Google pays Samsung an 'enormous sum' for preinstalling Gemini

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The Google Gemini push on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series you've seen comes with a significant payday for the South Korean smartphone maker. Testimony from Google's ongoing antitrust trial in the US revealed that the search giant is paying an "enormous sum" as fixed monthly payments as part of a two-year deal between Google and Samsung. The latter also gets a share of Gemini subscription revenue.

For this unspecified amount, Samsung has sidelined its Bixby assistant to make Gemini the default artificial intelligence assistant in its flagship series. Internal documents from Google also revealed that it was considering more restrictive agreements with its partners, requiring them to preinstall Gemini alongside Search and Chrome.

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Samsung plans generative AI upgrade for Bixby

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Samsung is set to boost Bixby's capabilities with generative AI, according to a recent interview with a high-ranking Samsung executive. This move aims to redefine Bixby's role within the Samsung ecosystem.

“With the emergence of generative AI and LLM (large language model) technology, I believe that we have to redefine the role of the Bixby so that Bixby could be equipped with Generative AI and become more smarter in the future,” Won-Joon Choi, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, told the media outlet.

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Samsung, Google reportedly in talks to replace Bixby with Google Assistant

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If this new Reuters report is accurate, then Samsung might finally be ready to let its Bixby virtual assistant and Galaxy Apps Store take a backseat to Google's offerings. The two tech giants are reportedly discussing a new global revenue-sharing deal where Samsung prioritizes Google Assistant and Play Store apps over its options. It's something Google has been trying to convince Samsung to do for years. But now, the search company is reportedly offering a percentage of its ad revenue from Google apps running on Samsung phones. 

Samsung said it has no plans to drop Bixby or Galaxy Store from its devices. In a statement, it mentioned that the company is "committed to our own services and ecosystem." But this deal is supposedly enticing, given that the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down smartphone sales. Samsung could find a new revenue source through this deal. The exact financial details aren't known, but the terms will reportedly be finalized by Friday. Or at least that is the target day. Samsung's services haven't exactly caught on as much as the company would like it to, and perhaps, it might be time for Samsung to raise the white flag.

Bixby on the Galaxy Note10 will let you save photo reminders of where you're parked

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Much like Google Maps, Bixby can remember your parking location, if you ask it to do so. Samsung is taking this a step further with the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+. It'll let you save a photo reminder of where you've parked. The virtual assistant will let you take a photo with the camera app, and it'll add it to the location reminder. This gives you that visual cue you need if the coordinates aren't enough for you to remember where you parked your car. At the moment, this feature seems to be exclusive for these two phones.

Source: SamMobile