Rumor: Samsung digital assistant can recognize objects via camera

Bixby, the upcoming digital assistant in Samsung devices, should integrate with smartphones’ cameras to recognize objects and translate text. This could possibly be the first with the Galaxy S8.

For the link, a Bixby button should appear in the camera app, which users can use to enable the function, says Samsung fan site SamMobile based on its own information. Bixby can recognize and translate text or find objects in a database and then provide the user with links to online stores to purchase it.

The function is reminiscent of the Firefly function from the Amazon Fire Phone from 2015. In addition, users could make the camera recognize objects in order to be able to purchase them on Amazon. Google once had an application with Goggles for search via image recognition, while Google Translate also works with camera images.

A few months ago, the first information about Bixby appeared. To make the digital assistant possible, South Korean smartphone maker bought Viv Labs, a company owned by the founders of Siri. The founders sold Siri to Apple in 2010, which has been using it in its devices since 2011.

Bixby should debut on the Galaxy S8, the smartphone that Samsung is likely to release this spring. Recently photos of screen protectors appeared that show what the front of the device will look like. According to the most recent rumors, the South Korean manufacturer will present the S8 at the end of March and the release will follow in mid-April.