What is voice recognition for Samsung phone?
Voice recognition, also known as speech recognition, is technology that allows devices to understand spoken commands and translate them into text or actions. It works by analyzing the acoustic properties of speech and using algorithms to match vocal inputs to specific words and phrases.
The history of voice recognition technology dates back to the 1950s, when researchers at Bell Labs worked on recognizing digits spoken by a single voice. In the 1970s, systems focused on isolated words, but by the 1990s consumer products like Dragon Dictate could recognize continuous speech (1). Major tech companies began developing voice assistants in the 2000s, with the launch of Siri in 2011. Today, voice recognition is embedded in smartphones, smart speakers, cars, and more.
Voice recognition provides hands-free control, enabling users to multitask and access information quickly. It can increase accessibility for those with disabilities. The technology continues to improve, with advances in natural language processing and AI leading to more accurate recognition and complex voice interactions.
Sources:
(1) https://www.totalvoicetech.com/a-brief-history-of-voice-recognition-technology/
Samsung’s Bixby Voice Assistant
Bixby is Samsung’s proprietary virtual assistant that was first introduced in 2017 on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. It allows users to interact with their Samsung devices using voice commands in a conversational way. Bixby can help with tasks like setting alarms, opening apps, changing phone settings, and getting information through voice queries.
Bixby uses natural language processing and deep learning AI to understand spoken requests and complete tasks. It can recognize context and follow-up questions to have a continuous conversation. Over time, Bixby also utilizes user data and feedback to improve its accuracy and capabilities.
On Samsung smartphones and tablets, Bixby is accessed by pressing the dedicated Bixby button or saying the wake phrase “Hi Bixby.” Users can then make requests like “Set an alarm for 7 AM,” “Send a text to John,” or “Show me nearby restaurants.” Bixby leverages the device’s capabilities to complete these actions.
Some key features of Bixby include Bixby Vision for visual searches, Bixby Routines for automating actions, and Bixby Capsules for enhanced app integrations. It also provides voice control for many native apps on Samsung devices. Bixby supports several languages and locales globally.
Over successive software updates, Samsung has expanded Bixby’s functionality to cover more use cases. The company positions it as an intelligent interface for simplified device interactions.
Setting Up Bixby on a Samsung Phone
To start using Bixby on a Samsung device, you first need to access the Bixby settings and complete the initial setup. This involves training Bixby to recognize your voice and customizing the wake-up phrase to activate Bixby hands-free.
You can access Bixby’s settings by opening the Bixby app on your Samsung phone and tapping the settings icon in the top right corner. From here, you can initiate voice training so Bixby learns to identify your voice. Bixby will prompt you to repeat a set of phrases and will create a voice profile unique to you.
It’s also recommended to customize Bixby’s wake-up phrase from the default “Hi Bixby” to a phrase of your choice. This can prevent accidental activations. To change the phrase, go to Voice wake-up in Bixby settings and record a new 1-2 word wake up call. Bixby will listen for this phrase to know when you want to activate it hands-free.https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00076739/
With voice training complete and your custom wake-up set, you can now use Bixby hands-free on your Samsung device just by saying your chosen phrase. Bixby will confirm the activation audibly when ready for your voice commands.
Using Bixby for Basic Tasks
Bixby allows Samsung users to control their phone and complete basic tasks completely hands-free using just their voice. Some of the most common uses of Bixby are for calling, texting, emailing, and adjusting settings without having to touch the phone.
For example, you can say “Hi Bixby, call Mom” and Bixby will initiate a phone call to the contact saved as Mom. Similarly, you can tell Bixby to send a text message to a friend or email a coworker. Bixby understands natural language, so you don’t have to memorize exact commands.
In addition to communications, you can also use Bixby to open apps or change settings on your phone. Saying “Hi Bixby, open camera” will automatically launch the camera app. Bixby can turn WiFi or Bluetooth on or off, increase screen brightness, and much more through voice commands. This allows Samsung users to conveniently control their device without having to touch buttons or navigate menus.
According to Samsung’s website, “You can control the device easily by voice and focus on more important tasks,” when using Bixby for basic phone commands [1]. Bixby’s integration with Samsung phones allows you to minimize tapping around and instead use your voice to get things done quickly and efficiently.
Advanced Bixby Capabilities
Bixby offers some advanced features beyond just voice commands. These capabilities allow Bixby to be more useful in completing complex tasks.
One advanced feature is Bixby Vision, which allows visual search using your camera. You can point your camera at objects and have Bixby identify them, search for similar products online, or translate foreign text seen through the camera. This makes Bixby useful for shopping, research, and translation needs 1.
Another advanced capability is Bixby Routines and Reminders. This allows you to set up customizable routines that trigger based on time, location, or other factors. For example, you could set a “driving home” routine that launches your podcast app and music playlist when connecting to your car’s Bluetooth. Bixby can also set location-based reminders that pop up at the right place and time.2
Additionally, Bixby integrates with smart home devices like Samsung SmartThings products. You can use Bixby voice commands to control lights, thermostats, appliances, security cameras, and more in your home. This makes it easy to automate and control your smart home through natural speech.3
Improving Bixby’s Accuracy
Bixby uses advanced voice recognition technology, but it’s not perfect. There are a few things you can do to help improve Bixby’s accuracy in understanding your voice commands:
Additional voice training – You can further train Bixby to recognize your voice by going to Settings > Bixby Routines > My Routines > Voice wake-up, then tapping “Improve voice wake-up accuracy.” Follow the prompts to record more voice samples so Bixby can continue learning your unique pronunciation and speech patterns. According to Samsung, this can significantly boost Bixby’s responsiveness (source).
Using clear pronunciation – Speak clearly and naturally when talking to Bixby. Enunciate words and avoid mumbling. Bixby performs best with clear enunciation and normal speech cadence.
Giving feedback on errors – If Bixby misunderstands a command, you can give direct feedback by saying “That’s wrong.” Bixby will then ask you to repeat the original command so it can learn from its mistakes.
With consistent usage and training over time, Bixby can become highly responsive to your individual voice. Be patient as Bixby continues improving, and provide clear feedback when errors occur. This personalized learning helps ensure Bixby accurately understands your commands.
Bixby Voice Limitations
While Bixby offers some useful voice control capabilities, it does have some limitations users should be aware of. Three key limitations include:
Limited third-party app support – Unlike Alexa or Google Assistant, Bixby has more limited abilities when it comes to controlling third-party apps and services. Bixby is deeply integrated with Samsung’s own apps, but support for other popular apps is lacking.
Requires internet connection – Bixby relies on Samsung’s servers in the cloud to process voice requests. This means an internet connection is required for Bixby to function. It can’t process voice commands offline like some other assistants.
Struggles with complex queries – Bixby handles basic commands well, but struggles with more complex voice requests. The voice recognition and natural language processing isn’t as advanced as some competitors.
While Bixby has improved over time, it still feels behind assistants from Google, Amazon and Apple in some respects. Users with advanced smart home setups or seeking deeper voice integration may be disappointed by Bixby’s limitations.
Comparing Bixby to Other Assistants
When it comes to voice assistants on phones, Bixby faces stiff competition from the likes of Google Assistant and Siri. Though relatively new compared to other voice assistants, Bixby has some unique strengths but also some weaknesses when compared to its main rivals.
One area where Bixby excels is device control, especially on Samsung devices. Bixby is deeply integrated into Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and wearables. Users can control core functions and settings of Samsung devices using Bixby voice commands. This gives Bixby an advantage over Google Assistant and Siri for controlling Samsung gadgets.
However, Google Assistant has the benefit of extensive knowledge graph backing from Google Search. This gives Google Assistant a much wider range of general knowledge and contextual understanding compared to Bixby. For broadly applicable queries, Google Assistant tends to provide better and more useful results.
Siri has also been around longer than Bixby, allowing Apple to refine the assistant over time. Siri offers robust functionality for controlling Apple devices, finding information, and interfacing with iOS apps. However, Siri still falls behind Google Assistant for general search queries and smart home control.
In summary, Bixby is very capable but has advantages mainly for Samsung device owners. It still lags behind Google Assistant and, to a lesser extent, Siri when it comes to responding to broad information requests. But Bixby continues to improve and gives Samsung device users a customized voice assistant experience.
Future Outlook for Bixby
Samsung has ambitious plans to expand and improve Bixby in the coming years. According to recent Samsung announcements, Bixby will be available on more devices beyond phones, including refrigerators, TVs, and other smart home products. Bixby is also expected to support additional languages beyond English, Korean and Chinese, with German and French coming soon.
Bixby will continue to integrate with Samsung’s ecosystem of products and services, allowing for seamless connectivity and control across devices. Users can expect Bixby to improve in natural language processing and contextual awareness as well. However, competition remains fierce with other voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. Samsung will need to prove that Bixby can provide tangible value that other assistants cannot in order to gain more market share. With continued investment in AI and speech technology, the outlook is bright for Bixby to become an indispensable digital assistant for Samsung customers worldwide.
Conclusion
Bixby Voice is Samsung’s proprietary virtual assistant that allows owners of recent Samsung devices to control their phones and access information using voice commands. Bixby can handle a wide range of tasks, from opening apps and controlling phone settings to providing information on the weather, sports, and more. Some of Bixby’s key capabilities include:
- Voice commands to access phone functions like calling, messaging, and camera operation
- Controlling smart home devices like lights, thermostats, and appliances
- Getting answers to common questions and requests
- Scheduling appointments, alarms, and reminders
- Translating words and phrases between multiple languages
- Searching for local businesses and recommendations
For Samsung device owners, having Bixby built-in provides convenient hands-free control of their phone. Bixby gives quick access to important information and phone functions using only your voice. This can be especially useful while driving, cooking, working out, or any situation where you don’t have hands free.
Looking ahead, Samsung continues working to improve Bixby’s voice recognition accuracy, expand its capabilities and supported languages, and integrate it deeper into Samsung products. With future advancements in natural language processing and AI, Bixby has the potential to become an even more intelligent, proactive assistant that makes interacting with technology faster and easier.