Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Users on low-powered devices like Android Go have not been forced to move to Gemini yet.
- Now Assistant Go is preparing a new condemnation message that could signal a change in Gemini.
- It is not yet clear how Gemini’s minimum system requirements are changing.
Gemini is the future of Google’s virtual assistant – make no mistake about it. Although the change has been felt bit by bit so far, we are slowly seeing Google replace the Assistant with Gemini on everything from smart speakers to our vehicles. While phones were some of the first devices to make the switch, the move has not been implemented universally, and there remains a large void consisting of low-powered hardware that did not initially meet Gemini’s minimum specification requirements. Now we’re finally getting an idea of what the path forward for Gemini might look like for those devices — or getting the first hint of a bleak future with neither Assistant nor Gemini.
When Google first started explaining how the changes would work in Gemini, the company was clear that the long-term goal was to move users away from the Assistant; While we initially had the option to stick with the Assistant, Google eventually made it mandatory for all compatible devices. The problem is that Gemini has minimum requirements like 2GB of RAM, so Google said that if your phone isn’t able to access Gemini, you’ll be free to stick with the Assistant.
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However, that was a year ago, and Gemini models have become much better on many fronts – including the ability to work with less resources. Could that maturity mean that Google is getting ready to bring Gemini to Android Go devices as well?
Low-end Android Go handsets arrive google assistant go – A scaled-down version of the Assistant that lacks cool features like smart-home control. However, there is no equivalent solution available for Gemini yet. But in Google’s version 2.18.0 update of the Assistant Go app, we’re seeing some text strings that may indicate this is about to change:
code
Google Assistant is no longer available on this device
Gemini, Google’s new AI assistant, can help with tasks that Google Assistant did, plus more complex ones.
To start using Gemini, check that it’s available in your region and that it works with your phone or tablet and account type. Learn more about getting Gemini.
Google Assistant will be going away soon.
Gemini is replacing Google Assistant. Get help with tasks that Google Assistant did, plus more complex ones.
To start using Gemini, check that it’s available in your region and that it works with your phone or tablet and account type.
Learn more about getting Gemini. We can see a few things happening here. Even though the strings themselves don’t explicitly reference Assistant Go, we can see in the string labels that this messaging is being crafted to the exclusion of Assistant Go. And similarly, even without direct mention of something like “Gemini Go”, there is still discussion about the path forward for Gemini.
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That said, there’s also a lot of “check to make sure it works with your phone” language here, which leads us to assume there are still such devices out there. Will not done Work together sometime. There’s nothing here yet that gives us a clear idea of where that line might be, especially if we’re talking about a brand-new Gemini Go with as-yet-unknown requirements.
We also have to consider the possibility of a worst-case scenario: that Google is shutting down Assistant Go without replacing it with anything like the Gemini Go, and that it actually intends to force users to upgrade their handsets.
Although this is ultimately a tease, it’s definitely more to go on than before – and is now preparing us to see more evidence of this upcoming transition. We’ll share any additional details we’re able to uncover as Google continues to move forward on Gemini.
⚠️ One tearing apk Helps to predict future features of a service based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to the public release.
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