Gemini AI is coming to Wear OS smartwatches later this year
Google is planning an interesing shift in how users interact with Wear OS smartwatches. In its latest earnings call, Sundar Pichai confirmed that Gemini AI will officially replace Google Assistant on Wear OS devices later this year.
Google prepares to overhaul its smartwatch experience
During the Q1 2025 earnings call, Pichai explained that Google’s next step is to roll out Gemini across a wider set of devices. Smartwatches are specifically mentioned, along with phones, tablets, cars, and headphones. The goal is to bring more advanced AI features to users. Hopefully, something much better than what users get today with Google Assistant.
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The mention was brief and doesn’t provide specific timelines and technical details. However, it’s safe to assume that this will be a more intelligent and context-aware system than what is on offer currently. So instead of just basic voice commands, users could soon expect their watches to understand more complex requests, provide proactive suggestions, and even offer richer interactions based on location, activity, and habits.
What Gemini could mean for the future of Wear OS
Of course, smartwatches only have so much memory and processing capacity. So it is likely that Google will use a lighter version of Gemini. Some AI tasks could happen locally on the device for faster response times and better battery efficiency. More complex queries would still get handled in the cloud. This is how Google manages AI services on its Pixel smartphones.
Expect to see changes in how the assistant looks and feels. Current voice interactions on Wear OS are functional but basic. With Gemini, users might get a more fluid conversational experience. This might include visual cards, smarter replies, and quicker access to health, fitness, and navigation features.
There is also the question of hardware readiness. It would not be surprising if older Wear OS watches either miss out entirely or get a more limited version of Gemini. Devices running newer chipsets should be able to handle the upgrade much better.
No matter how it rolls out, Gemini is definitely coming to Wear OS. If Google can nail the balance between being useful and fast, it could make the device on your wrist much better at acting as your personal assistant.
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