Google didn’t waste any time responding to GPT-5.1, Claude Sonnet 4.5, and everything else dropping lately.
Their answer: Gemini 3, a new model rolling out across more Google products on day one than any previous release.
If you use Google Search, Gemini, Drive, Android, Sheets, Docs, or love poking around developer tools, you’re going to see this model soon (if you haven’t already).
Here’s the breakdown —
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1. Where You Can Use Gemini 3 Right Now
Unlike previous Gemini releases, this one didn’t show up in just one place. Google put Gemini 3 Pro in five major locations immediately:
- Google Search (AI Mode)
- Gemini App
- Google AI Studio (for builders)
- Vertex AI (for enterprise users)
- Anti-Gravity, Google’s new agent-first IDE (more on that later)
It’s also likely rolling into third-party tools like Cursor and other AI-powered developer environments.
This is the widest “day one” release Google has ever done.
2. Performance: The Benchmarks Are… Impressive
Gemini 3 Pro is already breaking multiple benchmarks, including coding, reasoning, STEM tasks, and multilingual evaluation.
But here’s the interesting part: It even beats Claude at Claude’s own proprietary benchmark.
That benchmark (called VendingBench) is Anthropic’s simulation of running a vending machine business:
- Stocking
- Ordering
- Pricing
- Managing a small operation
- Maximizing profit
Claude has historically dominated that test. But Gemini 3 Pro reportedly outperformed Claude Sonnet 4.5 with:
- Claude: $3,800 profit (simulated 12 months)
- Gemini 3 Pro: $5,400
Not bad for beating a model on its home court.
3. Meet Gemini 3 Deep Think
We’re getting a whole family of Gemini 3 models, not just Pro.
Next up: Gemini 3 Deep Think.
It’s essentially Google’s answer to “slow mode” / “thinking models” — high-depth reasoning, longer chains of thought, more persistent problem-solving.
Right now:
- Only available to safety testers
- Rolling out later to Google AI Ultra subscribers
- Not available in the public Gemini app yet
We don’t have it in our accounts either, but the early language suggests it may be Google’s deepest reasoning model to date.
4. Anti-Gravity: Google’s New Agent-First IDE
If you don’t code, skip this section. If you do code, this is one to watch.
Anti-Gravity is Google’s new “next-generation IDE” built around agents, not just code editors.
You can:
- Run multiple AI agents at once
- Generate different artifacts in parallel
- Act as the “manager” approving or rejecting agent output
- Use Gemini 3 Pro as the engine under the hood
It’s meant to compete with tools like Cursor, but with deeper integration into Google’s ecosystem.
As of today:
- Public preview plan = free
- Team and enterprise plans “coming soon”
- Docs available at anti-gravity.google
This could become a major player in AI-assisted development.
5. Gemini 3 in AI Studio (For Developers)
If you prefer building tools rather than using them, Gemini 3 Pro is already available inside Google AI Studio under: Playground → Models → Gemini 3 Pro (Preview)
Cost:
- Free inside AI Studio’s UI (with limits)
- API usage is paid, with token prices listed in the model dropdown
If you’re not a developer, this environment will feel overwhelming — stick to the Gemini app.
6. Gemini 3 in the Regular Gemini App
For regular users, the easiest place to use Gemini 3 is… the Gemini app.
One important detail: Make sure you’re on “Thinking.”
Google buried this setting in tiny text:
- Thinking (Gemini 3 Pro) → the new model
- Fast → still an older model during rollout
Gemini 3 Pro is supposed to be:
- More direct
- Less verbose
- Better as a “thinking partner”
- Stronger for complex, multi-step tasks
Try it with your real work, the differences show up more in actual use than in benchmarks.
7. Google Search Now Has “AI Mode”
And this might be Google’s real play for mass adoption. On google.com, a small toggle now lets you switch to: AI Mode → Gemini 3 answers on the right side
It behaves similarly to Perplexity:
- Full AI answer
- Suggested follow-up questions
- Sources and links
- Option to jump back to traditional search
This is the easiest way for non-Gemini users to stumble into the model.
If you’ve ever wished Google Search felt more like an actual assistant, this gets closer.
TL;DR-ish
Gemini 3 Pro is:
- Stronger than previous Gemini models
- Competitive with (and sometimes beating) Claude and GPT-5.1
- Integrated across multiple Google tools
- Available today in the Gemini app, Search, AI Studio, and more
Will it beat your current model of choice? Maybe. Maybe not.
The only way to know is to try it on your real workflows (research, writing, coding, planning, analysis) and see whether it feels more useful.
Let me know how it works for you.
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