Samsung reportedly opening Bixby to developers as it takes on Amazon, Google
Samsung aims to bake its voice assistant into every device it sells, by 2020.
Samsung's voice assistant is reportedly about to learn new tricks.
The mobile giant plans to open its Bixby voice assistant to third-party developers in an effort to compete with Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and Google Assistant, according to The Wall Street Journal. At an event in San Francisco next week, Samsung will reportedly detail how developers can create "capsules," which work like Alexa's skills, to make Bixby do things like turn on a TV or find a recipe for dinner.
Samsung released Bixby last year in its Galaxy S8 phone, and the company plans to incorporate the voice assistant into every device it sells, by 2020. Samsung unveiled its Bixby-powered Galaxy Home smart speaker in August but hasn't announced pricing or availability yet.
With Bixby and the Galaxy Home, Samsung is trying to gain ground in a smart home market dominated by devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home. Samsung says the Galaxy Home is focused on sound quality, which could help it stand out.
Samsung didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.