We already knew a premium version of Google’s AI model was on the way. And now, Google has launched Gemini Advanced in over 150 countries and territories, a subscription-based AI service promising advanced features powered by its cutting-edge Gemini AI model. While this news is exciting for AI enthusiasts in Kenya, there’s a bittersweet twist: the Gemini app itself, which should essentially allow access to some basic Gemini features on your Android phone on the fly, remains unavailable in the country.
Even more interesting is the pricing. Owing to the tough economic times, the Kshs 3,700 monthly price tag could make the choice even much harder. While the pricing might seem steep for some users, the potential benefits are undeniable. For professionals, students, and anyone seeking a powerful AI assistant, the ability to streamline tasks, access information, and even receive creative writing assistance could prove valuable. Furthermore, you get 2 months of trial for free, so there’s that too.
Here’s a tip of what Gemini Advanced promises:
- Advanced code generation and explanation: Gemini Advanced can assist developers with writing and understanding complex code across various languages.
- Enhanced research and writing: The AI tool can provide summaries of complex topics, generate different creative text formats, and even translate languages fluently.
- Personalized insights and recommendations: With Gemini Advanced, you can be sure of tailored information based on your personalized preferences and interests.
- Enhanced data analysis and visualization: The AI model can easily uncover patterns and trends in data to help users create insightful visualizations.
For some reason, the Gemini app, which should grant users access to some basic features like text summarization and translation, is currently unavailable in Kenya and many other countries. This lack of regional availability raises concerns about Google’s commitment to the local market, where access to advanced AI technology could significantly impact various sectors. I’m not surprised, though, for this has become the norm with Google products and services’ availability on the continent.
Google Gemini is live in the Play Store, but still unavailable in Kenya. Heck, not a single African country is supported from day 1 of availability. Second class citizens as always with Google products. pic.twitter.com/phtNHFvWN6
— Himp Man (@keverenge98) February 8, 2024
In the release notes, Google says “Gemini is integrated with Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, making it easy to get things done on your phone. You can interact with it through text, voice or images,” so it’s quite unfortunate that the app is unavailable locally. Still, I managed to grab the Gemini app’s APK and even installed it on my phone, but I couldn’t get it started because of my location. Here’s what I got after installing the APK.
The news leaves Kenyan users with a mixed bag. While Gemini Advanced offers advanced capabilities for those willing to invest, the absence of the basic app raises questions about accessibility and inclusivity. Whether Google can bridge this gap and offer its full Gemini experience to all remains to be seen.
But to be fair, the Gemini app is only available on select devices in English in the US, with support for Japanese, Korean, and English globally to follow “in the coming days” except for the UK, Switzerland, EU, and associated territories. More countries and languages “will be coming soon,” which is perhaps when Kenya will get the nod.
How to upgrade to Gemini Advanced
Upgrading to Gemini Advanced is an easy process. It can be done on a PC or smartphone. Since it’s currently available in Kenya through the web browser, the steps below apply to both smartphones and computers:
- Go to gemini.google.com.
- In the top left corner, tap/click Menu (three lines).
- At the bottom, tap ‘Upgrade to Gemini Advanced’.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Once you have access to Gemini Advanced, you can choose to use either Gemini or Gemini Advanced for a chat. Google warns that switching between Gemini and Gemini Advanced in an existing chat will automatically start a new chat. There’s more on the official Gemini Advanced support page. You can also check out the official blog post and what Google CEO Sundar Pichai has to say about Gemini for more insights.
