Google is currently rolling out the upgraded Gemini experience on wearables running Wear OS 4 and later, including its own Pixel Watch range, and it’s a game-changing update for wearables.
While AI isn’t exactly a new concept, with AI-powered features crammed into seemingly every element of our digital lives in 2025, the appearance of Gemini on wearables showcases just how handy AI can be in smaller form factors.
And, reader, after using Gemini on wearables like the OnePlus Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic recently, I’m convinced that AI was made for wearable tech. Let me explain.
Admit it; Google Assistant wasn’t that great
Google Assistant was a fine virtual assistant for wearables, but let’s be honest, it was never much of an assistant.
Sure, it could do basic tasks like set timers and alarms, but I’d often run into replies like “Sorry, I can’t help with that” when trying to get it to do even slightly more complex tasks.
Granted, it could handle basic queries, but its responses were usually a copy-and-paste of a chunk of text from what it deems a relevant website. As such, it was a feature I’d use to occasionally set a timer or a reminder, but it didn’t get much attention from me beyond that.
Gemini is much smarter and more capable
Compared to the sometimes stagnant experience on offer from the ageing Google Assistant, Gemini is truly next-level.
Of course, like its smartphone-based sibling, Gemini handles general knowledge enquiries extremely well. That means that, in the middle of a recent discussion with my fiancée where we were unsure why New York was nicknamed the Big Apple, I simply raised my wrist and asked Gemini.
Within a few seconds, it explained that it’s actually down to a nickname that first appeared in the 1920s with reference to the big races and prizes in New York horse racing – and all without even touching my phone.
It’s not just for finding answers to those burning questions you used to Google, either.
I’ve used Gemini when making a slushie to ask about the correct ratios for syrup and water, asked if it was safe to give my German Shepherd a blueberry (a little treat for her!) and even asked if Weapons was worth a watch before booking my cinema tickets. Quick questions that, until now, I’d have had to get my phone out to answer.
What’s more, Gemini can also do everything that Google Assistant used to do. That means that Gemini can still handle tasks like sending text messages, setting alarms and reminders and making calls on your behalf – but now you can do so in a less rigid, more natural way.
There’s no specific phrase or way of asking required here; Gemini’s LLM nature allows it to understand the nuance of what you’re asking in a way that was never possible with Google Assistant.
And, with the announcement of the Google Pixel Watch 4, it’s set to get even better. Google’s upcoming wearable will offer a wake-word-free experience; simply hold the Pixel Watch up and start speaking, and Gemini will listen.
Honestly, Gemini hasn’t disappointed me with the information provided so far – but then again, nor has the Gemini app for smartphones. It’s just so much more accessible than I’m used to, and that means I’m using it more than ever as a result.
Better integration with apps and services
What really allows Gemini to go further than Google Assistant is its ability to work with other apps and services.
It means that Gemini can access elements like Maps, Google Search and other Google-owned elements to help handle your queries.
For example, when I asked Gemini to look up the timings for Weapons at my nearest cinema, Gemini accessed Maps for my location and the nearest cinema location and, using that, used Google to source the information about viewing times for that particular cinema. A quick follow-up is all it took to add that information to my calendar.
These are multi-step processes that a combination of your voice and a wearable device can now initiate, and you don’t even need to reach for your phone. This is where AI truly shines.
What’s more, it’s not just Google apps that Gemini can play nicely with. Some Samsung-branded watches, like the new Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, also offer Gemini support within Samsung apps.
That, of course, applies to the likes of Samsung’s Calendar and Tasks equivalents, but it also allows Gemini to control Samsung Health and initiate exercise sessions.
The latter is a very handy addition to the latest Galaxy watches, allowing me to tell Gemini to start tracking my walk or run rather than fiddling around with buttons and screens.
It still needs some polish, though
Right out of the gate, Gemini on Wear OS is, in my mind, a winner – but that’s not to say that Google couldn’t further refine the experience on offer.
For one, as great as Gemini is at surfacing information and explaining potentially complex subjects, the responses can… go on a bit. Unlike with a phone, where you can actively use it for some time, you only raise your wrist to use your smartwatch for a few seconds – and usually when you’re on the go and need information quickly.
That doesn’t gel well with Gemini’s responses that can sometimes go on for 30 seconds or longer – at which point I usually regret asking my question in the first place.
Google should understand the nuanced differences between phone and wearable use, and perhaps make Gemini on smartwatches more brief and to-the-point than its phone-based alternative.
A shortcut button to view the current chat or result in the Gemini app on my smartphone would also be helpful – especially as Gemini doesn’t display elements like links in its watch form like it does on mobile. This would make it easier to follow up if I need more information or need to visit a website to, say, book a meal at a restaurant Gemini has recommended.
I also find that Gemini sometimes cuts me off mid-query when I take a second to pause and think about what I want to say – though that is also a problem with the phone-based alternative.
That all said, Gemini on smartwatches remains a significant leap forward for smartwatch usability, and it’s clear that it’s in areas like wearable technology that AI can truly shine.
