Updated
Updated · Android Authority · May 21
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?