The Samsung Galaxy S8 might be just days away from hitting retailers’ shelves, but the Korean manufacturer has just pulled one of the phone’s key new features.
While us Brits had already been told full support for the company’s new Siri-rivalling digital assistant Bixby would not be available at launch, users in the US and Samsung’s native Korea had been promised full day-one access.
Now, however, Samsung has delayed the Bixby release, saying the platform’s voice functionality will not drop until “later this spring”.
While the digital PA will still offer basic Vision, Home and Reminder functionality, you won’t actually be able to talk to the assistant for some time.
Although Bixby has been hit by delays, early S8 adopters will still be able to enjoy Siri alternatives, with the Android 7.0 enabled Google Assistant onboard.
Related: What is Bixby? Samsung’s new AI assistant explained
“With its intelligent interface and contextual awareness, Bixby will make your phone more helpful by assisting in completing tasks, telling you what you’re looking at, learning your routine and remembering what you need to do,” Samsung said in an official statement.
Delivering the bad news, the manufacturer added: “Key features of Bixby, including Vision, Home and Reminder, will be available with the global launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 on April 21. Bixby Voice will be available in the U.S. on the Galaxy S8 later this spring.”
Samsung has yet to detail the reason for the delay.
Bixby aside, the Galaxy S8 is shaping up as one of the phones of 2017. It features a stunning 5.8-inch curved QHD display, with the panel dominating the phone’s front after the physical home button was scrapped.
This near edge-to-edge display gives the phone a striking, futuristic look that’s offset by a sleek metal frame and a stunning glass rear.
Under the hood a new octa-core processor runs the show alongside 4GB of RAM while a 12-megapixel primary camera and 8-megapixel selfie shooter handle the imaging options.
Set to hit UK stores on April 28, the Galaxy S8 will hit wannabe owners for a lofty £689.
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S8
Will a lack of Bixby stop you buying the S8? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
