Third-party app support for Bixby will reportedly include Facebook and CNN among a handful of other applications that can currently be downloaded from the Play Store. Along with the two mentioned above, it’s said that Bixby will also support YouTube, Twitter, Uber, LinkedIn, and Foursquare, and more are expected to join the ranks as the software becomes more robust. Naturally Bixby on the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus will also support apps that are native to the device, many of which will be Samsung’s own apps like briefing, Samsung Health, Samsung Internet, Samsung Music, Samsung Themes, Video, and more.
A few other apps are noted as coming with the two new smartphones at launch such as Google Play Music, the camera app, the gallery, message, and the settings app, but Samsung doesn’t seem to have mentioned much of anything in regards to details about when more third-party app support would be coming to the new digital assistant software. This might not be the most important thing immediately, but Samsung will certainly have to address the issue of allowing third-party apps to integrate with Bixby at some point if it hopes for Bixby to succeed in the long run, as more app support will certainly play a big role in how its perceived by users. Voice control with a digital assistant like Bixby is a powerful thing but it will need the backing of support for more apps to reach its true potential.
Beyond having support for applications so that users can initiate tasks and functions through the use of their voice, similar to the way that they can do so with Google Assistant, Bixby will also allow users access to search for things by image using the Bixby Vision portion of the software, which can be accessed through voice or by hitting a dedicated button for the feature while inside of the camera app. Bixby is due to launch with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus on April 21st, though pre-orders are already available from some retailers and wireless carriers, and there is a fairly decent chance that some consumers who pre-order either device will end up getting theirs before the actual launch date, as manufacturers and carriers often ship out devices early.