Ukraine – 2023/03/15: In this illustration, the Android 14 logo of the mobile operating system is … [+]
After Samsung's surprising AI announcement, Google is now rolling out the Gemini app to more Android users.
When the company first announced the Gemini for Android app earlier this year, it said it would only be for devices running Android 12 and up. But now the latest version of Gemini for Android — v1.0.626720042 — can be installed through the Play Store for older devices running Android 10 and Android 11.
Seen on Twitter/X. @isumantadasTested by Artem Rusakovsky From Android Police And 9To5Google Show that Gemini really works on phones running Android 10 and 11, and the experience is just as functional as it is on a new handset.
This is a big move by Google, not least because both operating systems are still hugely popular. Android 10 and 11 currently account for 8.82% and 16.57% of the global Android install base, respectively. These are the millions of devices that now have access to Google's latest AI technology.
This could also potentially be good news for users of older Pixel phones and other Android brands of devices. Will more handsets get Circle2 Search at some point? Or other Pixel-specific AI-powered features? Gemini's support page says that the device running the app needs 4GB of RAM to run properly.much more Devices fall into this bracket. It will be interesting to see how far Google can extend Gemini and Gemini-related tools to phones deep in the Android universe.
Both Google and Samsung have surprised consumers by rolling out headline AI tools in older phones. Samsung recently announced that its Galaxy S23 range will be updated with Live Translate, Circle to Search, Note Assist, Generative Image Editing and some other AI features. A month later it announced that the Galaxy S22 series would receive the same update.
Just four months ago those tools were exclusive to the Galaxy S24. Google also constantly updates older devices with new features through its feature drop program, so there's a precedent here that could bear more fruit in the future. This should come as no surprise, as Google CEO Sundar Pichai has already announced that we are in the “Gemini Era” in January.
Google has not yet confirmed the Gemini update. But I imagine the company will hold strong until next month's I/O conference where we can expect a raft of Gemini announcements.