Function Calling Hype vs. Reality: What Gemma 4 E4B Actually Delivers

Google's claim that Gemma 4 E4B provides native function calling for autonomous agents sounds promising, but real-world testing exposes substantial gaps. The model performs well on text-based tasks but struggles with tool selection, multi-turn chaining, and argument handling—essential features for agentic workflows. This testing reveals the wide gap between marketing claims and production-ready tool use in today's local models.