Samsung has recently announced that it is adding other voice assistants to its upcoming 2019 TVs. The company announced that users will be able to control its upcoming QLED sets with either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
But you will have to provide the assistant device be it an Echo, Google Home, or other smart speaker yourself. Samsung’s TVs will understand and execute commands they receive from Alexa or Assistant, but the only built-in voice helper will continue to be Bixby.
Now Alexa and Google Assistant can control volume, turn your TV on or off, switch inputs, or launch select apps. But Bixby has more advanced capabilities as it is integrated into Samsung’s Tizen TV software. You can speak to Bixby with your Samsung TV remote control, but not the others.
Now Samsung has not committed yet that it is bringing Alexa and Assistant support to older TVs or not, but the company has a history of updating prior-year models a few months after its latest sets hit the market, so it’s a possibility.
