When Google and Samsung introduced Put on OS 3 final 12 months, I had numerous questions on how properly Google companies would run on Samsung {hardware}. Of Google’s expansive suite of apps, I used to be most interested by Google Assistant. The one catch was it wasn’t accessible when the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup launched — and there have been solely imprecise guarantees as to when it could truly be accessible. However yesterday, Google Assistant lastly arrived on the Galaxy Watch 4, and after just a few hours of taking part in round with it, I’m cautiously optimistic.

Google Assistant was already a characteristic on older Put on OS 2 watches. It simply wasn’t nice. As a result of Put on OS 2 watches struggled with underpowered {hardware}, Google Assistant was typically laggy and by no means absolutely lived as much as its potential. Asking for greater than essentially the most fundamental queries was a crapshoot. In the meantime, Samsung’s Tizen watches had snappy efficiency however solely provided up Bixby. And Bixby… is Bixby. Regardless of Samsung’s efforts, it’s simply not as helpful as different digital assistants. All this to say: as soon as the Google Assistant was accessible for the Galaxy Watch 4, I put in it as quick as humanly doable.

Putting in Google Assistant

Organising Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 isn’t laborious. The one factor you must do is ensure that your cellphone and watch are working the most recent software program. As soon as that’s finished, launch the Google Play Retailer app in your wrist. You possibly can then both seek for “Google Assistant” or scroll all the way down to My Apps. Both method, you need to see a button that reads “Assistant Replace.” After that, comply with the prompts to activate Google Assistant in your cellphone.

It’s at this level which you can both choose in or out of Voice Match, which permits Assistant to create a personalised voice mannequin in your machine. You’ll additionally see a message alerting you that in the event you elect to have the watch hear for the “Hey Google” wake phrase, it’ll influence battery life. (Extra on this in a bit.)

It’s also possible to take the additional step of reprogramming the watch’s dwelling key (the one with the crimson trim within the higher proper) to launch Google Assistant as an alternative of Bixby. To do this:

• Open the Galaxy Wearable app.
• Choose Watch settings.
• Faucet Superior options.
• Underneath the Residence Key menu, you may both program Assistant to launch by way of a double press or press and maintain.

After that, you may take a web page from Marie Kondo’s guide, thank Bixby for its service, and want it properly in its future endeavors. (You possibly can’t, nevertheless, absolutely uninstall Bixby. I attempted.)

Good efficiency, horrible battery

Broadly talking, Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 is the most effective it is ever been on a Put on OS watch. Nevertheless, that’s a low bar, and it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.

The principle factor is that Google Assistant is way sooner on the Galaxy Watch 4. That’s not stunning given this watch has a extra highly effective processor than each different Put on OS watch you may at present purchase. The Assistant understood my instructions, whether or not it was to message my husband, set a timer, or inform me whether or not it was going to rain at this time. I additionally didn’t have to attend with bated breath for Google Assistant to course of issues. Even when it botched a command — which all digital assistants often do — it did so shortly. That mentioned, the watch does should be awake for any voice command to register.

Between Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Siri on my Apple Watch Collection 7, I’d say the efficiency is kind of related. Each are fast to wake, perceive the vast majority of my mumbling, and take about the identical period of time to reply queries. Nevertheless, Assistant has a slight edge in the case of delivering helpful search outcomes. For instance, I requested each Assistant and Siri to search out me the closest auto restore store. Whereas Google Assistant was capable of advocate close by outlets that have been extremely rated and straightforward to get to, Siri discovered me one restore store with no rankings and a number of other parking garages.

It’d virtually be excellent if it weren’t for the truth that enabling Google Assistant has been a significant battery drain within the brief time I’ve been utilizing it. Whereas testing the characteristic, I had the always-on show enabled and the watch listening for the “Hey Google” set off within the background. After about two hours, it went from absolutely charged to 80 p.c. At this fee, I’ll be fortunate to make it to bedtime. With the identical settings enabled on the Collection 7, for a similar time frame and use, I’m solely all the way down to 92 p.c. I can’t say it’s a shock, however it’s disappointing nonetheless.

Whereas it took some time for Google Assistant to reach, now that it has, the vast majority of Google’s companies can be found as apps on the Galaxy Watch 4. Along with Assistant, apps like Gboard, Google Pay, Google Maps, and YouTube Music can all be downloaded immediately from the Play Retailer. In the meantime, Google Residence and Google Pockets are set to reach later this 12 months. Calendar continues to be lacking from the bunch, however by and enormous, Android customers don’t have to stay with Samsung’s preinstalled apps in the event that they don’t need to anymore.

In the end, with Google Assistant, I can truly see myself utilizing a digital assistant on a Samsung smartwatch. That’s a primary. It was additionally a way more satisfying expertise than Assistant on Put on OS 2. So whereas I can see customers opting to remain on Samsung Pay or selecting Spotify over YouTube Music, Google Assistant makes extra sense for all however essentially the most diehard Bixby followers. It’s laborious to say how a lot of this expertise will apply to the forthcoming Pixel Watch — although I’m optimistic that the great efficiency right here will translate. I’m additionally hopeful that Samsung may determine how one can make its next-gen smartwatches extra power-efficient. However within the meantime, I want Galaxy Watch 4 house owners didn’t have to simply accept worse battery life in trade for a great digital assistant.

Images by Victoria Track / The Verge