Though not as widely discussed as some of its competitors, Google’s Gemini AI has heaps of features—and there are five reasons why Gemini deserves your attention.
1
Use Live Voice Chat for Free and as Long as You Like
Unlike many AI tools that limit live voice interactions to premium plans, Gemini allows you to chat in real-time without restrictions. You can speak naturally, ask follow-up questions, or shift topics without starting from scratch.
After using Gemini’s live voice for over a month, I find it on par with other competing voice assistants. Speech recognition is great. The default voice sounds lifelike, provides context-relevant responses, supports several languages, engages in deep discussions, and quickly answers daily questions.
Though it currently lacks the ability to convey different emotions (like ChatGPT’s live voice feature), Gemini’s live voice assistant makes up for that by not limiting voice interactions, and its ability to pick up on past conversations across different devices. If you have a Google Pixel phone, Gemini is also more convenient to use as it’s already installed and can be used as your default voice assistant with the press of a button.
2
Extensive Contextual Understanding
Gemini’s ability to derive context from past conversations is primarily due to its unsurpassed context length. One of Gemini’s standout features is its ability to process vast amounts of information without losing track of the context. It uses a cutting-edge language model that supports a context window of up to 1.5 million tokens! This means Gemini can remember and refer to earlier parts of a conversation, even if it spans hours or thousands of words.
Unfortunately, there is currently no way to upload text files to Gemini. However, Gemini’s incredibly long context window can still be used for certain things like:
- Drafting lengthy, cohesive reports
- Analyzing intricate datasets
- Assisting with multistep problem-solving tasks
Although many competing AI products support enough context length to work well for most tasks, using Gemini reduces AI hallucinations due to the limited context window. This makes Gemini a useful tool for critical situations where you want the AI to stick to a particular subject/topic during long conversations.
3
Google Gemini Generates Great Images
Google Gemini is a multimodal AI model that can generate stunning photorealistic images. By typing a detailed description, users can prompt Gemini to generate visuals. For instance, you might request an image of a “serene lakeside view during sunset,” which Gemini will generate something like this:
By blending textual and visual capabilities, Gemini becomes a great aid for more creative applications. Though the images may not generate exactly what you’re envisioning, they are still a good tool for:
- Creating visuals for campaigns without hiring external resources.
- Generating initial concepts before refining with traditional tools.
- Enhancing presentations or projects with custom illustrations.
Although competing AI products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT can also generate images for free, Gemini’s art style seems to be better for generating photorealistic images. Different AI chat services tend to stick to a specific art style. So, if photorealism is what you’re aiming for, try chatting with Gemini.
4
Integration With Google Ecosystem
One of Gemini’s biggest advantages over other AI models is its seamless integration with Google’s suite of products and services. If you already use Gmail, Google Docs, Drive, or Calendar, Gemini can enhance your productivity by working within these platforms.
With Gemini integrated with Google’s productivity tools, you can:
- Draft Emails Faster: Gemini can compose entire emails based on a few keywords or bullet points.
- Plan Your Day: By syncing with Google Calendar, it can suggest optimal schedules or remind you of upcoming tasks.
- Collaborate in Real Time: Within Google Docs, Gemini can edit, proofread, or co-write content based on your input.
Having an AI tool embedded in your daily workflow saves significant amounts of time, especially if juggling multiple tasks is part of your workflow. With Gemini, you don’t need to switch between platforms or export data manually. Everything happens within the Google ecosystem, ensuring a streamlined experience.
Aside from Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite) apps, Gemini also integrates with Google’s hardware products such as Pixel phones, Pixel watches, and your Google Home setup.
By switching the regular Google Assistant to Gemini, you get to enjoy better suggestions, a more seamless experience between your devices, and have access to advanced AI features such as live voice chats and deeper context awareness.
5
Gemini Free Is a Lot Less Restrictive
Unlike competing AI tools that restrict many useful features behind paid subscriptions, Gemini offers a surprisingly robust free tier. Even on the free version of Gemini, users enjoy an expansive set of functionalities that rival premium plans for other AI services.
Here’s what makes Gemini’s free version stand out:
- Unlimited Conversations: There’s no cap on the number of interactions or duration of use, allowing you to fully explore the AI’s capabilities at your own pace.
- Advanced Features Without Upgrades: Features like live voice chats, expanded contextual understanding, and multimodal capabilities (like image generation) are available to free users with no signs of limitations (based on my experience), giving you access to a professional-grade experience right out of the box.
- No Forced Downgrades in Quality: Unlike some AI tools that degrade response quality or limit creativity in their free plans, Gemini maintains consistent output, ensuring even free users get meaningful, high-quality interactions.
- Accessible Across Devices: Whether you’re on a Pixel phone, Google Home, or your browser, the free version of Gemini works seamlessly, removing barriers to entry.
Although premium plans might offer additional perks like priority response times or integrations with third-party services, Gemini’s free tier is robust enough to meet the needs of most users. If you’ve ever felt boxed in by limitations on other platforms, Gemini offers a refreshing level of freedom to experiment and explore.
With such an accessible free version, there’s little reason not to try Gemini—it’s a low-risk way to test the AI’s capabilities and see how it fits into your daily life.