Free users restricted to lowest-tier Flash Lite model; move amounts to effective price hike ahead of flagship launch

Google's AI model Gemini. [Getty Images]
Google's AI model Gemini. [Getty Images]

Google has revamped its Gemini subscription plans, cutting off access to the Pro model for low-tier subscribers and free users.

According to a notice on Google's customer support page dated Sunday (local time), the company will adjust the AI model ratings available under each plan starting this month.

The Gemini Pro model, which free users could previously access on a limited basis, will now be available only from the AI Pro plan, which carries a monthly fee of $19.99. As a result, both free users and subscribers to the lower-tier AI Plus plan, priced at $9.99 per month — or 7,500 won in South Korea — will no longer have access to the Pro model.

Google restructured its plans so that free users can only access the Gemini Flash Lite model — a step below even the lightweight Gemini Flash model.

Google will restrict free users' access to Gemini Flash and Pro starting Friday. Subscribers will be notified of when the changes take effect via email.

In addition, Google is introducing a feature that lets users choose the reasoning level of a model — low, medium or high. Even a lower-tier model can deliver higher-quality responses when set to a higher reasoning level, though doing so consumes more of the AI usage quota Google allocates.

Users on the AI Pro plan and the AI Ultra plan, which starts at $99.99 per month, will have access to a "Deep Think" feature that draws on multiple models simultaneously to reason through queries.

The overhaul amounts to an effective price increase ahead of the formal launch of Google's new flagship model. Google released Gemini 3.1 Pro in February and unveiled its top-tier Gemini 4 Argon only on Wednesday. The move is seen as part of a strategy to attract subscribers to higher-priced plans by leveraging Gemini 4 Argon, a model that demands significantly more computing resources.


soho0902@heraldcorp.com