Apple's iPhone 8 is seen to cross path with the next flagship from Samsung - the Galaxy S8 in 2017, and the latest rumors indicate that beyond the specs and feature upgrades that will deploy with the handsets the two tech titans will slug it out on key area - artificial intelligence or AI. It will be Siri on the next iPhone versus the S8's version of the digital assistant.
In a report, 9to5Google said that Samsung "would launch an artificial intelligence digital assistant service for its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone." The move is seen as key to Samsung's rehabilitation of the Galaxy brand following the Galaxy Note 7 debacle.
What exactly are the new AI capabilities that the GS8 will introduce are yet to be detailed by the South Korean tech giant. But Samsung hinted that its Siri-like AI for the sequel to the Galaxy S7 will be markedly distinct from the existing ones, perhaps better than Cortana of Microsoft, Google Assistant that was introduced with the Pixel phones and Apple's Siri.
"It will be significantly differentiated from the current services we see in the market now," Bloomberg reported Samsung Mobile executive vice president Rhee In-jong as saying.
But speculations are rife that the Galaxy maker will surely make use of the AI technology it obtained when it recently acquired California firm Viv Labs, which according to 9to5Google is "very capable" when it comes to AI tech. And why not as Viv is largely acknowledged for creating Siri - the company was founded by those who first brought Siri to the iPhone 4S.
With Viv as the core technology for the Galaxy S8 AI features, the handset is expected to deliver voice assistant features not only the S8 but also on Samsung's other product lines like home appliance and wearable devices.
For Apple's part, the company is certainly working on improvements for Siri and one thing to expect, according to BGR, is the likelihood that the digital assistant will sound like more human. The idea is for iPhone users to engage with Siri and get the experience as if they are conversing with a human and not a robot.
At the moment, an Apple research team is working on UK and looking on the possibility of integrating existing software called VocalIQ with the next version of iOS. The software, BGR said, is "designed to help computers and people speak to each other in a more natural dialogue."
Still, it remains unclear if both AI thrusts by Apple and Samsung will make it on time for their respective flagship releases in 2017 - that will be the Galaxy S8 for Samsung that is rumored for unboxing between February and March next year and the iPhone 8 for Apple that is said to mark the brand's 10th year anniversary.