The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be announced on February 25th ahead of Mobile World Congress. We've learned a lot about the two devices before their release such as the hardware specifications, design, and its new camera technology. We've been doing some digging ourselves to uncover new software features of the devices and have found evidence for a new Intelligent Scan feature and adjustable sticker depths. Now, we have done some more digging to discover that Samsung will be using its Bixby voice assistant to guide you through the setup wizard process on the upcoming Galaxy S9 and S9+.
Having an assistant help set up your device is not new, as Microsoft lets you use Cortana to set up Windows 10. It is, however, new in the mobile space. Setting up a new Android phone can take some time since you have to connect to WiFi, set up your accounts, carrier information, and more. What if this process could be simplified? While searching through the APK files in the latest version of the unreleased Android Oreo builds for the Samsung Galaxy Note8, I discovered evidence in the SetupWizard APK that points to Bixby helping you with the setup process.
This is potentially a useful feature because setting up a Samsung phone with its myriad of optional features can take time and is usually not very intuitive for those who are new to Android. Using Bixby can make the experience easier by using your voice to answer questions and letting Bixby do all the work for you.
Now, the unreleased Galaxy Note8 Oreo builds I dug through are not the exact same as the Galaxy S9 Android Oreo builds, so the APKs may have different strings. In the screenshots below, there are certain parts of the current setup process which are not shown below with Bixby, and that is because Bixby is currently not updated to support the Galaxy S9, and neither is the Setup Wizard APK.
Screenshots showing the current setup process on the Samsung Galaxy Note8
Bixby Setup on the Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+
<string name="bixby_activation_intro_desc">"Let's check if your phone is activated"</string>\n<string name="bixby_activation_subtitle">"Let's check if your phone is activated"</string>\n<string name="bixby_cct_xfinity_setup_intro">Connect to a <cst>Wi-Fi</cst> network</string>\n<string name="bixby_cct_xfinity_setup_title">"Let's check for an available XFINITY WiFi network"</string>\n<string name="bixby_dialog_confirm_message">"You won't be able to turn on voice guide again."</string>\n<string name="bixby_dialog_confirm_turn_off_voice_guide">Turn off voice guide?</string>\n<string name="bixby_dialog_confirm_voice_guide_cancel">Cancel</string>\n<string name="bixby_dialog_confirm_voice_guide_turn_off">Turn off</string>\n<string name="bixby_eula_terms_condition_intro_title">Check the Terms and Conditions</string>\n<string name="bixby_eula_terms_condition_sub_title">Agree to the Terms and Conditions</string>\n<string name="bixby_main_intro_screen_desc">Set up your new phone with Bixby.</string>\n<string name="bixby_mode">Turn on voice</string>\n<string name="bixby_no_network_title">Connect to a <cst>Wi-Fi</cst> network</string>\n<string name="bixby_personalize_your_phone_intro_desc">Get more useful things</string>\n<string name="bixby_personalize_your_phone_subtitle">Get more useful things</string>\n<string name="bixby_ready_to_go_screen_intro_desc">Ready to go!</string>\n<string name="bixby_ready_to_go_screen_subtitle">Ready to go!</string>\n<string name="bixby_setup_link">Get started with</string>\n<string name="bixby_setup_screen_title">"Hi, I'm Bixby! Let's set up your phone."</string>\n<string name="bixby_voice_guide">Use voice guide</string>\n<string name="bixby_voice_guide_turnoff_link">Turn off voice</string>\n<string name="bixby_voice_recognition_failed_message">Tap a button instead</string>\n<string name="tap_on_bixby_link">Bixby!</string>\n<string name="bixby_main_intro_screen_additional_text">To set up your phone using Bixby, your voice input will be sent to Samsung according to the %1$sSamsung Privacy Policy%2$s. Using mobile data may result in additional charges.</string>\n<string name="bixby_main_intro_screen_additional_text_2">You can read a button aloud to move on, or tap if you prefer.</string>\n<string name="intro_welcome_nothanks">No thanks</string>\n<string name="intro_welcome_agreeandstart">Agree and start</string>\n<string name="intro_welcome_ok">OK</string>\n<string name="intro_welcome_message">"Hi, I'm Bixby!\nLet's set up your phone."</string>\n<string name="intro_welcome_additional_message">To set up your phone using Bixby, your voice input will be sent to Samsung according to the %1$sSamsung Privacy Policy%2$s. Using mobile data may result in additional charges.</string>\n<string name="intro_welcome_additional_message_2">You can read a button aloud to move on, or tap if you prefer.</string>\n<string name="intro_name_add_your_name_and_face">Add your name and face</string>\n<string name="intro_question_name">"What's your name?"</string>\n<string name="nice_to_meet_you">Nice to meet you, %s!</string>\n<string name="name_saved_as">Name saved as %s</string>\n<string name="name_right">%s, right?</string>\n<string name="bixby_mode">Turn on voice</string>\n<string name="bixby_att_introduction_message">"Let's set up AT&T"</string>\n<string name="bixby_tmo_introduction_message">"Let's set up T-Mobile"</string>\n<string name="bixby_listening_message">Listening…</string>\n<string name="bixby_voice_recognition_failed_message">Tap a button instead</string>\n
Samsung teased its new AI UX during the release of Bixby in China. Judging by the name, it seems like Samsung is really pushing AI by using Bixby as a platform to do so. Bixby being used to set up your phone could be part of that AI UX that they teased. During the conference they also teased AI being used for depth sensing in portrait mode which is already being used by Google in the Pixel 2. There was no mention of other new features besides what they said about portrait mode with depth sensing and AI. It is likely Samsung will use the new AI coprocessor in the Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 as a way to push their AI UX even further.
