Samsung Bixby

Samsung's Bixby digital assistant is getting a boost in

capabilities -- but the question is whether it's too late.

The South Korean company on Wednesday will kick off

its two-day developer conference in San Francisco, an

annual event that reflects the company's big push to get

developers to make software specifically for its devices.

In the past, that's meant making apps that work on the

edge of Samsung's curved smartphone displays or take

advantage of its S Pen stylus. This year, that focus turns

to Bixby and artificial intelligence.

While the prospect of a foldable smartphone -- the long

rumored Galaxy F -- may draw eyeballs to Samsung's 10

a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) keynote, that's more a tease of what's

to come. The meat of the presentation will be all about the

now: getting Bixby smarter. The consumer electronics giant

could share more information about the Bixby-powered

Galaxy Home smart speaker that it unveiled in August,

including its sales date.