Samsung launches Bixby Marketplace in a bid to make Bixby genuinely useful

Bixby
Image credit: Shutterstock (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Samsung's voice assistant Bixby is getting its own store, where customers will be able to shop for 'Capsules'. Much like Alexa skills, these are voice controls for accessing the most useful parts of an app.

In an announcement somewhat overshadowed by confirmation of a launch date for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 , the company threw open the doors to the Bixby Marketplace to users in the US and Korea. It has yet to announce if or when other countries will follow suit.

Capsules in the store are sorted into categories (such as shopping, finance, business and sports), but you can also search for a specific one by name, developer or keyword. Users can leave reviews, and the most highly-rated capsules will appear first in search results.

Capsule wardrobe

You'll also be able to choose a 'preferred Capsule' for certain types of requests – much like choosing a default app to open certain file types in Windows.

For example, saying "Give me a ride to LA International Airport" would prompt you to choose a supported Rideshare capsule, which would then be used automatically the next time you ask for a ride.

It remains to be seen whether there's a capsule for those moments when you accidentally hit your phone's Bixby button trying to turn down the volume, but we're sure there's a market for it.

Cat Ellis

Cat is the editor of TechRadar's sister site Advnture. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better)