Google’s generative artificial intelligence assistant Gemini, now available as a dedicated app for iPhone users globally, is expected to further solidify its position in the competitive landscape of personal AI tools.
This expansion to additional platforms not only increases accessibility but could also serve to democratise the generative AI industry, offering more cost-effective options to consumers.
Previously, iPhone users could only access Google's AI technology through the Google app or a mobile browser. However, with the launch of the Gemini app for iOS, users can engage with the AI directly, supporting text-based prompts in nearly 35 languages. Users can also personalise Gemini’s voice by choosing from 10 distinct voices.
Users can also access the latest tool, Gemini Live, which enables natural and interactive back-and-forth conversations, allowing them to ask questions, brainstorm strategies, share ideas, and even seek advice. Gemini Live on iPhones is available now in over 10 languages, with more coming soon, Alphabet-owned company said.
Here’s what you need to know about this development and the competition.
Does it signal more collaboration between arch rivals Apple and Google?
Google's Android operating system directly competes with Apple's iOS, and together they account for more than 95 per cent of the global mobile operating system market share.
As of the second quarter of 2024, Android held approximately 71.65 per cent of the market, while iOS had about 27.62 per cent, according to Statista.
Google released the Gemini Android app in February. At its Worldwide Developers Conference in June this year, Apple also revealed its plans to integrate Google Gemini with its Apple Intelligence platform.
“We are looking forward to integrating with other models, including Google Gemini, for instance, in the future,” Apple’s senior vice president Craig Federighi said during the event. The launch of Google Gemini on iOS could mark the first step towards that integration.
However, the competition is heating up, as Apple’s virtual assistant Siri has already integrated with Gemini’s main competitor, ChatGPT, in the iOS 18.2 public beta, indicating that this feature could be available to all users within weeks.
Competition and challenges
Previously known as Bard, Gemini is designed to support users in various tasks, from conversational interactions to creative projects. It leverages advanced machine learning and natural language processing technologies, making it a direct competitor to platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot.
Gemini’s blend of conversational AI, integration with Google services, and creative tools give it an edge in some areas.
For example, while ChatGPT excels in general conversational AI, Gemini’s integration with Google’s ecosystem makes it more practical for users already relying on Google apps.
Unlike Siri, Gemini offers personalised conversations and advanced creative capabilities, positioning it as more than a virtual assistant.
While Gemini’s features are robust, its success will depend on user adoption and how effectively it distinguishes itself in a competitive AI assistant market, industry experts said.
Privacy concerns and the need for continuous updates to match user expectations will also play a crucial role in its long-term success.
Google has admitted that while AI unlocks powerful new capabilities, it sometimes behaves in “unexpected ways or provides inaccurate information”.
Amar Subramanya, vice president for engineering at Google Gemini, said in August that Google is working to minimise such cases by integrating user feedback and constantly evolving the technology.
What is Gemini’s contribution to Google’s profits?
Despite serious efforts and huge investment, Gemini has yet to show any significant contribution to the company's sales.
Google services business accounted for nearly 86.6 per cent of the company’s total sales in the third quarter of this year. It added nearly $76.5 billion to overall revenue, nearly 12.5 per cent more on an annual basis. The company did not disclose the contribution of Gemini.
To quantify the contribution, last month Google announced that the Gemini app team, currently within the Google Services division, will join Google’s AI research lab, DeepMind.
“We are currently evaluating the potential effect the reorganisation will have on our segment operating results,” the company said.
What’s next for Google’s Gemini?
The launch of Gemini on iPhone signals Google’s aim to expand its user base by tapping into Apple’s massive global audience.
Moreover, offering Gemini free of charge on a competitor’s operating system could be a strategic move to compete more effectively with ChatGPT, which is already popular on iOS, according to industry experts.
More than 234.6 million iPhone units were shipped globally in 2023, and over 1.46 billion people use iPhones, as of September this year, according to India-based data infrastructure and analytics firm Demandsage.
Future updates may include additional languages, enhanced capabilities, and deeper integration with third-party apps, ensuring it stays ahead in the AI assistant race.
How big is generative AI?
The global generative AI market size, estimated at $16.87 billion this year, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 37.6 per cent from 2025 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Recently, the iPhone manufacturer has also entered the race with the launch of Apple Intelligence. And then there's xAI's Grok, from OpenAI's friend-turned-enemy, Elon Musk. Billionaire businessman Mr Musk said it is designed to work seamlessly with X (formerly Twitter), offering a conversational AI experience aimed at boosting the platform’s ecosystem and promoting a decentralised approach to AI development.
Regional businesses in the Middle East are also taking aim at the market leaders. In May, Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute introduced the second version of its large language model, Falcon 2, to compete with models developed by Google and OpenAI.
In the same month, Core42, a unit of Abu Dhabi's AI and cloud company G42, launched a bilingual Arabic and English chatbot developed in the UAE, Jais Chat.
Last month, Google announced the creation of the AI Opportunity Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa region, through which it will contribute $15 million until the end of 2027 to help AI opportunities reach more industries and a wider range of users.
Recently OpenAI has also completed a deal to raise $6.6 billion in new funding, giving the AI company a $157 billion valuation.
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
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- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
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Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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Engine: 5.0-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
The%20specs
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SPECS
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The years Ramadan fell in May
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
%3Cp%3EVara%20will%20cater%20to%20three%20categories%20of%20companies%20in%20Dubai%20(except%20the%20DIFC)%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20A%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Minimum%20viable%20product%20(MVP)%20applicants%20that%20are%20currently%20in%20the%20process%20of%20securing%20an%20MVP%20licence%3A%20This%20is%20a%20three-stage%20process%20starting%20with%20%5B1%5D%20a%20provisional%20permit%2C%20graduating%20to%20%5B2%5D%20preparatory%20licence%20and%20concluding%20with%20%5B3%5D%20operational%20licence.%20Applicants%20that%20are%20already%20in%20the%20MVP%20process%20will%20be%20advised%20by%20Vara%20to%20either%20continue%20within%20the%20MVP%20framework%20or%20be%20transitioned%20to%20the%20full%20market%20product%20licensing%20process.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20B%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Existing%20legacy%20virtual%20asset%20service%20providers%20prior%20to%20February%207%2C%202023%2C%20which%20are%20required%20to%20come%20under%20Vara%20supervision.%20All%20operating%20service%20proviers%20in%20Dubai%20(excluding%20the%20DIFC)%20fall%20under%20Vara%E2%80%99s%20supervision.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20C%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20New%20applicants%20seeking%20a%20Vara%20licence%20or%20existing%20applicants%20adding%20new%20activities.%20All%20applicants%20that%20do%20not%20fall%20under%20Category%20A%20or%20B%20can%20begin%20the%20application%20process%20through%20their%20current%20or%20prospective%20commercial%20licensor%20%E2%80%94%20the%20DET%20or%20Free%20Zone%20Authority%20%E2%80%94%20or%20directly%20through%20Vara%20in%20the%20instance%20that%20they%20have%20yet%20to%20determine%20the%20commercial%20operating%20zone%20in%20Dubai.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Zayed Sustainability Prize
