The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ will not ship with the Bixby Voice user interface when the devices first go on sale, according to Samsung.
“Key features of Bixby, including Vision, Home and Reminder, will be available with the global launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 on April 21. Bixby Voice will be available in the U.S. on the Galaxy S8 later this spring,” said the company in a statement.
Samsung did not offer any explanation for the delay, though the company was not able to offer live demonstrations of Bixby as recently as the S8’s splashy March 29 launch event.
Bixby is a voice-based user interface and Samsung want to go beyond voice assistants. Bixby allows people to interact with any touch element on the screen, such as opening apps, selecting menu items, toggling controls, and more. Any app that is Bixby-enabled will offer full voice control to S8 and S8+ owners.
Bixby Vision, combines the artificial intelligence element of Bixby with the camera for translating languages, reading business cards, recognizing landmarks, and scanning QR codes. Bixby Vision will work when the S8 goes on sale.
The S8 and S8+, which include dedicated Bixby buttons, reach stores April 21. It’s not known jow long consumers will have to wait before the voice-based interface arrives.
