Samsung could reimagine Bixby on Galaxy S26 with a Gemini rival

[phillynews215]

Credit: Andy Walker / Android Authority


TL;DR

• Samsung’s own virtual assistant Bixby may soon be powered by an AI chatbot.
• Samsung is rumored to have partnered with Perplexity, a Google DeepMind and OpenAI rival, for new Bixby capabilities.
• These features would be available to Samsung users starting with the Galaxy S26.

Bixby, Samsung’s homespun virtual assistant, has always been overshadowed by more popular options such as Gemini, Siri, and Alexa. On other smart devices, such as Samsung TVs and talking refrigerators, Bixby is the default voice assistant. However, on Android devices under Samsung’s Galaxy range, Gemini takes precedence over Bibxy, and Samsung doesn’t oppose either.

One of the reasons for Bixby’s lack of popularity is the limited AI features compared to its rivals. However, that could be changing soon — as soon as early 2026, when Bixby might receive a deeper integration of Perplexity’s AI chatbot. According to leaker with the handle @chunvn8888 on X, Samsung is testing Perplexity’s integration into Bixby on its smartphones and tablets. The feature, they say, is set to arrive with the launch of the Galaxy S26 series next year.




More...