A new report by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) shows that rivals like Google’s Gemini, xAI’s Grok, and Meta AI are fast closing the gap on ChatGPT, OpenAI’s flagship chatbot, which has dominated the consumer AI market since its release in late 2022.

The report, the fifth in its series on the consumer AI landscape, according to TechCrunch, draws on two and a half years of data sourced from third-party market intelligence platforms, including Similarweb for web traffic and Sensor Tower for mobile app usage.

ChatGPT maintained its position as the No. 1 AI app globally, both on web and mobile. But for the first time, Google’s Gemini has emerged as a formidable challenger. Gemini is now the No. 2 AI app on mobile, with nearly half of ChatGPT’s monthly active users — a sharp rise driven largely by its dominance on Android, where it accounts for almost 90 percent of its user base.

On the web, Gemini also ranked second, attracting about 12 percent of ChatGPT’s visits. Google’s developer tools are gaining traction as well: Gemini’s AI Studio debuted at No. 10 among top AI web products, while NotebookLM ranked No. 13. Google Labs, home to experimental projects like Flow and Doppl, came in at No. 39.

Elon Musk’s xAI product, Grok, has also made remarkable strides. Though it launched only in late 2024 as part of the X platform, Grok now boasts more than 20 million monthly active users. Its standalone app helped it rank No. 4 on the web and No. 23 on mobile. Growth accelerated in July 2025 following the release of Grok 4, which lifted usage by nearly 40 percent.

Meta AI, the company’s general assistant, remains a smaller player in the market. It ranked 46th on the web and failed to make the mobile top 50, partly due to controversy earlier this year when users discovered that Meta AI was making some of their posts publicly visible on the web without clear consent.

Other top players

Perplexity, Claude, Poe, Character AI, Midjourney, Leonardo, and ElevenLabs all held firm among the 14 AI companies that have appeared on every edition of a16z’s ranking. These products cover a wide range of consumer applications — from general assistance and creative writing to image and voice generation.

Claude and DeepSeek showed mixed performance: Claude continued to grow steadily, but DeepSeek saw declines, dropping 22 percent on mobile and more than 40 percent on the web compared to its February 2025 peak.

Chinese companies are also rising fast. ByteDance’s Doubao placed No. 4 on mobile and No. 12 on the web, while Moonshot AI’s Kimi chatbot landed at No. 17 on the web. Alibaba’s Quark also broke into the top 20. Seven other Chinese AI developers, including DeepSeek and Kling, were recognized for exporting AI tools globally.

Market shifts and new entrants

A striking trend in this edition of the report is the number of new entrants, especially on mobile, where 14 fresh apps made the top 50 list. Vibe-coding startups Lovable and Replit debuted strongly, benefiting from increased traffic tied to projects built and published on their platforms.

Meanwhile, apps on the brink of breaking into the rankings include PixAI, Bolt, Blackbox AI, and Microsoft’s Clipchamp on the web, and Talkie, Seekee, and AI Mirror on mobile.

What the numbers show

Andreessen Horowitz’s analysis underscores how the generative AI market, once dominated almost exclusively by ChatGPT, is rapidly diversifying. While OpenAI retains the lead, competitors like Gemini and Grok are now expanding aggressively, with Google leveraging its Android ecosystem and xAI riding on Musk’s influence through X.

The shift suggests that the next phase of the AI race will not be defined by a single platform, but by a broader ecosystem of apps competing for consumer time, creativity, and trust.

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has explained why his team urged the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to rebase the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

Inuwa, who delivered the keynote address at the 3rd Annual Economic Confidential Lecture & PRNigeria Book Presentation in Abuja, explained that the rebasing exercise is long overdue. He said Nigeria must begin to capture the full weight of its digital economy, which, according to him, cuts across agriculture, healthcare, finance, education, and even media.

“There is no such thing as a digital economy standing on its own. Digital is the power engine behind everything else. If you remove IT from finance today, growth will decline. If you remove IT from journalism, it will reduce. Therefore, we need to rebase, because the digital economy is about using technology to empower economic activities,” Inuwa told the gathering.

Why Rebasing Matters

Nigeria last rebased its GDP data in 2014, shifting the base year to 2010. That decision expanded the economy by nearly 90 percent overnight, capturing previously overlooked sectors such as film, telecoms, and online services. A similar exercise was carried out by the NBS earlier this year, this time pegging 2019 as the new base year—a period it described as one of “relative economic stability” before the shocks of the pandemic, oil price crashes, and inflationary waves.

Inuwa’s call is rooted in the view that without rebasing the ICT sector specifically, Nigeria risks underestimating one of its fastest-growing economic engines. He insisted that digital technology should no longer be treated as a side contributor but as an embedded driver of national productivity.

“Finance cannot survive without IT. Healthcare is going digital. Agriculture today relies on precision tools. Rebasing will help us measure this reality,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the President on Economy, Dr. Tope Fasuwa, represented by Aremu Olayinka Elijah, echoed this sentiment, adding that rebasing will help Nigeria reposition its economy for the future.

“We are shifting from traditional models to a tech-driven future,” he said, stressing that the Tinubu administration is determined to recalibrate the economy in line with global trends.

The Numbers Behind the Push

The urgency is underscored by recent data. According to the NBS, the ICT sector recorded a remarkable 31.63 percent year-on-year growth in nominal terms in Q1 2025. This was a dramatic jump compared to just 3.40 percent growth in the same quarter of 2024. The sector’s share of nominal GDP also climbed to 10.29 percent in the first quarter of 2025, up from 9.25 percent a year earlier.

Those figures confirm ICT’s rising importance as a growth engine. Yet experts argue that because GDP accounting methods often lag behind reality, Nigeria may still be undervaluing the sector’s contribution.

Backstory: Digital Transformation as a National Strategy

Nigeria’s digital economy push began gaining momentum under former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who championed the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020–2030). The policy envisioned ICT as the backbone of Nigeria’s growth trajectory, aiming to make the sector contribute at least 45 percent to GDP by 2030.

Since then, the sector has expanded beyond traditional telecoms into fintech, agritech, healthtech, and edtech. Startups like Flutterwave, Interswitch, and Andela have attracted global attention, while mobile money has deepened financial inclusion. Yet, official data has often struggled to keep pace with this reality, fueling calls like Inuwa’s for rebasing.

Economists say the exercise could reshape fiscal planning, foreign investment decisions, and even Nigeria’s borrowing capacity, just as the 2014 rebasing elevated the country to Africa’s largest economy at the time.

Currently, Inuwa and other advocates believe the rebasing of ICT GDP is not just a statistical update but a political and economic statement—that Nigeria is ready to embrace a digital-first economy where technology is no longer peripheral but central to its national prosperity.

Google has taken a bold step to streamline its device protection services with the launch of Pixel Care+. This comprehensive new plan replaces the long-standing Preferred Care and Fi Device Protection programs in the United States.

The announcement, made Wednesday in a company blog post, signals Google’s effort to consolidate its hardware services under one umbrella, while also raising the bar on what customers expect from device insurance.

Unlike its predecessors, Pixel Care+ promises a “higher level of coverage, service, and peace of mind for Google hardware owners.” The program eliminates many of the pain points that users often face when dealing with device damage or malfunction. Subscribers will be able to file unlimited accidental damage claims—a notable upgrade from traditional capped protection plans—alongside extended warranty coverage and mechanical damage claims.

One of the biggest highlights is cost: Pixel Care+ offers $0 screen and battery repairs, as well as $0 post-warranty malfunction claims, all carried out with genuine Google parts. Customers also gain access to priority support from Pixel experts, streamlined self-service claims through the Google Store, and free upgraded replacement shipping, including next-day delivery. For those worried about loss or theft, an optional add-on ensures their devices remain covered in worst-case scenarios.

Pricing is relatively straightforward but varies by device. For instance, owners of the new Pixel 10 will pay $10 per month or $199 for two years. Coverage extends to a broad portfolio of Google devices, including the Pixel 8 and newer smartphones, Pixel Watch 2 and newer, Pixel Tablet, as well as Fitbit models such as the Ace LTE, Versa 4, Sense 2, Charge 6, and Inspire 3. Importantly, users must sign up within 60 days of purchase to access the benefits.

The program also makes claims more accessible. Customers can file directly in the My Pixel app or through the Google Store, then choose a location and time for repair. Google says this process is designed to cut through delays and friction that plague many third-party insurance services.

Why Google Is Doubling Down on Protection

Google’s move to roll out Pixel Care+ comes at a strategic moment. With its hardware ecosystem—spanning smartphones, tablets, wearables, and fitness devices—expanding rapidly, customer confidence has become as critical as innovation. Unlike AppleCare+, which has long set the benchmark in device protection, Google’s earlier protection services were fragmented and often criticized for limited claim allowances and higher out-of-pocket repair costs.

By unifying coverage under Pixel Care+, Google is clearly seeking to compete more directly with AppleCare+ and Samsung Care+, both of which have leaned heavily on premium protection plans to build customer loyalty. Device protection has become not just an afterthought but a core selling point in the highly competitive premium hardware market, where consumers expect both cutting-edge features and minimal downtime when accidents happen.

The inclusion of Fitbit devices also highlights how Google is weaving wearables into its broader ecosystem strategy. As fitness trackers and smartwatches become more essential to users’ daily routines, seamless repair or replacement services are key to keeping them locked into the Google ecosystem.

Analysts say Pixel Care+ is also about reputation management. Google’s hardware division has faced criticism in the past for quality-control issues—from Pixel phone hardware quirks to Pixel Watch battery concerns. The company is making a clear statement about durability and long-term support, which could help it build trust in a segment where its rivals are more established, by offering $0 repairs and emphasizing genuine Google parts.

The pricing model also suggests Google is taking a measured approach: affordable enough to attract uptake but designed to ensure coverage for higher-end devices like the Pixel 10 doesn’t eat too heavily into margins.

However, some analysts note that whether Pixel Care+ becomes a true differentiator may depend on how well Google handles claim turnaround and customer experience, two areas where competitors have struggled. However, with unlimited accidental damage claims, priority support, and next-day shipping, Google appears intent on setting a new industry standard.

Currently, Pixel Care+ is available only in the U.S., but its design suggests global expansion could follow as Google ramps up its international hardware ambitions.