Samsung is enhancing its Bixby voice assistant by integrating advanced AI capabilities and real-time internet search, positioning it as a direct competitor to Google's Gemini. This upgrade, part of the One UI 8.5 software update, aims to provide a more intuitive and conversational device control experience, allowing users to issue commands in natural language without needing to know exact menu names or commands. Bixby will now understand complex requests like preventing the screen from turning off while in use and can also report on current phone settings. The real-time internet search feature will allow users to ask questions directly, with results displayed in an overlay without needing to open a separate browser. A beta version of One UI 8.5 with the updated Bixby is available for Galaxy S25 series devices, with the S26 smartphones, expected on February 25th, likely to be the first to feature the regular release.