Samsung Electronics unveiled Bixby with natural language-based device control capabilities. Samsung Electronics said on Thursday it is running a beta program for the upgraded AI voice assistant Bixby. The update will roll out sequentially to Galaxy S25 series users participating in the One UI 8.5 beta program. It will be available in six countries including South Korea, the United States, Britain, Germany, Poland and India.

The new Bixby controls devices based on natural language. When a user speaks the desired function or setting, Bixby identifies the intent and suggests suitable settings or functions.

For example, if a user says, "I want the screen not to turn off while I'm looking at my phone," Bixby understands the request and immediately activates the "keep screen on while in use" setting. The feature uses the front camera to recognise a face and keeps the screen on while the user is looking at it.

Bixby provides customised solutions that take into account the device's current settings status. A new function was also added that allows users to search and check all information during a conversation. If a user asks Bixby about something, it provides an answer by finding the necessary information through real-time web searches.

Won-joon Choi (최원준), head of development at Samsung Electronics' MX business division and chief operating officer, said, "Since Samsung Electronics introduced the first AI phone in 2024, we have been continuously improving functions so that more users can naturally enjoy the AI experience in everyday life."

He added, "Bixby has evolved into an intuitive device agent that spans Samsung's ecosystem beyond Galaxy, including Samsung TVs and Samsung home appliances," and stressed that it would further expand cross-device connectivity experiences so users can use products more conveniently.