Exploring New Android Apps with ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini
Exploring AI-Powered Suggestions for Android Apps
Navigating the Google Play Store can often feel overwhelming, especially when you’re on the lookout for new and exciting Android apps. As someone familiar with technology but still trying to embrace AI in daily tasks, I set out to see how AI could help streamline my search for new applications. Making use of tools like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT, I aimed to discover new app recommendations without spending hours scrolling through forums or social media.
Experimenting with AI Chatbots
To thoroughly test the capabilities of various AI chatbots, I prompted each of them to provide me with recommendations for new apps. My specific request was to find free apps when applicable, and I was curious about the variety of suggestions each AI could generate.
Findings from Exercise 1: Weather Forecast Apps
Prompt Used:
"Hi [AI]! I’d like to find a new Android app that can tell me the weekly and daily weather forecast. Please give me free apps only."
ChatGPT Recommendations
- AccuWeather (100M+ downloads)
- The Weather Channel (100M+ downloads)
- Weather Underground (10M+ downloads)
- Windy (10M+ downloads)
- Google Weather (1+ downloads)
- 1Weather (100M+ downloads)
Copilot Recommendations
- 1Weather (100M+ downloads)
- Flowx (500K+ downloads)
- The Weather Channel (100M+ downloads)
- AccuWeather (100M+ downloads)
- Awesome Weather – YoWindow (10M+ downloads)
Gemini Recommendations
- AccuWeather (100M+ downloads)
- The Weather Channel (100M+ downloads)
- WeatherCAN (500K+ downloads)
While all three chatbots provided varying amounts of recommendations, ChatGPT offered the most names, giving me six options. Gemini stood out by analyzing my location to provide relevant suggestions, which was a nice touch. Nonetheless, all three suggested popular apps, and while they were reliable choices, I was hoping for lesser-known titles.
Findings from Exercise 2: Note-Taking Apps
Prompt Used:
"Hi [AI], I need a new note-taking app. I would prefer if it included a way to import PDF documents, had a handwriting mode, and offered online storage syncing."
ChatGPT Recommendations
- Notability (not available on Play Store)
- GoodNotes (1M+ downloads)
- Microsoft OneNote (500M+ downloads)
- Evernote (100M+ downloads)
- Zoho Notebook (5M+ downloads)
- Xodo (10M+ downloads)
Copilot Recommendations
- GoodNotes (1M+ downloads)
- Notability (not available on Play Store)
- Microsoft OneNote (500M+ downloads)
- Evernote (100M+ downloads)
- LiquidText (not available on Play Store)
Gemini Recommendations
- GoodNotes (1M+ downloads)
- Notability (not available on Play Store)
- Microsoft OneNote (500M+ downloads)
- Nebo (500K+ downloads)
- Samsung Notes (1B+ downloads)
In this round, ChatGPT came out on top. It met all my criteria effectively and specified platforms for each app, enhancing usability. Gemini also performed well by displaying recommendations based on platforms, while Copilot fell short in providing similar specificity.
Findings from Exercise 3: Gaming Recommendations
Prompt Used:
"Hi [AI], I am looking for paid Visual Novel and puzzle game recommendations on the Play Store that match the style and themes of Danganronpa."
ChatGPT Recommendations
- The Arcana: A Mystic Romance (1M+ downloads)
- Ace Attorney Trilogy Phoenix Wright (10K+ downloads)
- Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today (not available on Play Store)
- Doki Doki Literature Club! mobile port (not available on Play Store)
Copilot Recommendations
- Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (not available on Play Store)
- Ace Attorney Trilogy (10K+ downloads)
Gemini Recommendations
- Danganronpa Series mobile ports (1K-10K downloads)
- Ace Attorney Series (10K+ downloads)
- 7Days!: Mystery Visual Novel (5M+ downloads)
The gaming recommendations were generally underwhelming. Many suggestions didn’t align with what I sought since they were either unavailable on the Play Store or weren’t paid titles.
Lessons Learned
Experiments showed that specificity in requests is vital when working with AI. The more detailed you are in your prompt, the better the suggestions you’ll receive. It’s essential to be mindful of your app needs to refine your inquiries effectively. While the public-facing AI models may not always have the most current app data, they are still a solid resource for discovering popular and recommended apps.
To enhance usage, users should explore the potential of these chatbots as tools for finding niche applications that align with their interests and preferences.
