The Galaxy Watch 4 may let you choose between Google Assistant or Bixby
The Galaxy Watch 4 is going to be all about choice.
What you need to know- A new rumor claims the Galaxy Watch 4 will let users select their assistant.
- Previous Galaxy watches only gave users access to Bixby.
- Google Assistant isn't known to be very reliable on the current iteration of Wear OS.
Samsung is gearing up for the launch of its next smartwatch, but until then, there are many questions surrounding the device. With it running the upcoming Wear OS 3 update, one point that remained unclear is whether or not the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 would include Google Assistant or stick with Bixby. The latest rumor might give fans a good reason to celebrate.
According to known leaker SnoopyTech, the upcoming smartwatch will allow users to select between the two AI assistants.
Also: Google Assistant or Bixby
- Snoopy (@_snoopytech_) August 2, 2021
It's not much to go by, but 9to5Google was also able to find a line of code in the Wear OS app that may help support the claim:
com.google.android.wearable.alternate_assistant
Considering Samsung's previous watches only offered Bixby while the best Wear OS watches only have access to Google Assistant, it's good to know that the upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 may give users a choice.
It wouldn't be too surprising, seeing as how it's still very much Google's OS, even if Samsung is a big part of its development now. On the best Samsung phones, users can choose between Bixby and Google Assistant as the default. They can even completely disable Bixby if they so choose.
Of course, Bixby isn't exactly a fan favorite, but Wear OS isn't known to be very reliable on the current iteration of Wear OS, plagued with bugs and surprisingly limited functionality. Android Central recently reached out to find out if Google was working on addressing these limitations. While the company could not provide a time frame for resolving everything, a spokesperson said they were being looked into.
We are aware of the issues some users have been encountering and will continue working with our partners to address these and improve the overall voice experience.
Hopefully, with Wear OS 3 well on the way, Google Assistant can get itself together for current and future Wear OS users.