Your Volvo’s Getting Gemini, Because Google Assistant Is Officially Dead
This week at Google I/O, it’s all about Gemini. It’s about bringing Gemini into more places, and that includes on the road with you. Gemini is coming into the Car, specifically into Google Builtin cars. Google is currently showing off the Gemini features in a new Volvo model, however, Gemini won’t be available until later this year. So, as you can see in the video below, the software is still a tad buggy. Don’t forget that it is also at Google I/O, where there’s lots of WiFi interference, much more than there would normally be when you’re driving.
The biggest difference is going to be, natural conversation with Gemini. With Google Assistant, you’re moreso giving it specific commands that you know it will react to. Like “what is the weather”. With Gemini you can be more conversational, giving Gemini a much longer prompt, to get a response. Which you’ll see in the video below.
Gemini isn’t all that’s new, Games and TV are also coming
You could play games and watch TV in the car before, but this experience has been upgraded. So you can watch Fubo when you’re sitting at a charger, waiting for your EV to charge up. Or, when you’re waiting for your kids to get out of school. Of course, Google is not going to let you watch a video while you’re driving. That’s just not safe.
However, something that Google did tell me they were working on is, with video podcasts, allowing the video to go into the background when you start driving. This way, you can keep listening to your podcast without getting distracted by the video playing. Google has also said that parents wanted this feature, so that they could keep playing a kids’ show while they’re driving and the kids can keep listening. Though I’m guessing kids would want to watch the show too, not just listen to it.
This is what’s coming to Volvo, specifically later this year. It’s important to remember that with the Android Automotive OS, Google licenses out its apps like Google Maps, Gemini, and others, and the car maker builds the OS. This is why the OS looks different on Volvo and Polestar versus the new GM models. The Hummer EV does run on the same platform, but looks wildly different. Sort of like One UI and Pixel Experience on the phone side of things.
