Earlier today, Samsung launched two new foldable models in China—the W25 and W25 Flip—that largely mirror the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in hardware but come with a unique software upgrade: the next-generation Bixby assistant.
Next-Gen Bixby: Smarter Contextual Awareness
The new Bixby, powered by advanced large language models (LLMs), is built to understand natural language more intuitively, enabling it to handle multiple commands within a single conversation. Samsung has offered several scenarios to showcase these improvements:
- Weather and Recommendations: For example, if you say, “It’s cloudy. What should I wear to work today?” Bixby can respond with local weather updates and suggest appropriate attire, like a raincoat if rain is expected.
- Navigation Assistance: If you then ask, “How long will it take to reach there?” Bixby understands that you’re referring to your commute to work, providing directions and an estimated arrival time.
- In-App Information Access: Bixby can also retrieve information directly from apps. When asked about a family event, for instance, it will check the Calendar app and display the event’s name, date, time, and location.
This Bixby upgrade is also starting to appear on Samsung’s high-end home appliances, hinting at a broader rollout across Samsung devices.
On-Screen Context and Interaction
The new Bixby also offers “on-screen context” features, meaning it can understand and act on what’s currently displayed on your screen. For instance, if you’re messaging someone about meeting at a specific location, you can ask Bixby to “navigate here.” Bixby will then pull location details from the conversation and launch the navigation app.
Additionally, the assistant can help perform device-specific tasks, like showing step-by-step instructions to add watermarks on photos, and it’s capable of generating basic documents like presentations or spreadsheets based on user requests.
Enhanced Design and Accessibility
Samsung has also revamped Bixby’s user interface with a full-screen design, allowing users to engage through text or voice. The new UI has bright animations and intuitive prompts, making interactions feel more dynamic. Bixby can be summoned anywhere on the phone, even while using other apps. For instance, if you’re browsing the web, you can call up Bixby to translate the page into your preferred language.
Availability Timeline
Currently, this next-gen Bixby is exclusive to the W25 and W25 Flip in China, but Samsung is expected to expand its availability globally, likely with the upcoming One UI 7.0 update in early 2024.
Samsung Galaxy S25 to Feature Snapdragon 8 Elite Worldwide
Recent leaks suggest that Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor across all regions, despite earlier rumors about the Exynos 2500 chipset. Though the Exynos 2500 recently appeared in benchmark tests on the Galaxy S25 Plus, reports confirm that it will likely remain in testing stages without full market release.
Here’s how these two chips compare in performance tests:
- Snapdragon 8 Elite: The Galaxy S25 Ultra variant with this chip achieved scores of 3,148 in single-core and 10,236 in multi-core tests on Geekbench.
- Exynos 2500: In comparison, the Exynos 2500 reached 2,359 in single-core and 8,141 in multi-core scores, still impressive but trailing behind Snapdragon.
Samsung traditionally divides its Galaxy lineup by region, with Snapdragon versions sold in the U.S. and Canada and Exynos models available in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, the S25 series might fully embrace Snapdragon globally, shifting away from Exynos for its flagship models.
Exynos Future and Samsung Foundry
Samsung’s Foundry division is reportedly under review, with plans to spin it off into an independent firm in the next five years. The Foundry business, which lost several key clients like Qualcomm and Google to TSMC, has faced challenges with production, such as lower-than-expected yield rates for its 3nm Exynos 2500 chip.
Galaxy S25 Series Release Expectations
The Galaxy S25 series is anticipated to launch in early 2024, promising enhancements in user experience and a more refined software interface to deliver an upgraded Galaxy experience across its flagship lineup.
