The default voice assistant on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 may determine how productive the next smartwatch will be.

Popular products such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 include Samsung's own Bixby. However, Bixby is essentially useless. Sure, it can set timers and launch music playlists. Beyond that, you'll wish you had Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri on your wrist.

Fortunately, the first of Bixby's alternative features may be coming to the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup. This is because it will be Samsung's first smartwatch to run Wear OS instead of Tizen and the first smartwatch to ship on the new unified Wear OS platform.

The onboard Google Assistant has rescued many inferior Wear OS watches (well, except for that time when it took most people months to realize its functionality was broken). Samsung proved that you don't need an assistant or any other program from Google to make the best smartwatch, but this addition suggests more possibilities than users have ever had.

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 home and other benefits that come with knowing how to use Google Assistant, such as the best Google Assistant commands will be accessible.

When we got a glimpse of the Galaxy Watch 4's Wear OS in a leaked video shared online last month, we saw programs like Google Maps in action. However, it is unlikely that Samsung will choose which Google platform to adopt.

A lengthy Galaxy Watch 4 spec sheet posted on Twitter lists Google Assistant in the "Google Ecosystem" section. If this spec sheet is accurate, the next Galaxy Watch will offer both Google Assistant and Bixby.

Therefore, the question remains whether Samsung will give Galaxy Watch 4 users the option to bypass Bixby as their default assistant.

We cannot say for sure, but it is likely - users will have the option to change their default voice setting to Google Assistant. Samsung has already embraced its wearables partnership with Google and is dissolving its long-standing smartwatch software for an integrated Wear OS; it would be peculiar to drag its feet for Bixby.

Besides, Google Assistant may just make the Galaxy Watch 4 a rival to the more powerful Apple Watch 7. There are many uses for a voice assistant on the wrist, not just for James Bond wannabes. And Galaxy Watch users may finally have a choice of assistants they want to engage with.

It won't be long before we see just how "smart" the Galaxy Watch 4 will be. The wearable is expected to debut at the Samsung Unpacked keynote on August 11, along with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.