Samsung Electronics plans to equip its next Galaxy S smartphones with a Siri-like digital assistant, seeking to make a comeback after the global debacle that precipitated the death of its flawed Note7 line-up.
Samsung, which last month acquired US-based artificial intelligence software company Viv Labs, said the Galaxy S8 slated for next year will come with AI-enabled features “significantly differentiated” from those of Apple’s Siri or Google, executive vice-president Rhee In-jong told reporters. Those services now offer up potentially useful information from the weather to flight times based on user activity.
The flagship Galaxy S line will prove crucial to salvaging Samsung’s reputation in the wake of the fiasco surrounding a Note7 device prone to bursting into flame. The recall and eventual cessation of the line is estimated to cost upwards of US$6bn and pushed profits at its mobile division to a record low in the September quarter. The company is now investigating the root cause behind the fires, but wouldn’t comment on progress so far.
“It will be significantly differentiated from the current services we see in the market now,” Rhee said of the S8’s features. He said last month the company plans to embed Viv’s technology in other electronics and home appliances beyond phones.
Samsung shares rose 1,1% in Seoul trading on Monday and had gained 29% this year before today.
Global technology players are vying to build devices attuned to users’ lifestyles and daily behavior. Amazon is trying to sign up more developers for its Alexa voice technology, while Apple has recently touted more Siri capabilities and opened the technology to other developers. Google, considered the leader in artificial intelligence, is making its own push.
Samsung is now getting into the game. It releases new versions of its top-tier Galaxy S series some time in the first quarter of every year, typically during the Mobile World Congress in Spain. With the Note7 line now defunct, the S8 will become its de facto showcase smartphone.
The company is keen to put the Note 7 behind it and resuscitate its business. Samsung reported a sharp decline in profit as the Note7 recall took its toll. Net income fell 17% to 4,4 trillion won ($3,9bn) in the third quarter, bringing its mobile profit to a historic low of 100bn won.
Samsung suffered a separate setback with a different product last week. The company is recalling about 2,8m washing machines in the US amid reports that the top of the machine can become detached during use. Samsung said in a 4 November statement that it will offer consumers a free in-home repair of the machine, or a rebate that can be used when consumers buy a new machine. For more recent purchases, consumers can get a full refund. — (c) 2016 Bloomberg LP