Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 9 will debut a number of software additions, changes, and improvements, including a redesigned Bixby screen and a revamped S Pen menu, several industry insiders report. The former addition will be part of Bixby 2.0, a significantly improved version of the firm’s artificial intelligence assistant which was already announced earlier this year and will first launch on the Galaxy Note 9 before making its way to Samsung’s older devices via an over-the-air update. The details of the new interface remain vague, though Samsung may be looking to revamp it in a manner that makes it more akin to a personal organizer than a Google app rival, which is something that industry insiders already hinted at earlier this year.
Samsung Experience 9.5, the tech giant’s proprietary implementation of Android 8.1. Oreo, will also debut some new icons for system apps compared to SE 9.0 based on Android 8.0, sources claim. Likewise, Samsung’s mobile Gestures will be expanded with the Galaxy Note 9 for the first time in years, as per the same reports, though the exact number of new functionalities remains unclear. Samsung’s previously released flagships such as the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9-series devices are likely to receive most of the Galaxy Note 9’s features in late 2018 or early 2019 once they make a jump to the company’s implementation of Android P which is expected to include all of the changes and additions outlined above, in addition to some extra tweaks and functionalities.
Bixby is expected to be advertised as one of the main selling points of the upcoming phablet, especially as its latest revision is infused with the conversational interaction technology from Viv Labs, an American startup Samsung acquired in 2016. The Galaxy Note 9 leaked in an extensive manner over the last several weeks and is believed to be a mostly iterative upgrade over its predecessor. The smartphone will be announced on August 9 and should become available for purchase globally by the end of the same month, starting at around $960, depending on the country.
Note 9 will bring new icons and some new interactions. and Bixby 2.0 based AI UX will also appear. pic.twitter.com/6iMwCLHV12
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) July 30, 2018