NEWS  Smart TV  February 3, 2024  Reading time: ~1 minute)

Max (RS editor)

Samsung has announced the discontinuation of Google Assistant on its smart TV lineup, marking the end of a once-promising partnership. The decision, set to take effect from March 1st, 2024, affects all Samsung models, including those that initially integrated the voice assistant.

Since 2020, Google Assistant had become a standard feature on various smart TVs, owing to the widespread adoption of Google TV and Android TV platforms. Samsung, not wanting to be left behind, had even integrated it into its Tizen smart TV platform, starting with its 2020 lineup. However, with the recent official update posted on its support page, Samsung has signaled the end of this collaboration.

This update follows a similar quiet removal of Google Assistant from Samsung's 2023 lineup, suggesting a gradual shift in the company's strategic direction. The affected models include all smart TVs from 2022 and 2021, as well as specific models from the 2020 lineup, such as the 8K and 4K QLED TVs, Crystal UHD TVs, and Lifestyle TVs like the Frame, Serif, Terrace, and Sero.

Samsung cited "a change in Google's policy" as the reason behind this decision, though no further details were provided. Speculations arise whether this move is connected to Google's recent overhaul of the Assistant service, which saw the removal of several unused features. However, the exact correlation remains ambiguous.

For existing Samsung TV owners, the removal of Google Assistant leaves them with limited voice assistant options. Amazon's Alexa and Samsung's own Bixby remain as the remaining choices, albeit with potentially different functionalities and integrations. Meanwhile, Google Assistant continues to be fully supported by the latest smart TVs from other manufacturers, including LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense, and more.

 IMAGES CREDITS: SAMSUNG