When the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series launched last year, there was one glaring omission: Google Assistant. As for when it will arrive, Google and Samsung have avoided giving an exact date, but there’s reason to hope that the digital assistant may arrive sooner than expected. Earlier today, Verizon’s Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic changelogs showed that Google has released an update.However, Google has told edge But in fact, it’s not.
Google spokesperson Ivy Hunt said: “To confirm, Assistant is not available on the Galaxy Watch 4 and we don’t have time to update it.” edge in an email.
Verizon changelog, first by 9to5Google, see software updates released today. As for Google Assistant, the log says, “If you downloaded Google Assistant, it will show up in the settings menu under ‘Google Account’.” There’s also a grainy screenshot showing you can head to Settings > Google > Google Assistant Wake Phrase and access settings for voice output toggle.
“To confirm, Assistant is not rolling out to Galaxy Watch 4, and we have no update on the timing.”
Despite reports, edge Unable to confirm the update myself. We checked our Bluetooth and Wi-Fi review unit, and no Google Assistant update is coming. We also checked the Google Play Store. Neither there. Given Google’s comments, it looks like this whole thing could be a big mistake.
We reached out to Verizon and Samsung for further clarification, but did not hear back immediately.
When Google and Samsung announced their Wear OS partnership last year, the ability to choose between apps was a key highlight. Previous versions of the Galaxy Watch ran on Samsung’s proprietary Tizen operating system. That means users are forced to use Samsung-specific features like Samsung Pay and…Bixby. For Samsung, switching to Wear OS means expanding access to third-party apps — a major weakness of its Tizen smartwatches. For example, Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic owners who prefer Google Pay can now choose to use it instead of Samsung Pay.
For Samsung, the switch to Wear OS is about expanding access to third-party apps
The Galaxy Watch 4 series still comes with Samsung’s own digital assistant Bixby pre-installed. Bixby is… Bixby. While some Samsung users didn’t mind Bixby, others voiced their disgust. Regardless of how you feel, Bixby is nowhere near as popular as Amazon’s Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. Meanwhile, Google Assistant has long been one of the most useful Wear OS features.
That’s the main reason why the arrival of Google Assistant on Wear OS 3 is one of the platform’s most anticipated updates. Not today, but we may hear something at Google I/O next month. That said, Samsung was deliberately vague when it assured users in February that Google Assistant would be available “in the next few months.” At least that part doesn’t seem to have changed.
