At Unpacked’24, Samsung and Google announce deeper smartphone-focused AI collabs
At its annual Unpacked 2024 launch event, Samsung announced its flagship S24 line-up. The highlight of course, was ‘Galaxy AI’, Samsung’s smartphone-focused ecosystem of AI tools, powered by Google’s Gemini LLM. And while the company showcased a handful of AI features that are coming exclusively to the S24 line-up, the event clearly highlighted much deeper collaborations, specially on AI, that Samsung and Google have stitched together.
Almost all AI features announced on stage today, were by the virtue of Google’s powerful Gemini AI model. Samsung is the first Google Cloud partner to deploy Gemini Pro on Vertex AI to consumers. The collaboration aims to simplify communication by offering real-time voice translation and Gemini Nano for text messaging. Users are provided with voice translations verbally and on-screen instantly. On top of that, the feature is not only limited to calls in the native app but also is available for in-person conversations and is built into the Samsung keyboard. Paired with Gemini Nano, text messaging takes on a new dimension, allowing users to set different tones for their messages, including whimsical options like a Shakespearean tone.
Among the other featured innovations is the integration of Gemini AI, accompanied by groundbreaking additions like Notes Assist and Android Auto. Notes Assist redefines note organization for Samsung users, offering effortless note structuring and summarization with just a few taps The feature also allows users to select different styles of reorganisation. Users can also choose from various styles of reorganization, adding flexibility to the process. On the move, Android Auto proves invaluable, particularly when driving requires undivided attention. The feature automatically summarises group messages and suggests relevant replies and actions that the user can initiate without taking their hands off the wheel. They also added a feature to share the estimated time of arrival (ETA) with a single tap.
However, the highlight of the collaboration was the unveiling of ‘Circle to Search,’ a revolutionary approach to seeking information. Addressing human curiosity and the quest for knowledge, this innovation enables users to seamlessly search for information without toggling between apps. This innovation allows users to seamlessly search for information within the same app using simple gestures.
Consider a scenario where you come across a product in a YouTube video – traditionally, you’d capture a screenshot and then turn to Google Lens for details. However, with the Galaxy S24’s Circle to Search feature, a simple gesture is all it takes to access comprehensive information while remaining within the same app. By circling, highlighting, scribbling, or tapping the item of interest, users can effortlessly retrieve relevant details, all without switching apps. Moreover, Circle to Search prioritizes privacy in its design. It was engineered to focus only on the user-selected area, ensuring a quick but privacy-focused searching experience.
Google DeepMind’s Imagen 2, the latest text-to-image diffusion tech, is now available on Vertex AI. Samsung’s S24 Gallery app features Generative Edit2, which offers safe and intuitive photo-editing capabilities thanks to Imagen 2.
