Google messed it up. Wear OS 3 didn’t start the way users would have liked. Google Assistant is the biggest damper.
Last August, I ordered the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. At the time, it was clear that the only and first Wear OS 3 smartwatch to date would still be delivered without a Google Assistant.
At first, you thought the Assistant would never come. Samsung wanted to push Bixby and Google would certainly have gotten into it. Until at some point it was clear that the launch of a new version would only be delayed. Little did I know that the waiting period was more than eight months.
Google Assistant for Wear OS 3: Waiting time that never ends
No matter how closely Samsung and Google now work together for Wear OS and other Android projects, you shouldn’t give any promises. I didn’t buy the Galaxy Watch 4 because of the Google Assistant, but I had expected the availability of the app a little earlier. A full eight months after my order, the previous disaster has only worsened.
The next slap in the face of users
An American network operator announced the redemptive update for the Galaxy Watch 4 shortly after Easter. With this new firmware update, it is finally possible to use Google Assistant as an app on the watch. A few hours later, it was clear that this announcement came too soon. Samsung and Google announced very quickly that the rollout has actually not yet begun and they can still not make any statements about it.
Whew. First great joy, then the even bigger damper. In a few weeks, Wear OS 3 will be a whole year old (presented in May 2021) and rather I would definitely not expect the Assistant anymore. My hope: Google I/O in May. That’s a crazy number. Google probably wants to deliver its completely new version, but still does not seem to be able to do so. I find that quite disappointing.