Samsung Electronics and a small and medium South Korean company started developing Bluetooth earset for Samsung Electronics’ AI (Artificial Intelligence) voice assistant called ‘Bixby’. It is likely that this earset will be released at the same time when Galaxy Note 8 is released in September.
It is heard that Samsung Electronics has started doing tests that link and optimize Bixby with Bluetooth earset solution that is developed by a small and medium South Korean company since beginning of this month.
Samsung Electronics has not decided on whether it will provide earset as a bundle with a Smartphone or sell it as a separate accessory. It seems that this earset will be released as earset exclusively for Bixby.
Earset for Bixby is applied with a special technology that minimizes malfunction of a device that might occur due to surrounding noise. Its major technology is called ‘Noise Blocking technology’ that only draws voice from a user even when his or her voice is mixed with other noise.
It is heard that Noise Blocking technology is called a new Noise Cancelling technology that utilizes human body which is not applied to Apple’s airpods.
Users will be able to obtain accurate answers from Bixby even when they are not close to their Smartphones and give commands through earsets.
Reason why Samsung Electronics started developing Bluetooth earset for Bixby is because it wants to establish long-term strategies for AI voice assistant markets and grab upper hands in markets for new input devices for Smartphones that are changing from touch-input device to voice-input device.
“When Bluetooth earsets for Bixby are released, we expect that they will be a great help in improving convenience level for users who are using our flagship Smartphones.” said a representative for Samsung Electronics. “Because it is not a model with exact release date, it is difficult for us to disclose any detailed information regarding current process.”
Bixby had gone through 4 software updates in just June alone after Galaxy S8 was released and it is a service that requires everything from Samsung Electronics. AI voice assistant technology from VIV Labs, which was acquired by Samsung Electronics in last October, will be applied to Galaxy Note 8’s Bixby and this is Samsung Electronics’ plan to implement services with better degree of completion.
Staff Reporter Choi, Jaepil | jpchoi@etnews.com