Google Limits Wear OS 7 Gemini AI to Future Watches, Excluding Pixel 9 Phones
Updated
Updated · Android Authority · May 21
Google Limits Wear OS 7 Gemini AI to Future Watches, Excluding Pixel 9 Phones
1 articles · Updated · Android Authority · May 21
Wear OS 7 will bring Gemini Intelligence only to select future smartwatches, even as Google touts the update’s 10% battery-life gain, new Live Updates and refreshed Tiles.
That restriction has sharpened criticism because older Pixel phones such as the Pixel 9 Pro XL are left out despite having 16GB of RAM—more than some 12GB devices Google says will support Gemini features.
The mismatch suggests Google could run parts of Gemini through the cloud or a paired phone for watches, undercutting arguments that older Pixels lack the hardware to handle at least some AI tools.
Google has reversed similar limits before—most notably bringing Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 after backlash—highlighting how AI exclusivity is becoming a key lever to push hardware upgrades.
If smartwatches will get Gemini AI, what's the real reason Google's flagship phones are excluded?
Is Google's new AI strategy creating a two-tiered system for its own loyal users?