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If you've used Google's AI, Gemini, you've probably asked it a few questions. My dad uses it to identify birds in his backyard. My wife gets recipe and meal prep ideas. I got it to help me design a workout routine.
And that's cool. It's great for that kinda stuff.
But that's like buying a speedboat and just paddling around with oars instead of turning on the engine and going for a rip! There are so many other powerful, weird, and wonderful tools packed into Gemini that most people don't even know exist.
This is even more true if you've just picked up a Pixel 10 because you'll get an upgrade for six months of Google AI Pro to try it out. Or a one-year upgrade with a Pro model.
None of these great tools matter if you don't know they exist or how to use 'em. So if you're one of the people like me who just got a new Pixel 10, let's dig into some of the supercharged features you can access with the free upgrade through Google AI Pro.
Your Personal AI Tutor
For anyone heading back to school or just trying to learn something new, Gemini has some amazing tools, especially if you have the upgraded Google AI Pro subscription.
NotebookLM: This is like a digital version of your class binder that holds all your notes. Only it's super smart and can help you study in so many ways. NotebookLM lets you upload your lecture notes, PDFs, and study guides, and it will summarize them for you. It can even create an outline for a paper or turn your notes into a podcast-style audio summary you can listen to on the go. Creating the custom podcast in my testing took one minute and provided me with a six-minute summary of the notes I created. For a quick guide of how to create an audio summary of your notes right in Gemini, check out this article.
Deep Research: Writing a big paper on a complex topic? Instead of you spending hours sifting through search results, Gemini's Deep Research feature can tackle the task for you. It breaks down big questions, scours the web for reliable info, and organizes it all for you. This is a great starting point for your own research and work.
Custom Quizzes: This one is brilliant. Like right up there with the NotebookLM summary podcast. You can give Gemini your course materials and notes and ask it to create a custom quiz to help you prep for an exam. It's like having a personal tutor who knows exactly what you need to study, because the questions are based on the notes YOU provided.
These features can make learning more creative, effective, and ease the stress related to studying ahead of exams!
A Quick Rant Note About Students Using AI For Study
There is such important thought and care that needs to be given when it comes to how any AI tools is "helping" kids (really, students of any age) study and learn.
In the olden days, the answers were written in the back of the math textbook. You could flip there to "check your answers" to ensure you understood the concepts and arrived at the right conclusion. Some kids used the answer key this way.
Others just flipped to the back, copied the answer, and never learned the fundamentals. And truthfully they were worse for it come the exams because they never learned the foundations to know how to solve these equations.
AI can be like that too. For some students, they can get their answers. Not learn anything. And be worse for it.
For others, who know how to use the tools to actually help them learn, it can be such a valuable resource to give them an advantage to truly learn and understand concepts. Help them study. And genuinely make them smarter.
There's so much potential for students to use AI as a tool to better their lives and their brains. But like any tool, it's ultimately only helpful based on the skill of the person using it. My hope is, this article will introduce some helpful tools, and people will use them with skill and thought.
Empower Your Inner Creative
Beyond homework help, Gemini has tools that are just plain fun and can help you make some seriously cool stuff. If you have the vision for graphic design or video creation, but not the skills, here's how Gemini can help, right from the app:
- Veo 3: Ever had an idea for a movie scene but zero filmmaking skills? With Veo 3 (part of the AI Pro upgrade), you can just type a description of what you want to see, and Gemini will generate a high-quality video for you. This could be a great way to make an intro for a work presentation, or a snippet for a family video, or just something silly to entertain your kids.
- Nano Banana: How funny is it that we have some of the most powerful tech in our history that anyone can use and it's called Nano Banana?. This is another fun tool for generating creative images and ideas. If you're feeling stuck, you can use it to brainstorm visuals or just create some weird and wonderful art.
- Canvas: For the more technically minded, Canvas is a space where you can use Gemini to collaborate on documents and even write code. It's a powerful tool for bringing bigger ideas to life.
Gemini, But Everywhere
One of the biggest perks of upgrading to Google AI Pro is that Gemini gets built right into the Google apps you already use every day, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.
This means you can ask Gemini to draft an email for you right inside Gmail. Or, if you're staring at a blank page in Google Docs, you can have Gemini brainstorm a list of ideas for you. It makes getting things done so much faster.
How Do I Get All This Cool Stuff?
Maybe this article has sparked your interest in at least trying a few of these tools? Here's how to get 'em.
The super-powered version of Gemini is available through a subscription called Google AI Pro. This gets you Google's smartest model (Gemini 2.5) and access to features like Veo 3 and Gemini inside your Google apps. I'm in Canada and it costs $26.99 per month (though there are other perks like 2 TB of storage, enhanced models for Gemini to run off of etc).
While that could be too pricey for people who just want to try the tools for fun, the good news is you can get it for free! At least on a trial basis:
Google is offering a one-month free trial of Google AI Pro. You can sign up here.
Even better news for folks thinking about a new phone: * Buy a new Pixel 10 and you'll get a six-month upgrade to Google AI Pro included. * Go for the Pixel 10 Pro or Pro XL, and you get a full year of Google AI Pro at no extra charge.
Is Google AI Pro Worth It?
Google AI Pro, as the "pro" part of the name suggests, would be most beneficial to people who actually need to use this service for their work or study, as in professional use case scenarios.
To me, $26.99 per month is a high price for non pro users to justify.
Google Pixel 10 Pro
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is an excellent phone. You can use it to tap into some pretty impressive AI-powered tools for study, productivity, and creativity. The Pixel 10 Pro comes with one year of Google AI Pro for free. It's available in four colour options and two display sizes.
However, if you're getting a Pixel 10 or 10 Pro anyway, then this is a pretty sweet deal to be able to unlock these amazing tools for free. So if you're a student or think these tools would be valuable for your workflow in professional settings, factor in the value of one full year of these tools (in Canada about $325) into your overall pricing of the phone and it might be easier to justify an upgrade.
What Google is doing with Gemini feels genuinely useful, even with the free version. In the case of the promotions related for people who have a new Pixel 10, it's a no-brainer to at least test out some of those tools during the free period, so you have a better idea of their worth to you when the trial is done.
You might be surprised at how helpful your new AI sidekick can be.
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