Pixby has never been the most popular voice assistant, but it has not stopped finding ways to use Samsung. From the exclusive Pixby button, to mapping it to the power key, Samsung wants it to be a success. Its latest attempt to attract users to PixPix is a brand new design that will be familiar to anyone familiar with Google Assistant. But is a new coat of paint enough to make Pixby effective?
Left: Pixby, Right: Google Assistant
When Samsung began to downplay some aspects of the Pixby Vision the future of the Pixby seemed uncertain, and many of us wondered if the rest of the service would follow. In contrast, Samsung has not finished it yet.
Google Assistant clearly encouraged this redesign, which is not a bad thing. Google may not have some refinement in its own offering for the new PixP, but it is an even more advanced improvement over the old iteration. Previously PixPy would always open fullscreen, regardless of how it was enabled. Now you will get to the bottom of this overlay display, with the option to open it fullscreen by tapping the Home button on the bottom right. The problem is, design was never an issue – performance was. So did Samsung put lipstick on a pig, or did it make any meaningful changes?
Whenever I tried to use Pixie in the past, it just didn’t make sense to me. I hear it clearly, but it doesn’t even come close to what I said. As you can see in the video above, it is no longer like that. After messing around for a while with the new Pixby for a while, I can tell you that it is just as fast and accurate as Google Assistant. In fixing this issue, Samsung has allowed the assistant’s good points to shine through. When asked to switch to night mode, it turns itself on and off, unlike Google Assistant, which only takes you to the settings page and tells you to do it yourself. PixP Procedures has been one of the apps I have used the most since switching on the Samsung phone and now I can activate my voice with my reliability, rather than trusting the homescreen widget.
Unfortunately, it feels too late. Google’s solution is smarter than Samsung and benefits from deeper integration with third party services. If Samsung can’t bring its assistant to speed in this regard, it can’t compete. If you’ve interested, it’s worth seeing, but you should not make it your default.
The new PixP is now coming out through the Galaxy Store, or you can download it APK Mirror.
Beatrice Ashford is a contributor at Nintendo-power.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the world around them.