I'm nearing the end of my first month with the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and for the first time in nearly a decade of reviewing wearables, I'm reluctant to switch back to the Apple Watch. That hesitation comes down to one surprising new addition: Gemini on the watch.
Samsung's latest watches were the first to debut with Google's Gemini AI assistant, and the experience has left a lasting impression. Gemini isn't just more conversational than previous voice assistants, it's smarter, faster and, most importantly, actually useful on a smartwatch. With Apple Watch season fast approaching, it's hard to ignore how far behind Siri now feels in comparison.
If I could ask for just one thing this year (OK, maybe two, battery life still matters), it's this: Give the Apple Watch an assistant that finally lives up to the rest of the Apple ecosystem. After seeing what Gemini can do, anything less feels like a missed opportunity.
Watch this: Gemini on the Galaxy Watch 8 Made Me a Believer 02:58
Gemini on the wrist: surprisingly life changing
I had to consciously retrain myself to talk like a normal human when using Gemini, and remind myself to use my wrist instead of breaking out my phone for random inquiries that would've otherwise fallen on deaf ears. But once I did, it felt like unlocking a new layer of productivity I didn't know was possible on a tiny screen.
I'd all but given up on wrist-based voice assistants. Siri, Bixby (Samsung's version) and even Google Assistant on older watches often felt like clunky middlemen. I had to repeat commands, speak in robotic syntax and deal with web links I'd never open on a watch UI. Asking an assistant to set a timer for something as specific as a soft-boiled egg took multiple steps. Using an assistant to change a setting? Forget it. But Gemini turned that around for me.
Google's Gemini AI voice assistant on the Galaxy Watch 8. Joe Maldonado/CNET
Now, I can say, "Set a timer for a soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk," and get an instant 7-minute timer -- no follow-ups necessary. I can ask it to blast the volume on my watch during a run without so much as touching the screen. Or I can inquire about a landmark with a vague prompt like, "What's that famous church on a hill in San Francisco?" The result gave me accurate, audible directions to Grace Cathedral.
Gemini even handles multitasking with ease. I asked it to find a trendy Latin Fusion restaurant in San Francisco and message a friend (in Spanish) to see if they were free to join. The watch did all of that in one go.
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