Samsung Electronics filed for a trademark on the term “Bixby Vision” with the European Union Intellectual Property Office on Friday. The name of the filing connects it to Bixby, Samsung’s upcoming AI assistant that’s rumored to debut with the Galaxy S8. A recent report suggested that Bixby will be able to access the Galaxy S8 camera to analyze its surroundings by conducting some sort of a visual search. As “Bixby Vision” sounds like a plausible name for that kind of technology, Samsung’s latest trademark filing gives some credence to that report.
Apart from smartphones, the company’s filing also mentions potential uses of Bixby Vision in tablets and personal computers, suggesting that Bixby may be featured in a broad range of devices in the future. The document that’s available for download at the link below also mentions that Bixby Vision is related to a voice recognition system, which is yet another hint that Samsung is developing an AI assistant. Despite dozens of various reports, leaks, and rumors hinting at Bixby being the company’s answer to Google Assistant and similar solutions, Samsung has yet to officially announce its digital companion. Regarding Bixby Vision specifically, this technology is rumored to allow Bixby to identify various objects using the Galaxy S8 camera and use that information to find the same products online. For example, Bixby will likely be able to identify the Gear S3 Classic or the Gear S3 Frontier and instantly redirect users to an online retailer selling Samsung’s latest pair of smartwatches. The report mentioned above also indicates that Bixby will be able to conduct payments on its own, provided it’s authorized to do so.
More information will likely follow soon as Samsung is expected to debut Bixby with the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus. The South Korean tech giant traditionally announced its pair of Android flagships at the annual Mobile World Conference 2017, but the company announced they will skip the Barcelona trade show and unveil the two variants of the Galaxy S8 at a special New York City event slated for mid-April. Regardless of when Samsung chooses to debut its next flagship, the device is expected to be a significant upgrade over the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge.