A new report reveals that Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 series will come with a free subscription worth hundreds of dollars when it launches in August.
According to a known leaker Debug assembly, Pixel 9 Pro customers will get one year of free access to Google’s Premium AI model, Gemini Advanced, at no extra cost. This represents a significant savings for AI heavy users, as Gemini Advanced is currently only available as part of a monthly Google One AI Premium subscription that costs $239 per year.
The information about the free perk comes from details hidden in the code of the latest beta version of the Google app for Android. So while this offer can’t be guaranteed at this stage, this is clear evidence of Google’s plans. According to the report, the free one-year subscription could be reserved for the more expensive Pixel Pro and Pixel Pro XL models, while the entry-level Pixel 9 may be limited to just six months.
The text found in the application includes the wording, “Pixel Pro gives you access to a 1-year subscription to Gemini Advanced, our most capable AI model with priority access to new features, at no cost to you.”
However, text elsewhere in the code says, “Your Pixel can give you access to a 6-month subscription to Gemini Advanced, our most capable AI model with priority access to new features, at no cost to you.” This second piece of text suggests that some Pixel 9 smartphones, most likely the standard Pixel 9, may only get six months of free Gemini Advanced access.
What is Gemini Advanced?
Gemini Advanced is the premium version of Google’s Gemini AI model, a direct competitor to well-known rivals such as Apple Intelligence the ChatGPT. Gemini replaces Google Assistant on Android devices, and users with Gemini Advanced will have access to a number of additional features that seamlessly integrate into their smartphone experience.
Gemini Advanced adds many premium features including:
- Access to the latest Gemini 1.5 Pro model
- A context window with a capacity of one million, allowing the model to handle much larger inputs and documents
- Twins inside Gmail, Google Docs and other appsproviding AI assistance in tasks such as writing, summarizing and creating spreadsheets.
- Other unspecified “new and exclusive” features
How Much Is Gemini Advanced Worth?
A year of monthly payments for a Google One AI Premium currently costs $239. However, this subscription includes many other benefits besides Gemini Advanced, which are not expected to be included in the free offer.
Google One Premium (without Gemini Advanced) is priced at $99 per year, so assuming Google doesn’t offer a full Google One AI Premium subscription with every Pixel 9, we can say the Gemini Advanced adds about $140 in value to the package over the course of a year. Note that if you want to try Gemini Advanced now, a one-month free trial of Google One AI Premium is available so you can evaluate it for yourself.
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