The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4's only voice assistant at launch is Bixby, which is a major disappointment - even if it is temporary

After setting up the Galaxy Watch 4, which Samsung loaned me for review, I noticed that Google Assistant was nowhere to be found in Wear OS' new app cloud Itching to try out this rumored upgrade, I checked Twitter to see if any fellow early testers had noticed the Assistant's absence

Sure enough, Samsung confirmed to our friends at Android Central that the Galaxy Watch 4 series does not feature Google Assistant Apparently, the Assistant will eventually be included in the new smartwatches, but it remains to be seen when that will be

I have no interest in Bixby on my wrist So far, I am enjoying the integrated Tizen and Wear OS experience, but I prefer some aspects of the software on Google's side The Galaxy Watch 4 I'm testing benefits from popular programs like Google Maps and Google Pay, but a Google Assistant would have pushed this new smartwatch further out of the gate

The onboard Google Assistant has improved several inferior Wear OS watches Samsung also proved that it does not need the Assistant or other services from Google to make the best smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, but this addition will give users more possibilities than they have had in the past to inject more possibilities than what they had in the past

With Google's Voice Butler built into the Galaxy Watch 4, users will be able to control the best Google Home compatible devices in their smart homes and other benefits that come with knowing how to use Google Assistant, including the best Google Assistant commands, and access to the best Google Home-compatible devices in the smart home

While you may not often use the voice assistant from your smartphone, using talk-to-text and other voice commands from your smartwatch can come in handy on the go I call Siri on my Apple Watch Series 6 to start tracking my workout or set a timer when my hands are full

Even when testing the Fitbit Versa 3, which offers a choice of Alexa or Google Assistant, I found myself using voice frequently not only to channel my inner Bond, but also to maximize productivity

I hope that having Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 is a top priority update It is common for smartwatch makers to push for exciting upgrades after release, but with the imminent release of Samsung's biggest rival smartwatch, there should be a sense of urgency

With Google Assistant, Samsung's latest smartwatch would be a more powerful Apple Watch 7 rival That is, of course, if Samsung gives users the option to bypass Bixby as the default voice assistant once Google's virtual butler is on the Galaxy Watch 4

In the meantime, check out Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3 showdown to see all the upgrades you get with the new smartwatch