What you need to know
- Samsung announced that it will be bringing a Gemini quick-access side button to select Galaxy A-series phones.
- Gemini will work alongside Samsung’s Awesome Intelligence that was introduced on the latest Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and Galaxy A26 5G.
- This feature is set to rollout as an update in “early May,” allowing Galaxy users to get through their daily tasks faster.
Samsung announced in a press release today that it will be bringing the Gemini summon button, or as it is more commonly called, the side button, to “select Galaxy A series devices.”
The Korean OEM says that this will be rolled out as a new update, starting with the most recent Galaxy A series: Galaxy A56 5G, Galaxy A36 5G, and Galaxy A26 5G. Users with the above-mentioned devices will be able to trigger Google’s AI Gemini with just a push of a side button, which is also used as the power button.
Gemini will work alongside Samsung’s Awesome Intelligence, which was introduced on the latest Galaxy A series, expanding Galaxy AI experiences to more users.
This will bring Galaxy’s A-series on par with the other Galaxy devices, making it easier for them to utilize all of Gemini’s capabilities for their daily tasks more often with the push of a button as opposed to opening the Gemini app and then typing or voicing out the request.
“We’re excited that Galaxy A series users will now be able to activate Gemini faster and more naturally through a simple gesture that brings intelligent support into the flow of daily tasks,” said Jay Kim, executive vice president of mobile eXperience business at Samsung Electronics.
It seems like Samsung is further replacing Bixby with Google’s Gemini as the primary assistant on the A-series. The press release further notes that users can rely on Gemini to make those last-minute dinner reservations or help them look up a French, pet-friendly restaurant in their neighbourhood, among other everyday tasks.
In the footnotes of the press release, the company states that this update will roll out to only to the “Galaxy A56 5G, A55 5G, A54 5G, A36 5G, A35 5G, A34 5G, A26 5G, A25 5G, A25e 5G and A24 running One UI 7, and is scheduled to begin rolling out in May.” However, the rollout time may be subject to change, which has been par for the course regarding Samsung’s One UI 7 rollout.
Speaking about the above collaboration between Samsung and Google, Kim added that “Samsung and Google have been working together to deliver seamless, intuitive, and meaningful AI experiences, making the latest technology more accessible for more users.”
Galaxy A26 5G has hit the shelves this month for $400 and $300. The phone is said to come with “Awesome Intelligence,” a suite of select AI features coming to the A-series, along with exceptional battery, larger screens, and increased durability.