Google Bard is dead, long live Google Gemini

Multiple leaks in recent weeks indicate Google Bard is on its way out. While the company’s AI chatbot is not going anywhere, it will get a Gemini rebrand. And if a recently leaked Bard changelog is anything to go by, the name change could go any day now. Alongside this branding tweak, Google was rumored to launch Gemini Advanced, bringing more powerful generative AI capabilities to its chatbot using its Gemini Ultra AI model. While Google’s announcement is yet to go live, the new Gemini rebranding, a dedicated mobile app, and the Gemini Advanced plan in Google One have all gone live.

First spotted by a Reddit user, Google is offering a special Gemini Advanced Google One tier, which costs $20 in the US, €22 in the EU, and £19 in the UK per month. In India, the plan costs Rs 1,950 monthly. This plan also bundles 2TB of storage space and entitles you to other Google One Premium benefits, like advanced editing tools in Google Photos.

For comparison, the regular 2TB Google One plan without Gemini Advanced access costs $10 monthly in the US. So, Google is charging an additional twice more for access to its most advanced AI model.

The page notes that Gemini Advanced uses Google’s most advanced AI model, Ultra 1.0, which is “designed for highly complex tasks.” It also teases that Gemini will soon integrate with Gmail, Docs, and other Google services, allowing you to easily draft long emails, invitations, and do much more.

A free two-month trial is also available, so you can try Gemini Ultra and decide if it is worth paying for. If you are already a Google One subscriber, you will be prompted to upgrade your plan to access Gemini Advanced. Interestingly, Google only offers a two-month free trial, while initial leaks indicated a three-month trial period.

The new Gemini website is also live, with a banner highlighting Bard’s name change. Furthermore, Google has released a dedicated Gemini mobile app for Android and iOS. You don’t need to be a Gemini Advanced subscriber to use the mobile app. However, the app is currently only available in the US with support limited to English. Google says it is working on expanding the app to more countries and languages in the future.

Google’s support page highlights that Gemini’s integration with Assistant is also live. You can make Gemini your phone’s default assistant and trigger it by saying, “Hey, Google.” However, Google notes that “some actions won’t work right away.” This integration is currently only available on Android phones, with other Google Assistant devices like smart displays, Pixel Tablet, and smartwatches still featuring the regular Assistant.