Gemini AI Gives Galaxy Watch A Major Edge Over Apple

For the first time in nearly a decade of reviewing wearables, the experience of using a Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is compelling enough to make one hesitant to switch back to the Apple Watch. This reluctance boils down to a single, powerful new feature: Google's Gemini on the watch.

Samsung's latest watches are the first to debut with Google's Gemini AI assistant, and the experience has left a lasting impression. Gemini is not just more conversational than older voice assistants; it is significantly smarter, faster, and, most crucially, genuinely useful on a smartwatch. With a new Apple Watch likely on the horizon, it's impossible to ignore how far behind Siri now feels in comparison. If there's one critical upgrade needed this year, it's an AI assistant that can finally match the quality of the Apple ecosystem. After seeing Gemini in action, anything less would feel like a major missed opportunity.

Gemini on the Wrist A Surprise Game-Changer

It takes a conscious effort to retrain your brain to speak like a normal human to a voice assistant and to use your wrist instead of pulling out your phone for every random question. But once that habit forms, it feels like unlocking a new level of productivity you never thought possible on such a small screen.

Wrist-based assistants like Siri, Bixby, and even the old Google Assistant often felt like clunky obstacles. You had to repeat commands, use robotic phrasing, and were often met with web links that are impractical on a watch. Simple tasks, like setting a specific timer for a soft-boiled egg, required multiple tedious steps. But Gemini has completely changed that dynamic.

Now, you can simply say, "Set a timer for a soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk," and instantly get a 7-minute timer without any follow-up questions. You can ask it to increase the volume on your watch during a run without touching the screen. You can even ask about a landmark with a vague description like, "What's that famous church on a hill in San Francisco?" and receive accurate, audible directions to Grace Cathedral.

Gemini also handles multitasking with remarkable ease. In a single command, it can find a trendy Latin Fusion restaurant in San Francisco and then message a friend in Spanish to see if they're available to join.

It's Time for Apple to Catch Up

Apple has certainly made advancements with WatchOS 26. The new Workout Buddy feature offers a glimpse into how AI can use real-time fitness data to motivate you during a workout. Additionally, a new translation feature provides live text translations on the watch, though it requires pairing with a phone that supports Apple Intelligence.

However, none of these updates address Siri's fundamental weaknesses: slow response times, poor contextual understanding, and a lack of follow-through. Apple has acknowledged it's developing a smarter Siri, but that major update is reportedly delayed until 2026. In the meantime, current Apple Intelligence efforts like Genmoji and ChatGPT integration are promising but are designed with the iPhone first. So far, nothing suggests Apple Intelligence is set to transform the watch in the same way Gemini already has for Android.

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 11 presents a crucial opportunity. If Apple upgrades the watch's processor to better handle on-device tasks, it could pave the way for a more responsive, Gemini-like assistant that finally makes sense on your wrist.