Over the last couple of years, Google, similar to much of Silicon Valley, has focused on developing new AI models and integrating them into its existing products. The tech giant has already incorporated Gemini into many of its apps, such as Gmail and Google Photos, and plans to replace Google Assistant with an AI voice assistant by the end of this year.

Speculation arose about Google bringing Gemini to smartwatches, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed these speculations during the company's Q1 earnings call. He stated, "We’re upgrading Google Assistant on mobile devices to Gemini, and later this year we’ll upgrade tablets, cars, and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches."

While Google's Wear OS may not be the most advanced watch interface, it remains a preferred choice for premium smartwatches like Samsung's Galaxy Watch and OnePlus Watch. The addition of Gemini to smartwatches is a welcome step, but two prominent questions arise following Pichai's announcement.

Firstly, the timeline of ‘later this year’ remains unclear. It is uncertain whether Google will make the announcement during its I/O conference in May or at a new Pixel watch launch in the second half of the year.

Secondly, given the limited storage and processors in smartwatches, Gemini likely won't be able to run tasks on the device itself. Concerns arise regarding how much health data users would be willing to provide an AI assistant, which could potentially be used for its training.

Moreover, it remains to be seen what kind of upgrade Gemini will offer over Google Assistant and which models Google will implement. Currently, the Gemini app on Android allows users to choose from various large language models, ranging from 2.0 Flash to the company's latest 2.5 Pro and 2.5 Flash experimental models.