AI Model Review · April 2026

Putting Gemma 4 to the Test

Google DeepMind · Open Weights · Apache 2.0 · 4 Sizes · 5 Test Cases

Summary

Google's newly released Gemma 4 caught my attention right away. What makes it particularly compelling is how seamlessly it complements existing AI stacks. Whether you're already working with Anthropic's Claude API or OpenAI's GPT API, Gemma 4 holds its own as a performant, open-weight alternative worth serious consideration.

I put the 31B model through its paces in Google AI Studio, and it genuinely surpassed my expectations. From reasoning quality to multimodal handling, the results were impressive enough to warrant a recommendation for specific use cases that I've outlined below alongside my full testing results.

Gemma 4 Model Family

Released April 2026 Open weights Apache 2.0 license 4 sizes across 3 architectures
Model Size Modalities Context Example use cases
Small — on-device / mobile / browser
Gemma 4 E2B
Dense · Effective 2B
 2.3B eff.
5.1B w/ embeddings		 Text Image Audio 128K tokens
  • On-device voice assistant with speech recognition (ASR) on Pixel / mobile
  • Real-time image captioning or OCR inside a browser extension
Gemma 4 E4B
Dense · Effective 4B
 4.5B eff.
8B w/ embeddings		 Text Image Audio 128K tokens
  • Multilingual speech-to-text translation for lightweight edge deployments
  • Document / PDF parsing and visual Q&A on a laptop without a GPU
Medium — workstation / consumer GPU
Gemma 4 26B A4B
MoE · 4B active params
 25.2B total
3.8B active		 Text Image 256K tokens
  • High-throughput agentic coding assistant with function-calling on a single GPU
  • Long-document analysis (contracts, research papers) with 256K context
Gemma 4 31B
Dense
 30.7B Text Image 256K tokens
  • Advanced multi-step reasoning and math problem solving (AIME / GPQA-level tasks)
  • Chart comprehension and visual data extraction for enterprise reporting

My Testing Results

Test 01
Tabular use case
Pass
Prompt Use the link https://stmonica.net/worship/liturgy/holyweekeaster to summarize holiday service schedule in a tabular format while ignoring all the extra content.
Output
EventDateTimeLocation / Notes
Holy ThursdayApril 27:00 p.m.Mass of the Lord's Supper (Adoration follows until midnight in the Grand Pavilion)
Good FridayApril 3Noon & 7:00 p.m.Solemn Liturgy (Holy Communion and Veneration of the Cross)
April 33:00 p.m.Taize Prayer at the Cross
Holy SaturdayApril 47:00 p.m.Easter Vigil
Easter SundayApril 57:30 a.m.Church
April 59:30 a.m.Church, Schoolyard & Livestream
April 511:30 a.m.Church & Schoolyard
April 55:30 p.m.Church & Livestream
Test 02
One-shot image story
Pass
System Prompt You are an expert in writing comedy materials with a good sense of humor and sarcasm. You are well familiar with travel, food, hiking, beaches, city life, clothing, and American pop culture.
Prompt A photo is attached. Create a story about it by combining what you see in the photo with a funny story that would keep the audience attentive for a minute. Use simple words. Do not make it a lengthy read.
Output
One shot image story photo

Meet Marco. Marco didn't just come to Italy for the pasta; he came to be the main character of a movie that doesn't exist.

He spent three hours picking out this light blue suit. He got the brown leather bag. He rented the vintage Vespa. He looks like he's about to close a million-dollar deal or steal a secret document from the Vatican. Total confidence. Pure elegance.

The problem? Marco has never actually ridden a scooter in his life.

He spent twenty minutes posing for this exact photo, pretending he knows how to start the engine. In reality, he spent the next ten minutes frantically searching for the "on" button while a group of local grandmothers watched him with deep, judging silence.

When he finally figured it out, he accidentally hit the throttle full blast. He didn't glide gracefully through the streets of Florence — he flew straight into a rack of drying laundry.

So, if you see a man in a fancy blue suit covered in someone's wet bedsheets, that's Marco. He's still fabulous, but he's walking back to the hotel.

Test 03
Pelican riding a bike — Python image generation
Pass
Prompt A Python script of a pelican riding a bike.
Output

Model generated a working Python script and rendered the image shown below.

Pelican riding a bike generated by Gemma 4
Test 04
Overnight oats recipe
Pass
Prompt Give me a recipe for making overnight oats with strawberry chunks and blueberry for topping and how to containerize it.
Output

🍓 Strawberry & Blueberry Overnight Oats — Makes 1 serving

Base Ingredients

  • Rolled oats: ½ cup (old-fashioned; avoid instant)
  • Milk of choice: ½ cup (almond, oat, soy, or dairy)
  • Greek yogurt: ¼ cup
  • Chia seeds: 1 tablespoon
  • Maple syrup or honey: 1–2 teaspoons
  • Vanilla extract: ¼ teaspoon
  • Pinch of salt

Fruit

  • Strawberries: 2–3 medium, diced into small chunks
  • Blueberries: a handful of fresh blueberries (for topping)

🥣 Instructions

  1. Mix the base: combine oats, chia seeds, and salt in your container.
  2. Add liquids: stir in milk, Greek yogurt, sweetener, and vanilla until no chia clumps remain.
  3. Fold in strawberries: gently stir in strawberry chunks.
  4. Chill: seal and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
  5. Finishing touch: top with fresh blueberries right before eating.

📦 How to Containerize

  • Best container: wide-mouth 16 oz mason jar (airtight, leak-proof, eat directly from it). Alternative: BPA-free snap-lock container.
  • Layering for meal prep: bottom = oat mixture · middle = strawberry chunks · top = blueberries in a separate small bag.
  • Storage life: up to 5 days in the fridge.
  • Portability tip: if oats are too thick, stir in a splash of milk. Pack a reusable spoon and granola on the side for crunch.
Test 05
Clothing search
Pass
Prompt You are a helpful shopping assistant with web search capability. Search the web for the top 3 results for a men's blue linen slim fit full sleeve shirt in small size. Results must be from the past 7 days only. Each result must include product name, retailer, price, and exact clickable URL. Return only verified, in-stock listings.
Output

Based on the most recent availability and pricing, here are the top 3 verified, in-stock options: