Google recently rebranded its AI chatbot from Bard to Gemini. It then began rolling it out across its product range, including as an Assistant alternative on Android. Now, the tech giant seems to be looking to put it directly into headset.
A code string found by 9to5Google in a beta version of the Google app hints at the expanded availability. Gemini is not just Google’s new chatbot, but also the name of a family of powerful artificial intelligence models. This AI model powers the Gemini chatbot and other generative AI tools from Google.
While it’s unclear when this headset capability might arrive, or even what form it will take, the code string is an indication that Google is serious about leveraging the Gemini brand.
What Do We Know About Gemini on Headset?
A string in the code of the new beta version of the Google app says: “Gemini mobile app is working on expanding availability to make it accessible on your headset.”
Currently, even if you enable Gemini on your Android phone, using Pixel Buds Pro to trigger the smart assistant will still fire up Google Assistant. This means you don’t get the natural language responses and complex reasoning capabilities of Gemini. If the code is correct, in the future devices with Assistant could call upon the Gemini app to respond.
Google has said it plans to focus on Android and iOS for the initial rollout of Gemini, making it available through the Google app on iOS and as an Assistant alternative on Android.
While audio isn’t a primary focus for the Gemini chatbot, replacing Assistant would require a voice interface. Similar to ChatGPT Voice, this would allow you to speak to the assistant and get natural language responses. You could have full conversations with the AI as if it were a human.
While Gemini has been offered as an optional alternative to Assistant on Android, Google has yet to update its smart home devices, wearables, or cars to use the conversational AI.
So, this is an indication that Google does indeed plan to roll it out more widely and replace Assistant on a wider range of devices, especially where it is more personal and conversational.
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