Samsung Galaxy S8: Bixby's English-Language Versions Further Delayed

By Jessica Ferrera, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, July 08, 2017

Samsung Galaxy S8 users, especially in the United States, need to wait much longer to experience the English-language version of Bixby Voice.

When the Galaxy S8 and S8+ were released, Samsung announced that customers in other regions, especially in the U.S., will experience the limited functions of the device's native smart assistant Bixby.

Now, the delay is apparently longer than even Samsung has expected. According to The Korea Herald, the main roadblock this time is the lack of enough support for the big data that Bixby Voice's English-language version requires.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Samsung reportedly confirmed with The Verge that the company is facing some more problems in releasing the anticipated English-speaking voice assistant. The company representative said: "Developing Bixby in other languages is taking more time than we expected mainly because of the lack of the accumulation of big data."

Big data does not simply mean having large-sized files. It often pertains to complex data sets that require advanced data processing technology and it can also refer to the use of predictive analytics, especially for smart assistants like Bixby.

An anonymous source also told the South Korea-based publication: "Many engineers in the US are making full efforts to develop the English version. But, (due to geographical and language barriers) their frequent reports to and communication with the management located in Korea makes the progress much slower than developing the Korean version here."

Last month, the company announced a limited early access preview of the unreleased Bixby Voice feature. Select Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners in the United States were given the chance to experience the voice-control aspect of Bixby.

According to Samsung's announcement of the limited preview, registered testers can send text messages, start a phone call, and open the Settings app with the voice command feature.

When Samsung first came clean about the Bixby Voice delay, they promised customers that the feature will go live before spring ends. However, the seasons have changed and summer is here, but not the promised voice assistant from Samsung.