Samsung’s Bixby assistant to launch with Galaxy S8 without voice commands

Samsung’s new digital assistant Bixby will release on the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones

Now this is going to be a mood dampener for all consumers who are waiting to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the S8+.

In a statement to media outlets, Samsung has said that its digital assistant Bixby will release on Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8+ without voice commands. The smartphones are expected to be released globally on April 21.

The company expects to update Bixby's voice commands controls by Spring and then consumers will be able to speak to the assistant directly.

The assistant's other features - including a "Bixby Vision" tool that can identify real-world objects and display related info onscreen, a "Bixby Home" tool that serves up Google-like info cards, and a "Bixby Reminder" tool that helps you set, well, reminders - will still be available at launch, according to Samsung.

However, Samsung has given any reason for the delay.