Samsung plans AI button on Galaxy S8 pegged for April 2017 reveal

In an effort to woo consumers after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, South Korean tech giant Samsung is planning to add a dedicated button for an improved artificial intelligence (AI) feature in the Galaxy S8.

According to inside sources, company executives are looking to hold off on the announcement of the S8 until after Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February 2017, with the unveiling rumoured for April.

The introduction of the button is a part of hardware revamp that the company is considering. A prototype of the Galaxy S8 unit has a button on its side that would be used to launch the improved virtual assistant, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.

The possible unveiling in April would mark a break in company's traditional launches for past three years, wherein it used to take the stage at MWC to showcase its high-end Galaxy S series handset.

With the delay in launch the company will have more time to fiddle with the features it is planning to implement in the upcoming premium device.

In October 2016, Samsung disclosed its plan to acquire AI startup Viv labs. Recently it also confirmed to launch an AI digital assistant service for the S8 smartphone. The AI feature would be a virtual assistant to compete with the likes of Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, Amazon's Alexa and Google's Google Assistant.

Samsung's mobile chief technology officer, Injong Rhee, said Galaxy S8's AI service would feature technology from Viv labs, including functionalities that are "significantly differentiated" from it rivals. Rhee has also said the company hopes to use the Galaxy S8 as a springboard to expand Viv's AI technology into other home appliances and wearable devices.