I tested Gemini vs ChatGPT on the iPhone with 7 prompts — here's the winner

2 weeks ago 6

(Image credit: Future)

With the release of Google’s standalone Gemini app on iPhone, I couldn’t help but wonder how it compares to ChatGPT on iPhone. There is no shortage of chatbots for Apple users and Gemini has now made it even easier to use the AI assistant for creativity and productivity from a mobile device.

To determine which AI assistant delivers the better experience, I tested both apps using seven prompts designed to assess their conversational skills, creativity, productivity and more. Here's how they compare.

1. Conversational ability

Prompt: "If I were to travel to Tokyo, could you recommend a few attractions for a first-time visitor? Also, please explore food options."

Gemini impressed me with detailed suggestions, highlighting lesser-known attractions and even a few quirky spots. It also listed diverse food options, from sushi to street food. Gemini included images, which helped add a visual to both the tourist spots and the food selections. This was definitely helpful as some of the names of the food were better emphasized with a picture.

ChatGPT provided a more general response, recommending popular spots, many of which were suggested by Gemini. While helpful and straightforward, the lack of visuals, especially when giving information about a place I’ve never been, made this response less desirable.

Winner: Gemini, for its visuals and depth.

2. Task automation

Prompt: "Schedule a meeting with two friends for lunch this Saturday at noon and draft a friendly email invitation."

Gemini: Gemini handled the scheduling task perfectly. It opened up my Google calendar and added the lunch date to it. Before it drafted the email, it asked what I wanted to say and then produced a polite and friendly email. Then, it even asked me if I wanted to send it now. I was seriously impressed.

ChatGPT crafted a well-worded email but completely left out the part about scheduling the lunch. Plus, because it does not have access to my email, if I wanted to send the draft, I would have had to copy and paste it into my Gmail. Where the AI excelled at the writing portion, it didn’t offer integration options to streamline the process. To be fair, Google would have to open up access for that.

Winner: Gemini, it did everything I asked, making it feel like a fully automated assistant.

3. Creative output

Prompt: "Write a short, whimsical story about a lost robot who befriends a stray dog in the city."

Gemini: Gemini’s story was charming, but brief, which made it lack depth. Even the title was a bit too obvious. The character names in the story were cute, but while the story had heart, it lacked imaginative flair, which made the story fall flat.

ChatGPT: ChatGPT spun a detailed narrative involving lovable characters and a heartwarming conclusion. The level of detail made the story more engaging and memorable.

Winner: ChatGPT was the champ this time for its creative depth and storytelling ability.

4. Study assistance

Prompt: "Explain the concept of quantum entanglement in simple terms for someone with no physics background,”

Gemini provided an easy-to-understand explanation, including analogies and added bullet points for the key highlights. If I were studying for a test, I think this would have helped to reinforce my understanding of the topic while offering detailed information to further my study. This response feels as though it was tailored to someone who may not know anything about this subject.

ChatGPT also delivered a clear explanation but relied on more technical language, which wasn’t as helpful as the analogies provided by Gemini. The points were definitely comprehensive but harder to grasp without parallels.

Winner: Gemini, for its intuitive teaching style highlighting key points with the flair of a helpful teacher.

5. Image generation

Prompt: "Create an image of a futuristic city with glowing skyscrapers and flying cars.”

Gemini’s integration with Imagen 3 allowed it to generate a vivid AI image. I’ve put Gemini against ChatGPT in an image shoot-out before, and was eager to see how Gemini would do in this contest. I was pretty disappointed. The image was a little too plain and not as creative in this case.

ChatGPT provided an image that fit my description much better than Gemini. The image the chatbot generated was also more colorful and imaginative, which really brought the concept from my prompt to life.

Winner: ChatGPT for its heavy dose of creativity and vibrant image generation capabilities.

6. Real-time info

Prompt: “What’s the traffic like in my area?”

Gemini seamlessly integrated with Google Maps and pulled up how long it would take me to get to my kids’ school. I didn’t ask it to do that, but it was intuitive enough to give me that information. It told me how long it would take to get there and what the surrounding traffic was like. To avoid giving my personal address, I’ve zoomed out Google Maps in the image above.

ChatGPT did not provide me with a map, but it did give a more detailed rundown of traffic within a 10-mile radius of my house. It then said that if I want more detailed information to try some of the sources it listed.

Winner: Gemini, for its effortless app integration and excellent performance.

7. Up-to-date news

Prompt: "What are the top news stories at the moment?’"

Gemini: Gemini delivered top news with a short blurb about each story. It also added a list of sources for me to further review the news. Although these were probably the top stories in the US, it did not add any sports, technology, weather or entertainment news.

ChatGPT also provided a list of top news stories but categorized them beyond just US news. I appreciated that wider scope and felt that the answer was much more complete this way. While I may have had to dig through more information, the thoroughness from ChatGPT made it a more effective chatbot for real-time information.

Winner: ChatGPT for thoroughness and offering real-time news on a global scale.

Overall Winner: Gemini

While both Gemini and ChatGPT excel in specific areas, Gemini stands out for its integration with other Google services, multilingual support and teaching capabilities. However, ChatGPT’s storytelling and conversational depth remain unparalleled, making it a strong contender for users focused on creativity.

Yet, the winner here is Gemini. If you’re an iPhone user looking for seamless app integration, image generation and tailored learning tools, Gemini offers a more versatile and intuitive experience for now.