Google Bard is about to undergo a major transformation as it prepares for a rebranding. The upcoming change will see Bard become "Gemini" and will introduce a new Android app, among other updates.
Over the past few months, Google has been steadily enhancing Bard, its generative AI chat experience. It started by upgrading Bard with the "Gemini" model, which powers its capabilities behind the scenes, and later added an image generator. However, Google has been secretly working on a significant change to Bard all this while.
Recent evidence from the Android and Bard web experience suggests that the rebranding of Bard to "Gemini" is imminent. A leaked changelog, discovered by Dylan Roussel, confirms that the change will take place this week.
According to the changelog, which is dated February 7, it states that "Bard is now Gemini" and offers some insight into why Google made this decision. Google's intention is to provide direct access to its best family of AI models to all users. To reflect this commitment, Bard is being renamed Gemini.
The rebranding of Bard to Gemini also brings along the introduction of "Gemini Advanced." This tier, which was announced in December 2023, is built on "Gemini Ultra" - Google's most capable model. Notably, it will be a paid product with additional functionality, including expanded multi-modal capabilities, enhanced coding support, and the ability to upload and deeply analyze files, documents, data, and more.
In addition to the name change and the introduction of the Advanced tier, Google also reveals that Gemini will have its own Android app. This app will allow users to learn new things, write thank you notes, plan events, and more using Google AI on their phones. Gemini will seamlessly integrate with Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, enabling users to accomplish tasks easily. Users can interact with Gemini through text, voice, and images.
While there are no previews of the app available yet, earlier evidence suggests that the Gemini app will provide a similar experience to using Google Assistant on Android. Screenshots from an early version of the app showed familiar settings menus and options.
According to Google's changelog, the Gemini app will initially be available on select devices in the US and will support the English language. However, Google plans to expand its availability to other countries and languages, with Japan, Korea, and English-speaking countries (except the UK, Switzerland, European Economic Area countries, and associated territories) being the next targets. More countries and languages will follow suit.
Moreover, Canada can also expect the arrival of Google Gemini on February 7. It is worth noting that Bard was not previously available in Canada, making this expansion particularly exciting for Canadian users.
As with any early changelog, there may still be some changes before the official announcement, including the launch date. Nonetheless, it is evident that Google has been diligently working towards this momentous rebranding and launch.
More on Google:
- Bard gets image generator and Gemini Pro expansion, Google announces Imagen 2-powered ImageFX
- Google-Samsung partnership sees Gemini power Galaxy S24's AI features
- Gboard's Gemini Nano Smart Reply supports two more apps on Pixel 8 Pro
Follow Ben on Twitter/X, Threads, and Instagram.
