At its hardware launch event today, Google also unveiled some AI related goodies. First off, Gemini Live. This is rolling out today to Gemini Advanced subscribers in English on Android phones.
It delivers “a mobile conversational experience that lets you have free-flowing conversations with Gemini”, according to Google itself. So, basically like Google Assistant, but AI branded because everything has to be these days?
You can interrupt Gemini Live mid-response to dive deeper on a point or pause a conversation and come back to it later, so that’s better. Gemini Live also works hands-free – you can keep talking with the Gemini app in the background or when your phone is locked. Gemini Live will have ten new voices to choose from, as the video above demonstrates.
“In the coming weeks”, Google is going to release new extensions for Gemini. These will make it work with apps like Keep, Tasks, and Utilities, and expand its feature set on YouTube Music. Coming “soon” after that will be a Calendar extension, which will, for example, allow you to take a photo of a concert flier and ask Gemini if you’re free that day, and even set a reminder to buy tickets. Actually buying tickets is probably a feature for 2025 and beyond.
On Android if you’ve replaced Google Assistant with Gemini, you can ask Gemini for stuff by saying “Hey Google”. And if you’re using YouTube you can tap on Ask about this video and, well, ask Gemini questions about what you’re watching. This also works elsewhere with Ask about this screen. Gemini can also drag and drop the images it generates right into Gmail and Google Messages.
Google promises it will focus on speed and quality with Gemini in the coming months, and will launch deeper integrations with Google Home, Phone, and Messages.
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