To be honest this irks me. Why ?
Well here we have an example of Samsung essentially 'wasting' resources on an new AI when surely it would be more cost affective to utilise Google Assistant and make sure all Samsung's apps are updated with GA's api's.
No matter how improved the new Samsung AI will be compared to S-Voice, it isn't going to be as good as GA and in most cases uses will simply do what they always do .. remove it or disable it as they will not want TWO services on their devices doing essentially same thing.
Samsung need to drop the duplication of TW. Tone it back and use those resources and developments into areas such as better and quicker OS updates.
Unifying OS updates throughout its flagship devices so that they all get quick updates to the layaway GUI changes and such.
But no, that would be common sense, instead Samsung do what they always seem to do and waste not only their resources but inevitably the resources on the device also as duplicate apps and services invariably impact ram usage and system usage.
Samsung get the hardware mostly right (trying to expunge the Note 7 fiasco from that statement) but generally always mess up software wise to some lesser or greater extent.
I'm hoping the success of the Google Pixel will show Samsung they don't need to waste resources.
Give us a S7/S7e with usual generational improvements but on top of a clean OS and make Touchwiz working like any third party launcher - so we keep TW themes and general look, but without the years and years of legacy Gluck that still makes up the bones TW today
Stop making half baked alternatives to solutions already baked in or offered in Android and deliver us speedy OS updates.
Please Samsung ... please !
That would be ideal. I've always said Samsung should take a page out of HTC's book and eliminate duplicate apps and just go with Google's.
Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. They've really carved out their own marketshare and mindshare in the Android space and I simply don't see them turning back. Especially now with Google effectively getting into the hardware game. If anything, Samsung probably feels they have to continue down their path even further. Haven't they said publically, too, that if necessary, they're willing to go completely their own way with Tizen if that day comes? That way, they control the hardware and software just like Apple has been doing and now Google. Tizen will present many challenges, but I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung is already planning for it.
Having said that, the duplicate app situation is rather easy to mitigate. Speed and RAM management has been improving with each iteration of TouchWiz; I am simply not worried about it anymore. My S7E is as smooth as it's been since day one. Tmobile has been pretty good about security updates, missing a month here and there, but it hasn't stopped (yet!). Those I care about. Better time tables for major software updates are always welcomed, but nowadays, it just isn't a must have (and in my specific case, if I upgrade to the next Galaxy device, I'm basically on a yearly cycle with the software anyway. For example, Marshmallow from March 2016 to March 2017, and then Nougat with the new device from March 2017 to March 2018, etc.).
As for wasting resources, I understand that argument. Yet many of Samsung's software experiments and attempts have lead to standard features in Nougat.
Like I said, it's always interesting to see what Samsung does when their numbers are down. They've proven they can listen to the community and critics, and can tackle specific shortcomings of their flagships. And now with even more riding on the line, the S8 should be very interesting. The Note 7 was able to refine what was already a refined package in the S7E. I can't wait to see what they have in store for the S8.
As for hardware, if the Pixels had brought their A game in this department, things would be a lot tougher for Samsung. But until the Pixel 2, Samsung still has a huge opportunity for impressive hardware to lead sales.