Samsung is gearing up to release the highly anticipated One UI 8.5, which promises to bring a significant enhancement to a long-neglected feature.
The upcoming Galaxy S26 series is rumored to see a major revamp of Samsung’s Bixby digital assistant, originally introduced with the Galaxy S8 series back in 2017.
According to reports from SamMobile, the new iteration of Bixby will integrate two powerful AI assistants: Perplexity from the US and DeepSeek from China, which gained widespread popularity in early 2025.
This collaboration is expected to elevate the Bixby experience, with leaked information suggesting capabilities such as web data sourcing, audio and image generation, as well as the ability to upload various types of content like photos, documents, and screen shares.
Notably, a real-time feature called ‘Bixby Live’ appears to mimic Gemini Live, while ‘Circle to Ask’ seems reminiscent of Circle to Search.
Proshis_Saha_Swopna / Reddit (edited)
Bixby has long been overdue for an upgrade, as it has fallen behind competitors like Google Assistant and Alexa in recent years. With the emergence of advanced AI technologies such as Gemini and ChatGPT, the gap has only widened.
By partnering with Perplexity and DeepSeek, Samsung aims to bring Bixby back into the spotlight with improved capabilities that rival other top AI assistants.
The One UI 8.5 beta was released in December, with speculations pointing towards a full version launch alongside the Galaxy S26 series on February 25, as reported by various sources including SamMobile.
