Click here to visit Original posting
- Google Gemini is expected on Wear OS sometime this year
- A Pixel Watch 2 user now claims to have spotted the icon on their device
- It could hint at new AI-powered ways to handle calls
We're expecting Google Gemini to replace Google Assistant on Wear OS at some point this year, and now it might have just appeared in the wearable wild for the very first time.
A report from Beebom's Abubakar Mohammed appears to a Google Pixel Watch 2 running Wear OS, replete with a Google Gemini icon that could suggest an AI rollout is close at hand.
"When I received a call earlier this morning, I glanced at my Pixel Watch 2 and spotted a little Gemini icon inside the Phone app’s call screen," the report says.
Specifically, the icon marks the three-dot button where Pixel Watch users would expect to find Quick Replies, a feature that lets you quickly respond to calls with a text message in case you can't answer at that moment.
Beebom has provided both pictures and screenshots of the feature, which could indicate Google Gemini for Wear OS is very close, and could also give us the first hint at some of the features we can expect.
Wear OS Google Geminin launch imminent?
As noted, Gemini looks set to replace Google Assistant in the future, with code strings referring to Google's AI on Wear OS watches spotted back in January.
Based on our preliminary testing, this feature isn't showing on our other Wear OS devices, namely the OnePlus Watch 3. However, Beebom notes this appeared on the Pixel Watch 2 connected to a OnePlus 12R and Pixel 6, which could indicate you won't need the very best Android smartwatches to take advantage.
As to the feature itself, Gemini-powered Quick Replies could enable more specific ways to handle calls with more AI-powered context. For example, if Google Gemini can see you're currently navigating your way to an appointment on Google Maps, an AI quick reply might be able to give a more specific location or your ETA to the person who's calling you, right from your wrist.
This might just be a code quirk, so we don't know for certain when Google Gemini is coming to Wear OS. But its inclusion seems a certainty at this point. We've reached out to Google for comment and will update this story with any news.