Although Samsung and Google have partnered on the Android operating system, the two companies compete against each other on several fronts. The Pixel series from Google takes directly over the alignment from Samsung Galaxy. Samsung has been packing its apps with Galaxy smartphones for years. Samsung's approach is to replace each Google app with its version. This also applies to the rivalry between Bixby Home and Google Now.
Critics have always criticised Samsung for such behaviours. Some Samsung apps like Gallery, Internet, Health, Samsung Pay, and Calendar are superior to the Google apps.
When Google launched the Google Now Feed for Android smartphones, Samsung quickly replaced it with Flipboard Magazine.
With the introduction of the Galaxy S8 series, the company announced its ambitious plans with Bixby Voice Assistant. At the same time, Samsung rejected Flipboard in favour of Bixby Home, a personalized feed menu designed specifically for user behaviour.
Today every Galaxy smartphone houses Bixby Home by default. Fortunately, you can disable it too. You can switch back to Google Now using third-party launchers.
Availability
The Bixby feed is only available for Galaxy smartphones. The Google Now feed is available on any Android smartphone.
Companies like OnePlus, Xiaomi and Huawei have replaced it with their discontinuation. You can get back to Google Now with the help of third parties like Nova and Action.
User interface
Both apps have a rounded user interface that is in line with today's device corners. The curvature is more aggressive on Bixby linings, but it looks nice.
Swipe left and the Bixby House is ready to serve you. The animations are fluid, and everything looks meticulously organised.
Tap the three-dot menu at the top and you will be able to change any setting on the Bixby and Samsung account.
You can scroll back to the bottom of the user interface and change / remove widgets from the list.
Google made some changes to the standard user interface. Now the message integration is shown by default. You can see the weather information on the front.
If you tap the profile icon you can see / change every detail of the app. You can view search activity, reminders, your interests, and more.
Beyond News
By tapping the Updates tab, you can bring up relevant information like weather details, the ability to add events, reminders, suggested portfolio, Google Lens and more.
You can even access the Google Assistant or enter a query. The menu suggests recent activity based on your location details.
Google Today 2Google Today
Bixby takes a more local approach here. You can integrate app widgets directly into the list. Here you can also add third-party integration, e.g. Twitter trends, YouTube recommendations, sports widget and much more.
You can also add shortcut widgets from the Samsung apps. This way, you can access the device details with one tap. You can view Samsung Health data, view recently visited web pages, check recent email and photos, and more.
Bixby Command versus Google Now
Samsung will never catch up with Google when it comes to voice recognition and information retrieval from the Internet. And the company knows that.
Bixby commands let you set short sentences and add rules based on them. They say, "Hey Bixby, I'm going out" and the media volume is set to 80%, the Wi-Fi is turned off, and Bluetooth is enabled for easy Android auto pairing. All of this will only happen if you have given these triggers while speaking that phrase.
Bixby VoiceBixby commands
You can say "good night" to Bixby and it will turn off WiFi, mobile data and bluetooth and set the alarm clock for the morning hours. Samsung has nailed local automation here.
You can also use the Google Assistant from any Samsung device, but the integration won't be the same as Google Feed.
Google has integrated Google Lens, voice search and the ability to enter queries via the assistant menu. As expected, it works great when useful information is provided from the web. However, it lacks automation on the device.
For example, Bixby can update the apps from the Play Store but not the Google Assistant.
Switch from Bixby or not
Bixby is great for local customisation and automation. However, when it comes to integrating news and ads, this is a success. Google worked through the news section but does not have the customisation on the device.