194: Should Apple Be Worried About Gemini Intelligence?

Welcome back to the Macroom Show and good afternoon. WWDC is almost here, I’ve got a small chest cold, and Google just previewed Android updates packed with Gemini, which sets up a great Apple comparison.

I’m excited for WWDC too, but the branding is messy: Gemini the chat versus Gemini Intelligence as the feature umbrella.

Names aside, Google’s pushing AI across phone, watch, and car with automation and web summaries. Would you actually let it auto‑book concert seats, or would you want to review first?

I’d keep control for big purchases, but quick tasks like calling a ride or ordering lunch could be worth it when you’re busy.

Rambler also stood out: you can babble a voice note and it removes the filler to give you something clean.

That would shine in the car, where I could dictate on the drive and see polished notes later. I’ve been testing Grok in my Tesla and the idea lands even if reminders still miss.

Android’s in‑car demo showed smarter auto replies that read message context, which is perfect when driving. CarPlay can use GPT or Grok, but without deep vehicle hooks.

A lot of this blurs with general Android features, and I’m fine with that. I care less about the AI label than whether it helps.

Create My Widget is the star. Describe a widget—weekly high‑protein meal ideas or a single travel dashboard—and it builds a resizable tile from your Gmail and calendar, which I’d love on iPhone.

It’s vibe‑coding built into the OS and finally solves the ‘I wish this widget showed one more thing’ problem. I expect Apple to copy it.

I’d make a weather tile that only shows golf‑friendly days, period. It also makes me wonder what third‑party widget makers do when users can roll their own.

Data access is the key. With App Intents, Shortcuts, and Siri, Apple can already tap into app info when developers expose it, which would power this kind of custom surface.

On hardware, Google teased a partner‑made ‘Googlebook’ laptop that feels like a premium AI Chromebook. Shake the cursor and a magic pointer pops Gemini tools with on‑screen context for quick edits and drag‑and‑drop.

Using the cursor as an AI handle could finally cut the copy‑paste dance into chatbots. I’m curious if suggestions stay relevant outside a demo, and phone mirroring clearly echoes Apple’s approach.

Pricing and capabilities are still murky. I miss Google’s own Pixelbook hardware and wonder if this is still mostly a browser OS with AI bolted on.

Chrome is getting summaries and context from Gmail and Calendar much like Safari’s additions. If these ideas click, they’ll spread to Windows and Mac.

Quick detour to Fitbit Air, a $99 screenless band that tracks the basics. Is there a monthly fee?

Core tracking needs no subscription and it syncs with Apple Health, which makes it a serious Whoop alternative at a fraction of the ongoing cost.

There’s a $9.99 Google Health Premium tier for AI insights, but you don’t need it to get value. Long battery life and sleep tracking make it easy to wear with a ‘real’ watch or to bed.

I grabbed one to test. Rings can move via Health for calories and workouts, though stand hours won’t sync cleanly.

I’ve seen steps from my Garmin land in Health but not show up in rings, which is a bummer. The data’s there, just not reflected on the watch.

At least Sleep widgets and the Health app pick it up, so it’s still useful without living in watchOS.

To wrap, Apple Watch Series 12 looks like another quiet year. A big redesign seems years away.

Touch ID seems shelved and not essential, battery life is the focus, and an S11 chip could bring efficiency. SOS via satellite may trickle down, but camera rumors are fantasy.

Blood pressure monitoring keeps slipping—why so slow when others claim it?

Apple’s prototypes were either too big or not reliable enough, which explains the delay. It feeds a broader sense that watch hardware changes have cooled after big moments like ECG and always‑on.

Even jumping from a Series 6 to 10 barely changed day to day for us, aside from a fresh battery.

I want real battery gains, better faces, and cleaner navigation. watchOS feels stale with dull faces and too many tiny apps instead of a smarter stack.

Give us an AI‑powered ‘Create My Watch Face’ that lets us specify exact complications and layout, even making a new complication when one’s missing.

Bring back tasteful, classic‑inspired faces with thoughtful complications, then layer in Apple Intelligence on the watch and HomePod, not just iPhone and iPad.

We sound tough because we care. Tell us what AI and health features you want on Apple Watch, and we’ll see you next week.