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Should you upgrade to Google One AI Premium? Its AI features and pricing explained
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Google has been busy revamping its AI offerings, renaming Bard to Gemini, pushing out a dedicated Android app, and lots more besides. There's also now a paid tier for Google's generative AI engine for the first time, which means another digital subscription for you to weigh up.

You can read our Google Gemini explained explainer for a broad overview of Google's AI tools. But here we'll be breaking down the Google Gemini Advanced features that come as part of the new Google One AI Premium tier. 

We'll be exploring how much this new cloud tier costs, plus all the AI features and benefits it brings, so you can decide whether or not you'd like to sign up. It's been added as one of the Google One plans, so you get some digital storage in the cloud included, too. Here's how Google One AI Premium is shaping up so far…

Google One AI Premium: price and availability

The Google One AI Premium plan is available to buy now and will cost you $ 19.99 / £18.99 / AU$ 32.99 a month. Unlike some other Google One plans, you can't pay annually to get a discount on the overall price, but you can cancel whenever you like.

At the time of writing, Google is offering free two-month trials of Google One AI Premium, so you won't have to pay anything for the first two months. You can sign up and compare plans on the Google One site.

Google One AI Premium: features and benefits

First of all, you get 2TB of storage to use across your Google services: Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. If you've been hitting the limits of the free storage plan – a measly 15GB – then that's another reason to upgrade.

You'll notice a variety of other Google One plans are available, offering storage from 2TB to 30TB, but it's only the Google One AI Premium plan that comes with all of the Gemini Advanced features.

Besides the actual storage space, all Google One plans include priority support, 10% back in the Google Store, extra Google Photos editing features (including Magic Eraser), a dark web monitoring service that'll look for any leaks of your personal information, and use of the Google One VPN.

Google Gemini Advanced on the web

Google Gemini Advanced on the web (Image credit: Google)

It's the AI features that you're here for though, and the key part of Google One AI Premium is that you get access to Gemini Advanced: that means the “most capable” version of Google's Gemini model, known as Ultra 1.0. You can think of it a bit like paying for ChatGPT Plus compared to sticking on the free ChatGPT plan.

Google describes Gemini Ultra 1.0 as offering “state-of-the-art performance” that's capable of handling “highly complex tasks” – tasks that can involve text, images, and code. Longer conversations are possible with Gemini Advanced, and it understands context better too. If you want the most powerful AI that Google has to offer, this is it.

Google Gemini app

A premium subscription will supercharge the Gemini app (Image credit: Google)

“The largest model Ultra 1.0 is the first to outperform human experts on MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), which uses a combination of 57 subjects — including math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics — to test knowledge and problem-solving abilities,” writes Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

The dedicated Google Gemini app for Android, and the Gemini features built into the Google app for iOS, are available to everyone, whether they pay for a subscription or not – and it's the same with the web interface. However, if you're on the premium plan, you'll get the superior Ultra 1.0 model in all these places.

By the way, a standard 2TB Google One plan – with everything from the photo editing tricks to the VPN, but without the AI – will cost you $ 9.99 / £7.99 / AU$ 19.99 a month, so you're effectively paying $ 10 / £11 / AU$ 13 for Gemini Advanced.

A laptop on an orange background showing Gmail with Google Gemini

An example of Google Gemini in Gmail (Image credit: Google)

Gemini integration with Google's productivity apps – including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Meet, and Google Slides – is going to be “available soon”, Google says, and when it does become available, you'll get it as part of a Google One AI Premium plan. It'll give you help in composing your emails, designing your slideshows, and so on.

This is a rebranding of the Duet AI features that Google has previously rolled out for users of its apps, and it's now known as Gemini for Workspace. Whether you're an individual or a business user though, you'll be able to get these integrated AI tools if you sign up for the Google One AI Premium plan.

So there you have it: beyond the standard 2TB Google One plan, the main takeaway is that you get access to the latest and greatest Gemini AI features from Google, and the company is promising that there will be plenty more on the way in the future, too.

Google One AI Premium early verdict

On one hand, Google's free two-month trial of the One AI Premium Plan (which contains Gemini Advanced) feels like a no-brainer for those who want to tinker with some of the most powerful AI tools available right now. As long as you're fairly disciplined about canceling unwanted free trials, of course.

But it's also still very early days for Gemini Advanced. We haven't yet been able to put it through its paces or compare it to the likes of ChatGPT Plus. Its integration with Google's productivity apps is also only “available soon”, so it's not yet clear when that will happen.

The Google Gemini logo on a laptop screen that's on an orange background

(Image credit: Google)

If you want to deep dive into the performance of Google's latest AI models – including Gemini Advanced – you can read the company's Gemini benchmarking report. Some lucky testers like AI professor Ethan Mollick have also been tinkering with Gemini Advanced for some time after getting advanced access.

The early impressions seem to be that Gemini Advanced is shaping up to be a GPT-4 class AI contender that's capable of competing with ChatGPT Plus for demanding tasks like coding and advanced problem-solving. It also promises to integrate nicely with Google's apps. How well it does that in reality is something we'll have to wait a little while to find out, but that free trial is there for early adopters who want to dive straight in.

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Hundreds of Apple Vision Pro pre-orders ended up on eBay, and you’ll pay a premium if you want one
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Getting a handle on just how many Vision Pro mixed reality headsets Apple sold in its first weekend isn't easy but finding out if everyone legitimately bought one is even harder.

Estimates put the weekend Vision Pro sales haul at somewhere around 180,000 units, and while Apple hasn't confirmed there are some indications that the Cupertino tech giant sold out of the Spatial Computing launch product. However, a quick perusal of the popular auction site eBay turns up hundreds and hundreds of Vision Pro headsets.

Since Apple has yet to ship its first Vision Pro (pre-orders started on January 19 and it ships on February 2), the majority of eBay auction offers appear to be pre-order placeholders. In one auction listing, the seller wrote (all caps are his):

“THIS IS A PRE-ORDER ARRIVING ON FEB 2ND! I WILL SHIP OUT SAME DAY AS LONG AS IT ARRIVES TO ME BEFORE 4PM.”

Some listings show a marketing image of the Vision Pro while others are simply proof of an existing pre-order. Prices range from under $ 600 to over $ 7,000. The base 256GB model currently lists for $ 3,499.99 (Vision Pro is not shipping outside the US).

While markups on eBay offers are expected, it's hard to imagine anyone paying double for the still-untested mixed-reality headset. More worrisome are the sub-$ 1,000 offers. There's no way a seller will pay Apple's roughly $ 3,500 upfront costs and then take a loss. The low prices are simply a come-on to drive interest and bids.

Apple Vision Pro on eBay

(Image credit: Future)

Why all the excitement and the unsurprising eBay activity? Apple Vision Pro is special. It's Apple's first new product category since 2015's Apple Watch. Apple is trying with this high-end and powerful wearable computer (it has M2 and R1 chips inside) to launch an entirely new Spatial Computing category.

I've had four experiences with Vision Pro and can agree that it's not quite like anything on the market. I'm especially impressed with its gaze and gesture tracking and ability to shift fluidly from full immersion to partial and then finally complete passthrough with realistic augmented reality. It has the potential to change entertainment, communication, gaming, and productivity. It also stands a fair chance of flopping since consumers still don't entirely understand why they should spend thousands of dollars for something they can only use by putting it on their heads.

If you're thinking about bidding on any of these eBay offers understand that off-brand pricing is not your only concern. You can't order Vision Pro without doing a face scan to ensure you get the right light seal. The eBay seller did the scan and there's no guarantee your face sizes and shapes will match (some do list the size of the light seal to help you match your face size).

Moreover, if you wear glasses, you'll need special $ 99-to-$ 149 Zeiss inserts to correct your vision inside the Vision Pro. Otherwise, the systems' two 4K microLED displays will look terrible. Without using Apple's guided ordering system, you won't be set up to receive the right inserts at the same time you receive the headset from the seller.

I contacted Apple about the eBay listings to see if they have any concerns. I can imagine that they're not pleased about it.

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YouTube Premium gets new AI features to lure you into subscribing
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YouTube is offering Premium subscribers the opportunity to try out a pair of new AI features on the mobile app.

The most impressive of the two, in our opinion, has to be the conversational AI which will answer questions about a video you’re watching as well as recommend other content. On “eligible videos”, you will see an Ask button below the channel name. Tapping it opens up a chat interface where you can begin talking with it. You can ask any question you want pertaining to the video or you can choose one of the preset prompts if you can't think of any. The feature can summarize the clip for you or recommend other content. 

YouTube's conversational AI

YouTube’s conversational AI (Image credit: Future)

It works fine for the most part, however, keep in mind that this is an experimental state. In our time trying the conversational model out, it was able to summarize videos accurately and succinctly. Recommendations were solid, for the most part. If you look at the image below, you will see that the tool suggested a video by Vox on subtitles even though we watched content pertaining to Steve Jobs. For mistakes like this, people can tap either the thumbs up or thumbs down icon to provide feedback to YouTube's software. 

YouTube's conversational AI recommendation

(Image credit: Future)

The conversational AI is currently only available on the YouTube app on Android to American users aged 18 years or older. Those interested will need to act fast as it will only be available until December 15.

Comment summarizer

The second AI feature is a comment summarizer that will break down “large comment sections” on mobile into individual topics. It won’t be a widespread function as it’ll be restricted to videos in English. 

To find this tool, head over to the comments of a video. You will see a Topics tab with a star icon at the top. Opening it displays a menu highlighting all of the discussions currently being held.

We looked through videos from big channels and small-time creators to see if certain types of content are more likely to get the summarizer. As it turns out, there doesn’t seem to be a pattern of any kind. It doesn’t matter how popular the channel is or if the clip has a lot of views. YouTube appears to be rolling out the tool at random. Premium subscribers on Android and iOS have until December 5 to try out the summarizer before YouTube takes it down.

YouTube comment summarizer

(Image credit: Future)

Playable games

There is a third experimental feature that we’ve yet to mention: Playables. This is a collection of 30 games on YouTube’s homepage that you can play at any time; no download is necessary. 

You will find these on either the Home page or Explore menu on the left-hand side as its own entry. To be blunt, there aren’t any must-play titles in the collection. The library mostly consists of puzzles or easy-to-pick-up games. You have the classic solitaire, a Wordle knockoff called Hurdle, and Angry Birds just to name a few. Nothing major, but they can be a fun way to waste some time.

YouTube's playables

(Image credit: Future)

In addition to being on mobile, Playables are on the desktop. The games will also be available for a limited time although they will last longer than the AI tools. You have until March 28, 2024, to try out the collection before the plug is pulled.

No word on when any of this will see an official launch although we did ask YouTube for more details. This story will be updated at a later time. If you're thinking of becoming a creator, check out TechRadar's list of the best YouTube camera for 2023.

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YouTube is testing a cool new premium feature on Windows 11… but you’ll have to pay to try it
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It looks like Google is testing a new YouTube 1080p premium tier for a better viewing experience on Windows 11. The feature is designed to increase the quality of high-definition videos and, up until this point, it was only available to mobile users on a paid premium tier.

Windows Latest first noticed the new ‘1080p Premium’ option when watching videos in Microsoft Edge or in Chrome using a Windows 11 device. When Mayank Parmar from Windows Latest clicked on the new option, a pop-up appeared that asked him to subscribe to YouTube Premium, which he was already subscribed to.

According to support staff working at YouTube, the company tested the feature with select users last month and has made an effort to expand this feature to Android phones and TVs. The option is currently only available for videos up to 1080p and no higher. In a screenshot from Windows Latest, you can see the ‘1080p Premium Enhanced Bitrate’ option for a music video that only goes up to 1080p, but not for 4K videos.

Google confirmed the enhanced 1080p playback on mobile devices in April, and it seems the company is making a push to bring the feature to desktop platforms.

What’s the difference?

It may sound like an exciting new tier of premium viewing, but there isn’t much to get excited about. 1080p may not be super high-end quality, especially if the bitrate is low. A lower bitrate will tank the quality of even 4K video.

Some users have noted that Google has reduced the quality of 1080p YouTube videos which possibly helps save bandwidth costs. The proposed feature would unlock a higher bitrate for 1080p with a monthly subscription, which kind of sucks. 

We have a lot of subscriptions already, and for Google to purpose hiding better quality 1080p videos behind a paywall isn't exactly consumer friendly and feels like another expense for absolutely no reason. Obviously, if you’re already subscribed to YouTube Premium it doesn’t make a difference to you, but if you aren’t and don’t want to add on another subscription this could be pretty annoying. 

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