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.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
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.”
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
