The Google I/O 2024 developer conference is underway, and that’s where all of Google’s products are getting a healthy infusion of features based on artificial intelligence (or AI). Many of these features are headed to mobile devices, including the ability to get more improved search results for longer and more complex queries, and Google Lens now using instantaneous video clips for searching. Much of this is powered by different versions of Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM), which now also revolutionizes one of Google’s oldest — and still surviving — products: Gmail.
As part of a larger overhaul to Gmail, Google is announcing changes that will be available for the mobile apps on Android as well as iOS, specifically using Gemini 1.5 Pro. Similar to the improvements heading to the web version, Gmail for mobile will soon be able to clean up your inbox with the option to summarize long email threads.
In a demo, Google’s Aparna Pappu detailed how the new email summaries organize information in a condensed format that appears in an overlay card on top of the Gmail app. That’s not where it ends. The overlay gets a chatbot interface where you can ask follow-up questions related to the email thread and receive a precise answer without having to scour through each message.
Google’s demo also shows that the Gemini-based chatbot interface will be able to search for contextual cues beyond that specific email thread. Instead, it can search for information from other email threads and present it in one place. Pretty convenient, right?
To top that, the new Gmail will now also offer more detailed and contextual responses beyond the rudimentary smart replies available presently. It will offer multiple options for you to choose from; you just need to tap and hold a response to preview it or tap it to import it to the main typing area.
Gmail summaries will begin to roll out to Google Workspace Labs users this month, whereas the Q&A and Smart Reply features will be available starting July 2024. A broader release should follow in the later months. While we also expect these features to be available for free to Gmail users, there is no update from Google yet.
Similar improvements, in addition to integration with other Google Workspace apps such as Tasks or Calendar, will also be available for Gmail’s web client.
These improvements appear groundbreaking, but we can’t overlook the privacy concerns. The new, smarter Gmail is running off Gemini 1.5 Pro somewhere in Google’s sophisticated cloud servers. Google does not explicitly clarify whether it is also using existing Gmail conversations to train the AI model, but there’s a reasonable chance it does and, unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.