In what appears to be leaked promotional material (translated source) it seems that the AI assistant will be accessed via a different prompt. While the images show a “hey Google Gemini” prompt it is very likely that just “hey Gemini” will be replacing the “hey Google” prompt. A while back Samsung showed off its XR (Extended Reality) prototype and this Project Moohan used the Gemini prompt as well.
There are also other unverifiable reports that the Galaxy S25 phones will feature exclusive Google Gemini features. If that’s true then it makes sense that Samsung wants to change how users interact with the AI assistant on the phone. However there has also been a lot of talk about a new LLM-powered Bixby assistant that will challenge Apple Intelligence. It’s unclear how the new Bixby as well as Gemini will co-exist on the Galaxy S25.
If Samsung does debut the new “hey Gemini” prompt then I think it’s safe to say that other Android phones will be following suit very soon. Similar to Siri on the iPhone 16 the Google Assistant is also being replaced. But while Siri will keep its name and integrate with ChatGPT Google Assistant will instead be completely phased out for Gemini.Google Assistant — and especially Siri — have been deteriorating for years in my opinion and I cannot wait to see them revamped from the ground up. These assistants often did anything but assist me. However with LLM-powered AI both Siri and Google Assistant have another chance to win users over and become a crucial part of phone use.
If “hey Gemini” gets me an assistant that actually understands what I ask of it then out with the old and in with the new I say!