Samsung has built a reputation as the anti-Apple option for people who want sharp smartphones, but the company is smart enough to know what it’s up against in Cupertino — and now at Google too. So in October Samsung bought Viv — an AI developer run by Dag Kittlaus and a host of fellow former Apple engineers. Kittlaus is known as a co-creator of iPhone personal assistant Siri.
Samsung isn’t taking long to put its Viv acquisition to work. The new Galaxy S8 will ship with Viv’s version of Siri, which Kittlaus and company say is superior to anything out there. If so, the software combined with Samsung’s massive market penetration could create powerful new business opportunities for the South Korean giant. Samsung made the initial announcement through Reuters. The S8 release date is uncertain.
