Gemini is coming to boost the Google Assistant on smart displays and speakers – and here’s how it works
- Gemini is being added to older devices with Google Assistant
- Hidden code reveals the upgrade will be available soon
- The “enhanced assistant” provides more detailed answers
Rather confusingly, Google currently has two smart assistants in the game: Gemini and Google Assistant. For now, at least, Google Assistant is sticking around on smart displays and speakers, but we now have some clues about how Gemini will help.
The team of 9to5Google I discovered code hidden in the latest Google app for Android that referred to “an improved assistant” with richer responses, a better understanding of your instructions, and a new set of voices to choose from.
At the same time as the launch of the Google TV Streamer and the 4th generation Google Nest Thermostat, we heard that Gemini would be central to new products, but that Google Assistant would still do work on older hardware.
Based on the code found by 9to5Google – which hasn’t been enabled yet and may be changed before it’s released to the rest of the world – it looks like the additional smart features available in Gemini will soon be added to the Google Assistant at Nest speakers and displays.
Change
Google clearly sees Gemini as the future when it comes to smart AI-powered assistants. It’s pre-loaded on the new Pixel 9 phones – see our Google Pixel 9 Pro review for details, for example – and pushed into multiple Google apps.
However, there are a ton of devices out in the wild with Google Assistant on them – including third-party hardware not made by Google – meaning support for the older AI bot will have to continue for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully, in terms of user experience, this ongoing transition will be quite smooth: you simply speak your voice or type your requests, and the AI will respond accordingly, regardless of which assistant you’re actually using behind the scenes.
Gemini is slowly but surely adding support for all the tasks that Google Assistant is capable of, while also offering a more intelligent and deeper set of responses when needed, thanks to generative AI – and it looks like this will be coming to more smart devices soon.
