Samsung just fired back in the AI assistant wars. The company's redesigned Bixby now operates as a full conversational device agent, letting Galaxy users control their phones through natural language without memorizing commands or menu structures. The upgrade, rolling out in One UI 8.5 beta across six markets, adds real-time web search capabilities directly into Bixby's interface - a direct shot at Google Assistant and Apple's Siri as the battle for mobile AI supremacy heats up.
Samsung is making its biggest bet yet on conversational AI. The Korean tech giant just opened beta access to a completely revamped Bixby assistant built to operate as what the company calls a "conversational device agent" - tech speak for an AI that actually understands what you mean, not just what you say.
The timing couldn't be more deliberate. As Apple doubles down on Siri improvements and Google bakes Gemini deeper into Android, Samsung's betting that natural language device control will become the defining feature of premium smartphones. "Since we introduced our first AI phone in 2024, we've been committed to making them easier to use so more people can benefit from AI," Won-Joon Choi, Samsung's COO for Mobile Experience, told Samsung Newsroom.
What separates this Bixby from its predecessors is context. Users can now speak to their Galaxy devices like they're talking to a tech-savvy friend, not barking commands at a voice menu. Instead of memorizing that "Keep Screen on While Viewing" exists somewhere in Settings, you just say "I don't want the screen to time out while I'm still looking at it." Bixby translates intent into action, finds the right toggle, and flips it.
The system goes beyond simple command execution. When users ask diagnostic questions - "Why is my phone screen always on when it's inside my pocket?" - Bixby analyzes current device settings and surfaces relevant solutions like Accidental Touch Protection. It's troubleshooting that adapts to how people actually think about problems, not how engineers structured menu hierarchies.
