Waze is not the only one replacing Google Assistant on iPhones. Even the creator itself will transition to Gemini by late 2025. Although mobile devices will completely switch to Gemini, the case for smart home devices is slightly different.
Google Promises a New Smart Home Experience with Gemini
Google Assistant to Retire by 2025: Gemini Takes Over Smart
Curtis Berry/Unsplash
Nothing much is mentioned regarding the Gemini switch, but a Google blog post tells us that we can expect a “new experience” for smart home devices, including speakers, TVs, and more. Many users are wondering how this change will affect their smart home configurations.
Read more:
OpenAI’s New ChatGPT Image Generator Can Pump Out Ghibli-Style Images, But Is It Breaking Copyright Rules?
Why Google Is Taking a Different Approach
Gemini is certainly strong but has serious shortcomings when it comes to simple tasks. It performs well on sophisticated tasks such as document analysis, creating AI content, and engaging in in-depth conversations. But it falters with straightforward voice commands that Google Assistant executes with ease.
For instance, asking Gemini to set a timer may lead to confusion or even a response explaining how to set a timer instead of doing it. These basic functions form the backbone of smart home interactions, making reliability critical. In short, Gemini’s inability to handle these tasks effectively means Google has to rework its AI to ensure a smooth transition.
Gemini’s Hallucination Problem Is a Major Concern
Another issue with Gemini is that it hallucinates data. Although all AI chatbots sometimes produce made-up data, Gemini has been known to be a repeat offender. During testing, Gemini made up train timetables, which would have stranded users if they had acted on that information.
Smart home appliances must be reliable, particularly when users are giving voice commands. Until Gemini becomes more accurate, substituting Google Assistant with it risks diminishing the smart home experience, Android Police points out.
A More Improved Gemini For Smart Home Devices
Google’s adoption of the term “powered by Gemini” implies that the technology giant is developing a more refined version of Gemini for home smart spaces. Rather than long-winded answers, smart home users require short, precise responses, and it is therefore crucial for Google to streamline Gemini for this very purpose.
The just-launched Gemini 2.5 Pro shows enhancements in minimizing hallucinations and increasing overall reliability. Still, this model is presently restricted to Google Advanced, and its functionality isn’t fully available to regular users yet.
Google’s priority will presumably develop this model to achieve a seamless smart home experience.
Will Older Gadgets Support Gemini?
One of the key issues is whether or not older smart home devices will be supported by Gemini. Some products, such as the 2019 Nest Mini, which saw release only a year after Android 9, will find themselves having difficulty running the more complex Gemini model.
If Google decides that older hardware isn’t supported for Gemini, consumers might be left with devices that continue to deteriorate as Google departs from support for Assistant.
Related Article:
Google Gemini 2.5 Pro Model Is Now Available—Does the ‘Most Advanced’ Model Have Limitations?