In a surprising move, Google has announced the immediate rollout of its latest AI model, Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental), to all users of the free Gemini app. This decision significantly broadens access to Google's most advanced AI technology, which was initially exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers.Gemini 2.5 Pro, unveiled just days prior, is distinguished by its integrated thinking capabilities, setting it apart from previous models that offered such features as separate variants. The experimental model boasts support for a range of functionalities, including app extensions, file uploads, and Canvas integration. This comprehensive feature set makes it a powerful tool for various tasks and applications.Previously, access to Gemini 2.5 Pro was limited to subscribers of Gemini Advanced, a premium service bundled with Google One AI Premium at a cost of $19.99 per month in the US. The decision to extend access to all Gemini users marks a significant shift in Google's strategy, potentially democratizing access to advanced AI capabilities. The model is currently available on gemini.google.com and will soon be accessible through the Android and iOS apps, which have recently been improved to better remember user-selected models.Google's stated rationale behind this move is to get its most intelligent model into the hands of more people as quickly as possible. Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) currently holds the top position on the LMArena leaderboard and excels in math and science benchmarks, indicating its superior performance. Google is also actively working on enhancing the model's coding capabilities. While the long-term plan for Gemini 2.5 Pro remains unclear, it is uncertain whether the stable version will remain free for all users or if this is solely for the experimental phase. Previously, it was anticipated that 2.0 Flash Thinking and 2.0 Flash would be the free offerings.In recent months, Google has progressively made more features available to all users, including Deep Research, Gems, Saved info, document upload and analysis, and the ability to generate images of people. The primary advantage for Advanced subscribers remains the 1 million token context window, along with higher usage limits. The move to offer Gemini 2.5 Pro to all users signals a continued commitment to expanding access to AI technology, even as the company explores different monetization strategies and feature tiers.
