Google is surprisingly all-in on Samsung’s new phones and watches

Google and Samsung are quite the pairing these days; to the point Google is debuting features for Samsung devices before its own products.

Back in January we saw Google debut Circle To Search during the Galaxy S24 launch event, and the company was at it again today. Google detailed four new features for Galaxy products in a blog post that’ll span the new Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra, and Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6.

Interestingly, Google has decided to debut Wear OS 5 on the Galaxy Watch 7 rather than wait for the expected next-generation Pixel Watch 3 that might launch just over a month from now on August 13.

“Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch lineup, including the Watch Ultra and Watch 7, will be the first smartwatches powered by Wear OS 5,” Google says in a blog post.

“And they’re the perfect companion for when you’re on the go: These smartwatches offer advanced health monitoring capabilities, including heart rate tracking and sleep monitoring, and a personalised health experience, as well as access to a wide range of apps in Google Play.”

That’s somewhat surprising considering the Pixel phones are always the first devices to get the latest version of Android. However, Samsung does have a hand in fashioning Wear OS these days and did Google a solid by ditching its own Tizen OS to get back into bed with Google a couple of years ago.

Elsewhere, Google has announced the Z Fold 6 will be able to enjoy multiview action via YouTube TV. Given the larger outer display and squarer aspect ratio than standard phone, this should provide an excellent experience for watching multiple sports games.

Google is also adding the latest Circle to Search features, like “translation capabilities and homework help for a range of physics and math problems”. More features are coming soon, including symbolic maths and QR code scanning. The company is also pointing out the benefits of the Gemini app for the new Galaxy Z series.

Google adds: “Gemini will soon give relevant suggestions based on what’s on your screen. Just swipe the corner of the screen or say “Hey Google” to bring up Gemini. And if you’re, say, watching something on YouTube, the suggestion “Ask about this video” will appear. The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s large screen is particularly helpful for multitasking. Soon, when you watch a video, you’ll be able to bring up the Gemini overlay and move it for a split screen experience.”