I considered upgrading to Gemini Pro, so I asked Gemini to convince me (it did not work)
So, of course, I got hyped. I mean: I work here. Tech is what I live and breathe, so I wanted to try all of it. I opened up Gemini on my PC, and I navigated to the Upgrade panel. I really wanted to just subscribe and forget, but experience has taught me to always ask to try before I buy.
And you won't believe what happened next.
Image by Google So, imagine my surprise when I said to Gemini's Brainstormer Gem:
The AI model, of course, told me that this is not possible. But I'm brave, so I just started doing whatever I wanted. To my shock: Gemini complied.
As some might know, I'm into art and design. One of my most-used apps is Photoshop, but I'm always looking for a replacement, so that I can be set free from Adobe's subscription model, which isn't quite my tempo.
Recently, my social feeds became flooded with examples of people utilizing Gemini specifically to edit images. The results I saw were downright impressive. I'm sharing something similar below, so you can get a better idea, but there are loads of examples out there, especially in shortform.
And, of course, this is the first thing I wanted to try:
Instead of a response, however, the model outright generated an image:
Fine then! And it even continued, saying (and I quote) "And here's the same image, but with the box open:"
Something is not quite right here.
You only get three demo attempts per type of request, so I had to abandon my entertainment. But this meant I could try something else instead.
So, I've got this photo, which has always been a favorite of mine. I've not been able to track down the author, so if you know who made this, please let me know. Here it is:
I just love Castlevania, man. And when I was a kid, this picture felt like the summary of everything the franchise stood for in terms of aesthetic. So, honestly, I would totally rock an HD version of this image as my wallpaper.
(Please play Mozart's Requiem for creative effect)
Again: not quite what I was looking for. The original contents of the photo were absolutely abandoned. Gemini seems to have grasped the pseudo-demonic mood of the image, but in truth: that is just a feeling you get. The actual image is just a sunset over the clouds, with a church and some trees. If you ask me, I'd say this should have been the focus.
One of the issues I've ran into when using AI, time and again, was the model's failure to understand nuance and depth. Everything is surface level. And no matter how many breakthroughs we've made over the years, this hasn't really changed. Yes, Gemini and ChatGPT can generate more detailed images, and they've gotten better at understanding what we want from them.
They have not, however, gotten any closer to understanding what we're looking to get out of it. To me, that would be the real breakthrough. But the thought of that happening is also kind of scary, so let's get back to funny stuff.
I do know the creator of this lovely image, though:
Sentinels by Jenna Barton Jenna Barton is hands down one of my favorite artists. Her creations are so moody, and meaning-rich. I've lost myself in many of them, so in retrospect, I wish I didn't attempt to ruin one of my favorites with AI for this experiment. Sorry, Jenna, I just couldn't think of a better example.
I mean, my Google Photos app has such a feature, which is confirmed to be powered by AI. And, honestly, it does a great job most of the time. Ergo, this should be a breeze, right? Well, what the AI did seems a bit backwards:
So, instead of editing the existing image for me, the model just generated a similar one. And let's be honest: it is not similar in any meaningful way.
Another one of my personal favorites is Mike Mignola. If the name rings a bell, you might know the guy as the creator of Hellboy. I adore the series, so if you like comics, myths and folklore: make sure to give reading the series a shot, it's very good.
The image above is one of my favorite works from Mike. It's just such a vibe. So I wanted to see if Gemini can generate something similar for me.
This isn't it. Yes, some aspects are there: the surface-level ones. The rest of the prompt, the parts related to the mood and style of the image, were completely disregarded for one reason or another. Can't lie, though, I'd totally use this for a character sheet in D&D.
But I had reached the end of my test run, so I had to stop. On the one hand, I was glad that Gemini was unable to replicate the art styles of my favorite artists. But that wasn't really the intent: the goal here was to see if it really understands substance any better. I think it's safe to say: not yet.
No. I've got the receipts, but going through an article, filled with screenshots of the chat itself, does not sound fun to read. Plus, like I said at the beginning: I was truly excited to try out all of these new things.
I also asked Gemini to let me try generating audio and video, but it gently turned me down. I did keep on asking clarifying questions, though, and as it turned out: not all advertised Gemini Pro features are available in every territory, so make sure to check before you sub. At least, the AI model seems pretty honest about it.
My biggest gripe with Gemini is that regardless of subscription, you cannot export stuff to Docs or Sheets. I have, in fact, successfully tricked Gemini into exporting results in a sheet for me, but the file was pretty much broken. In terms of Docs however: it just denies doing that. And this sounds like a pretty basic feature to implement, right?
I have to give credit where it is due. Despite the fun above, Gemini has gotten way better at a lot of useful, harmless things. It's getting great at helping you brainstorm, it's fantastic at providing feedback on writing (no, we don't use AI here, relax). And it has, indeed, helped me figure out how to do stuff that seemed scary-complex at the start, like modding my first Seiko NH35 wristwatch.
Plus, as Gemini itself said to me at a point:
So I might just have to repeat my experiment again down the line. In case it remains unclear: I did not subscribe... yet. I do feel that this is an imminent thing that will happen in a few years or so. AI is here to stay and it can be very useful, if not utilized with malicious intent. And it's only going to get better, so you all better get a lot less malicious! But until that time comes, I'm looking forward to trying Android XR and Google's Glass successor, the announcement put a really wide grin on my face. How about you, what are you excited to try in the coming months?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GSM Arena
4 hours ago
- GSM Arena
vivo X200 FE review
GSMArena Team , 11 July 2025 . The vivo X200 FE boots Android 15 with a layer of the company's in-house Funtouch OS on top, also v.15. The X200 FE will be eligible for 4 major OS release updates plus an extra year with security updates, which sounds like a good level of futureproofing. The latest Funtouch isn't much different from previous iterations in look and feel, and almost gives off a bit of a dated vibe with its visuals. Funtouch 15 The present-day functionality is, of course, all there. Funtouch includes niceties now taken for granted like large folders, and the split-screen/pop-up window implementation is about as straightforward as it gets, too. The app drawer is worth mentioning too, because that's where Funtouch keeps its widget selection for some reason. Funtouch 15 The X200 FE also comes with Google's Circle to search on board and the Gemini AI assistant as well. A Google Lens-powered screen translation feature is also present. Google AI You also get live translation of phone calls, an AI helper in the Notes app, and an AI Transcript Assist utility for making summaries out of spoken conversations. Note that all of these may be region-dependent and not present in your locale. AI Transcript Assist • AI in Note Also, there's some AI-powered functionality in the gallery editor. You get to delete objects, remove people, and fight reflections - all of those with varying success, of course. AI in Albums Like other vivos, the X200 FE comes with this unique feature where it can copy and emulate a physical access card. It can scan and copy your RFID card as long as it's based on NFC technology (13.56MHz). It doesn't work for 125KHz cards. NFC Performance and benchmarks The vivo X200 FE is powered by the flagship-grade Dimensity 9300+ 4nm chip. It packs an 8-core processor with a 3.25 GHz Cortex-X4 prime core, three 2.85 GHz Cortex-X4 cores, and four 2.0GHz Cortex-A720 cores. These are all prime and high-performance cores, there are no A510 power-efficient ones. The GPU is the Immortalis-G720 MC12. There are several memory configurations - a base 12GB/256GB version, our review unit's 12GB/512GB spec, as well as the 16GB/512 top-spec variant. Not all of these will be available in all markets, as usual. The vivo X200 FE posted excellent benchmark scores, bested only by the most recent top-notch Snapdragon models. The X100 Pro from last year, which had a similar Dimensity inside, posted slightly higher scores altogether, with the regular X200 and its newer Dimensity 9400 being yet a little more potent, but the FE is plenty powerful enough. The phone kept 53% of its maximum CPU performance when running our usual stress test, and it dropped to this level after just 5 mins. The GPU sustained performance is better - the phone kept about 60% of its graphics capabilities during the 3D Mark stress test. CPU test • GPU test Overall, the vivo X200 FE enters the flagship class with its Dimensity 9300+ chip, scoring below the cream of the crop, but better than the premium midrangers out there. Its sustained performance is average at best, with the phone becoming quite hot after 10-15 mins running at peak performance. Still, for a compact device with powerful hardware, we'd say it's managed rather well. Android 15 with Funtouch 15 The vivo X200 FE boots Android 15 with a layer of the company's in-house Funtouch OS on top, also v.15. The X200 FE will be eligible for 4 major OS release updates plus an extra year with security updates, which sounds like a good level of futureproofing. The latest Funtouch isn't much different from previous iterations in look and feel, and almost gives off a bit of a dated vibe with its visuals. Funtouch 15 The present-day functionality is, of course, all there. Funtouch includes niceties now taken for granted like large folders, and the split-screen/pop-up window implementation is about as straightforward as it gets, too. The app drawer is worth mentioning too, because that's where Funtouch keeps its widget selection for some reason. Funtouch 15 The X200 FE also comes with Google's Circle to search on board and the Gemini AI assistant as well. A Google Lens-powered screen translation feature is also present. Google AI You also get live translation of phone calls, an AI helper in the Notes app, and an AI Transcript Assist utility for making summaries out of spoken conversations. Note that all of these may be region-dependent and not present in your locale. AI Transcript Assist • AI in Note Also, there's some AI-powered functionality in the gallery editor. You get to delete objects, remove people, and fight reflections - all of those with varying success, of course. AI in Albums There is also this fan-favorite feature - emulation of physical access cards. This way you phone would also become your keychain, or maybe wallet. NFC Performance and benchmarks The vivo X200 FE is powered by the flagship-grade Dimensity 9300+ 4nm chip. It packs an 8-core processor with a 3.25 GHz Cortex-X4 prime core, three 2.85 GHz Cortex-X4 cores, and four 2.0GHz Cortex-A720 cores. These are all prime and high-performance cores, there are no A510 power-efficient ones. The GPU is the Immortalis-G720 MC12. There are several memory configurations - a base 12GB/256GB version, our review unit's 12GB/512GB spec, as well as the 16GB/512 top-spec variant. Not all of these will be available in all markets, as usual. The vivo X200 FE posted very good benchmark scores, bested only by the most recent top-notch Snapdragon models. The X100 Pro from last year that has a similar Dimensity inside posted slightly higher scores altogether, with the regular X200 and its newer Dimensity 9400 being yet a little more potent, but the FE is plenty powerful enough. The phone kept 53% of its maximum CPU performance when running our usual stress test, and it dropped to this level after just 5 mins. The GPU sustained performance is better - the phone kept about 60% of its graphics capabilities during the 3D Mark stress test. CPU test • GPU test Overall, the vivo X200 FE enters the flagship class with its Dimensity 9300+ chip, scoring below the cream of the crop, but better than the premium midrangers out there. Its sustained performance is average at best, with the phone becoming quite hot after 10-15 mins running at peak performance. Still, for a compact device with powerful hardware, we'd say it's managed rather well.
Phone Arena
7 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Google Pixel 10 series price leak has little surprises
Render of the Pixel 10 Pro XL | Image Credit — Android Headlines Pixel 10 Pixel 10 Pro Pixel 10 Pixel 10 128GB: €899 256GB: €999 Pixel 10 Pro 128GB: €1,099 256GB: €1,199 512GB: €1,329 1TB: €1,589 Pixel 10 Pro XL 256GB: €1,299 512GB: €1,429 1TB: €1,689 Pixel 10 Pro Fold 256GB: €1,899 512GB: €2,029 1TB: €2,289 Receive the latest mobile news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Are the Pixel 10 models getting more expensive in the US? Pixel 10 Pixel 10 Pro Pixel 10 Pro Fold Would you buy a Pixel 10 model if it's more expensive? Yes, I would pay extra for a Pixel Only if it has great new features No Yes, I would pay extra for a Pixel 0% Only if it has great new features 0% No 0% Pixel 10 Pixel 10 Unlike the smartphones, the Pixel Buds 2a might see a price hike compared to their predecessor. The new earphones are claimed to start at €149 (about $174 when directly converted), which is a major increase from the €99 starting price of the Pixel Buds Google appears to keep the European prices of thesmartphones unchanged from last year, the situation in the United States might be different. A few months ago, there were reports that theXL might see a price hike in the US, while themay become thing to consider is the wild and unpredictable situation with the US import tariffs. Google doesn't manufacture its phones in the US, so every device imported from Vietnam, China, or India might be subject to tariffs. That could lead to a price hike, unless Google decides to eat the my opinion, Google will do its best to keep the US prices of theas low as possible. After last year's increase, a Pixel 9 costs as much as an iPhone 16 or a Galaxy S25 . If Google is forced to raise the price of the, people would need to choose an alternative to the most popular phones and pay more for the pleasure. That would make the already complicated choice of a Pixel phone even more difficult.
Phone Arena
9 hours ago
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile's acquisition of UScellular assets is now one step closer to taking place
It's one down, one to go for T-Mobile 's acquisition of UScellular assets. Requiring approval from both the FCC and the Justice Department, today the latter has given the deal its blessing. The DOJ said that it will not seek an injunction to block the transaction. Back in May 2024, T-Mobile agreed to pay $2.4 billion in cash and assume $2 billion of UScellular debt to acquire wireless customers, retail stores, and 30% of the spectrum assets owned by the nation's fifth-largest wireless carrier. That spectrum includes airwaves in the 600 MHz, 700 MHz A Block, PCS, AWS, 2.5 GHz, and 24 GHz (mmWave) frequencies. T-Mobile is a step closer to acquiring UScellular assets after obtaining DOJ approval for the deal. | Image credit-UScellular That haul includes key frequencies used by T-Mobile, such as the 2.5 GHz mid-band airwaves employed for its Ultra Capacity 5G service, the 600 MHz low-band spectrum used for the carrier's Extended Range 5G service, and the 24 GHz high-band spectrum used for its rarely found mmWave service. Heck, T-Mobile might have entered into this deal specifically to pick up these airwaves. Remember, the carrier paid $26 billion to buy Sprint just for its rival's hoard of 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum, which has helped T-Mobile become the 5G leader in the U.S. Even though the DOJ is letting the transaction go through, it did express some concern about competition in wireless and whether there is enough spectrum available to generate competition. The Justice Department also said in its press release that during the investigation, it considered what U.S. wireless customers would have to deal with if UScellular left the market, what benefits consumers might get from allowing the deal to close, and what the result might be from further consolidation in spectrum holdings. The DOJ also investigated what might happen to UScellular subscribers if the carrier survived as an ongoing firm. The Justice Department determined that, should the DOJ block the deal, UScellular "could not keep up with the escalating cost of capital investments in technology required to compete vigorously in the relevant market. This would, in turn, lead to the slow degradation of its network quality." The DOJ compared this outcome with comments made by T-Mobile , saying that it will combine the two networks so that UScellular customers will experience faster data speeds after the transaction closes. At the same time, T-Mobile customers will get better service in rural markets. It's a win-win for all. -U.S. Department of Justice The DOJ also noted that this is "a pivotal moment for the wireless industry." After years of consolidation in the wireless industry thanks to acquisitions, the Big 3 account for more than 90 percent of the roughly 335 million mobile subscriptions in the U.S. Whether this is a positive or negative statistic won't be known until sometime in the future. In 2019, when T-Mobile acquired Sprint, the DOJ feared that the merger would allow the remaining big three (AT&T, T-Mobile , and Verizon) to harm consumers through coordination, leading to "higher prices, reduced innovation, reduced quality, and fewer choices." The T-Mobile -Sprint deal also resulted in less competition to sell wireless service wholesale to MVNOs. T-Mobile and Sprint had been battling for this business. With the acquisition, that competition was gone. The Big 3 also controls 80% of the mobile wireless spectrum used in the U.S. The DOJ writes, "It is of concern to the United States that continued spectrum aggregation by the Big 3 threatens to impede the path for a fourth national player to emerge and challenge the entrenched incumbents with new and innovative offerings. Where future spectrum consolidation transactions threaten this path, the Antitrust Division stands ready to investigate and, if warranted by the facts and evidence, use its enforcement power to protect competition and American consumers." With this lukewarm approval, all that is needed is for the FCC to approve the deal, and the transaction will be ready to close. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
