Google's powerful Gemini assistant is finally coming to the Pixel Watch and Wear OS
The wearable version supports voice interactions, like answering complex questions and creating tasks, offering a more advanced experience than Google Assistant.
Gemini will also come to existing smartwatches from brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus via an update that will likely replace the current Google Assistant app.
When Google unveiled its Gemini assistant at the end of 2023, it was clear that the older Google Assistant's days were numbered. With Google staking its future on the success of its new AI, it was only a matter of time. While the company quickly brought Gemini to phones and computers, it held off on a smartwatch rollout until the experience was properly optimized. That wait is now over. At Google I/O in May, the company announced Gemini for Wear OS, and starting today, it's finally rolling out to supported smartwatches, with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series getting first dibs.
Due to smaller displays and a lack of cameras, smartwatches won't get the full Gemini experience (with Gemini Live) found on phones and PCs, but they will support the most crucial voice interactions. You can ask Gemini nearly any question, and it will pull a detailed answer from its knowledge base or the web. This is especially useful for getting quick answers when your hands are full, like when you're cooking and need advice on adjusting a recipe without having to wash up to pull out your phone.
While Google Assistant can also handle general questions, it often requires you to phrase them in a specific way and can struggle with more complex queries. Gemini, built on a more advanced large language model (LLM), has a superior understanding of natural language and can answer a much broader range of questions. This should make it a more reliable and time-saving tool on your wrist.
Gemini can also tap into your favorite Google and third-party apps, allowing you to create notes, tasks, reminders, calendar events, and more, all from your watch. You can ask it to send a message to a friend to apologize for being late, summarize the email a work colleague just sent you, add some events you just heard about to your calendar, look up the address for your upcoming dentist appointment, and so much more.
Google says Gemini is beginning to roll out to smartwatches running Wear OS 4 and later, which includes models from Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, OPPO, and Xiaomi. Although the latest Wear OS 6 release isn't required, Google says the update enables Gemini to integrate with your watch brand's apps. This is because Wear OS 6 is based on Android 16, which includes the new App Functions API that allows digital assistants like Gemini to tap into functionality exposed by third-party apps.
Currently, only Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 series runs Wear OS 6, and the new watches will ship with Gemini out of the box. Other devices will receive it through a software update, which we assume will replace the existing Google Assistant app via the Google Play Store.
Are you excited to try Gemini on your Wear OS smartwatch? Let us know in the comments below!
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