Gemini is coming to the Google Pixel Buds?

Our good friends at 9to5Google have dissected the Google app (version 15.31), and they have found a string of code, suggesting that Google’s earbuds may soon get some AI capabilities. The string of code in question reads:

To put it simply, Google is preparing a notification to let Pixel Buds users know that Gemini is available on their buds. The code specifically mentions “buds” so the best candidate is the upcoming Pixel Buds Pro 2 model, expected to land on August 13.

Pixel Buds Pro 2 leaked renders | Image credit — OnLeaks/Android Headlines

It’s also worth noting that “gemini_on_buds” probably isn’t anything groundbreaking, and it’s just the ability to prompt Gemini through your buds as a Bluetooth proxy. Still, it’s a nice addition and a feature that has been baked into many models from big companies such as Jabra and Sony, not to mention that AirPods users have been able to activate Siri on their buds for ages.

The only difference is that Google is now slowly (or not so slowly) phasing out Assisstant in favor of Gemini. There are four versions of Gemini at the moment: Gemini Ultra, Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, and Gemini Nano. The Nano version is the most efficient one and also the one Google uses on Pixel phones. It can handle on-device AI tasks without an internet connection, but its capabilities are somewhat limited.

So, the takeaway here is that you will soon be able to summon Gemini using Pixel Buds, most likely the new model launching on August 13. It’s not clear whether or not this feature will drip down to older generations of Pixel Buds, but given that there probably isn’t anything happening on the buds themselves, it’s highly likely all Pixel Buds models will be able to summon Gemini at some point in the future.