Google’s Gemini fits seamlessly into the Google ecosystem. On Android, it feels like a natural extension of the system rather than a separate app, and if you’re already using Google Workspace, it’s incredibly convenient. Whether I was drafting emails, summarizing articles, or asking it random questions, it delivered quickly and smoothly.

I’ve found it useful in unexpected ways too. When reviewing legal documents, I’d do my initial read-through and then ask Gemini to double-check if I missed anything. Another time, I struggled with a confusing sizing chart while shopping for clothes. I snapped a picture of the label, described my usual size, and let Gemini handle the rest. The suggestion was spot-on, and I ended up with a perfect fit!

For creative projects, Gemini’s image capabilities really shine. I once uploaded an image I liked and asked it to describe it as a prompt for an AI image generator. The results were creative and inspiring, making it a fun tool for brainstorming new ideas.

When I was working on a project proposal, Gemini Advanced provided nuanced, tailored suggestions that felt like a genuine productivity boost. It even made copywriting easier—generating meaningful text for design mockups that felt polished, rather than using generic filler like "Lorem Ipsum."

However, it’s not perfect. One frustration I had was with its context retention. When revising a piece of writing, I had to re-explain instructions a few times because it would forget what we’d already discussed. Similarly, when I uploaded an Excel file, got a summary, and later updated the data, Gemini treated the updated file as a brand-new task instead of building on what we’d already done.

Another weak spot is its performance on technical tasks. While it’s great at formatting and debugging simple code, I found that it sometimes rewrote JavaScript as Python unnecessarily. For more specialized or dense content, like legal texts, its analysis lacked depth compared to what I was hoping for. Even its responses to some image-based queries were occasionally inaccurate, which was a letdown after seeing its creative potential elsewhere.

That said, Gemini’s strengths outweigh its flaws. Its tight integration with Google tools makes it practical for anyone already in the Google ecosystem, and its ability to handle both text and images makes it a versatile tool for creative projects. While it’s not the best choice for highly technical or niche tasks, it’s a solid, fast, and easy-to-use assistant for everyday needs—and for me, the advanced features have made it a tool I’ve come to rely on.

While the free Basic version (using the 1.5 Flash model) covers most casual needs, the $19.99/month Gemini Advanced adds the more powerful 1.5 Pro and Gemini-Exp-1206 models for complex tasks like coding, math, and deep research, including analyzing texts up to 1,500 pages.