The current generation of mobile voice assistants – where our simple requests often require multiple attempts before they are understood – certainly has room for improvement. If you’re ready for an improved experience, voice assistants with generative AI could be the solution. You can try some of them today.
Earlier this week at Made by Google, Google finally released Gemini Live, its enhanced mobile conversation experience that allows users to have free-flowing conversations with an AI assistant, or – as Google describes it – “a buddy in your pocket.”
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The live experience is designed to mimic a conversation with a human, so it can pause, have multi-turn conversations, and even continue a previous conversation.
Users can also continue talking to the device in the background or while the phone is locked, similar to a regular phone call with a friend or relative. Users can choose from 10 voices, all of which resemble human voices but with different intonations, tones, and more. You can listen to the video below:
We’re introducing Gemini Live, a more natural way to interact with Gemini. You can now have a free-flowing conversation and even pause or change the subject, just like a regular phone call. Available to Gemini Advanced subscribers. #MadeByGoogle pic.twitter.com/eNjlNKubsv
— Google (@Google) 13 August 2024
Sounds too good to be true? If you want to try it yourself, you can – for free!
How to get there
Gemini Live will be introduced for Android users who have subscribed to Gemini Advanced, which is part of the Google One AI Premium Plan which costs $20 monthly. If you’re an iPhone user, don’t worry, Google says Gemini Live will be expanding to iOS in the coming weeks.
The $20 per month cost – which is comparable to other premium AI plans like ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro – includes other benefits in addition to Gemini Advanced, such as Gemini in Gmail and Docs, 2TB of storage, and unlimited Magic Editor in Google Photos. If you still want to try it before you buy, there are two ways you can do so for free.
The first (and easiest) way to try Gemini Live for free is with a one-month free trial of the Google One AI Premium plan.
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First, visit the Google One AI Premium Plan website, click “Try for one month” and sign up.
You will be asked to enter payment information because you will be charged after the trial ends. To avoid paying, I recommend you set a reminder on your phone to cancel the subscription before the trial ends.
If you’re invested in Google’s AI offerings and want the full experience, a second option is to buy the newly released Pixel Pro 9, which offers access to Gemini Advanced for no additional cost for the first year (a $240 value).
OpenAI offers a similar experience with its new and improved Voice Mode, but this is rolling out in alpha to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users, so if you want guaranteed access to this experience, the Google One AI Premium plan is probably your best bet—at least for now.
