typically the company launches a new model for the flagship Galaxy S line at Mobile World Conference in Spain, but a senior executive told ChannelNews last month that this will not be the case in 2017, with the device set to launch sometime later in the year.
The launch of the blue coral Galaxy S7 in Singapore and Taiwan last month seems to suggest Samsung will support their current device for a longer period than usual. The new colour is also set to launch in the United States before the end of the year, with availability not yet confirmed for Australia.
