As you would expect, news and leaks are bound to surface with Samsung Galaxy Unpacked just around the corner. We've already seen plenty of rumours about the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, but the company also plans to introduce an updated OneUI at the event. Specifically, OneUI 8.5.
Upgrade to Bixby
Remember Samsung's virtual assistant Bixby? Virtual assistants were popular a few years ago, but never quite succeeded in becoming a ubiquitous app. That could change with the addition of AI capabilities, something Samsung clearly wants to explore for its devices via upgrades to OneUI or Galaxy AI features.
Before update: Mostly interacted with the device's system
Earlier today, Samsung announced OneUI 8.5 for users in Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK and the US. In addition, Samsung has launched the beta program for the latest version of Bixby. It will now be a "conversational device agent" that allows users to "ask for what they need through natural language".
For example, you can tell Bixby: "I don't want the screen to time out while I'm looking at it." Bixby will then help enable the 'Keep Screen on While Viewing' setting, so you won't have to wait through the Settings menu to find it. You could also ask Bixby to "Find me hotels in Seoul that have swimming pools for kids" for the AI assistant to help with your holiday planning.
After Bixby: Addition of AI capabilities for enhanced usages
Galaxy S26 series debut
Although the latest version of OneUI and Bixby has been confirmed, there are no current devices with access to them. However, expect both to be timed exclusives of the upcoming Galaxy S26 series smartphones. Samsung tends to do these for newer phones, as it gives users a compelling reason to upgrade.
Anyway, there will be more Samsung Galaxy-related news as we head into the Galaxy Unpacked week, so don't forget to stay tuned to TechNave.com.
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