Summary
- The Gemini app is gradually appearing outside the US, with Google vowing to patch any existing bugs quickly based on user feedback.
- People are supposedly impressed by the Gemini chatbot’s writing style, creativity, and pace of responses.
- However, Gemini still can’t perform some essential functions like creating tasks or setting up reminders, but that could change in future updates.
The past few days have been dominated by Google’s release of the Gemini app, which we now know is gradually appearing outside the US. Given that the new chatbot is still fairly new for mobile, there are bound to be some features that don’t function as expected, not to mention bugs that could break functionality. It seems like Google is aware of these glitches and is doing what is necessary to fix them based on user feedback.
Google Gemini product lead Jack Krawczyk provided a summary of the feedback received from users until Friday. Expectedly listed under things Google plans to fix ASAP is the ability to manage tasks, set reminders, etc, which is one aspect that makes switching from Google Assistant to Gemini a bit of a concern for people at the moment.
Interestingly, Google appears to have solved at least a couple of these issues mentioned under things to fix, as we can already find the Gemini mobile app functioning normally in some regions outside the US. Krawczyk stated last week that the app would become widely available in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and North America beginning Monday, February 12. However, at least two of our devices here at AP (Asia and Europe) can already use the Bard app.
Not everything has been bad with the early implementation of Gemini, though, as Krawczyk notes in the tweet. For instance, people have seemingly lauded the chatbot’s creative capabilities, including its writing style, and response speed. In the meantime, Google appears to have fixed another issue since releasing the app in the US, as Android expert and AP contributor Mishaal Rahman notes on X. In its original form, triggering Gemini using the power button or the swipe-up gesture didn’t support auto-sending queries, but an update pushed over the weekend appears to have remedied that.
One aspect I’ve personally enjoyed in my brief experience using Gemini on my 18-month-old Pixel 6a is the ability to generate images with a simple text or voice command. It’s pretty incredible to me that this midrange phone can do this so effortlessly, although it understandably takes a few seconds to generate pictures. Krawczyk said the team has also received complaints regarding preachy guardrails, which could be improved in subsequent updates.
The basic aspects of Google Gemini are accessible for free, but there’s an Advanced version available under the new Google One AI Premium Plan for $20/month, with a 2-month free trial currently available. But as we found out just before the weekend, access to Gemini Advanced cannot be shared with family group members, meaning those people will need a separate subscription to access this more powerful version of Gemini. Since these terms are clearly specified on Google’s support page, we don’t expect the company to reverse course.
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