Gemini Intelligence has excessive Android spec necessities, probably will not help Pixel 9 or Galaxy Z Fold 7

Google’s new Gemini Intelligence push was introduced this week and it has fairly steep necessities for Android gadgets to help the brand new options, chopping off the Pixel 9 collection and even final 12 months’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 as a consequence of one spec.

First issues first, what’s Gemini Intelligence?

In brief, it’s an overarching branding for Google’s strongest AI options on premium Android gadgets. Introduced earlier this week, this contains issues like extra clever autofill, Gboard’s upgraded voice-to-text “Rambler” and “Create my Widget.”

“Premium” is an effective description, too, primarily based on the spec necessities.

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In a footnote on its Gemini Intelligence web page, Google particulars what this expertise would require, and the minimal spec necessities are fairly steep together with a “flagship chip,” 12GB or extra of RAM, and help AI Core and Gemini Nano v3 or larger. The machine additionally must be getting no less than 5 Android OS upgrades in its life span, 6 years of safety updates (no less than quaterly), and meet some high quality necessities round crash charges and different elements of the machine.

The requirement for Nano v3 is especially telling right here, because it reveals what present gadgets will or is not going to be able to supporting Gemini Intelligence.

Google particulars what Android gadgets help Nano v3 on a developer page (highlighted on social media, with out sourcing) with the listing together with virtually solely 2026 releases exterior of the Pixel 10 collection and Oppo Discover X9 collection. Units as latest because the Pixel 9 collection and even Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 are nonetheless on Nano v2, that means they gained’t meet the factors for Gemini Intelligence simply but.

It’s price noting that this part is particularly speaking about Gemini Nano’s Prompt API help, not the mannequin particularly. So it’s arduous to say for sure whether or not or not all of these last-gen gadgets positively don’t help the brand new necessities. It’s additionally circuitously clear if this may be up to date after the very fact by way of future OS upgrades.

It’s additionally telling right here that Gemini Intelligence requires 12GB of RAM. Leaks counsel that the Pixel 11 collection will reduce RAM allotments, with the bottom Pixel 11 doubtlessly dropping to 8GB of RAM – if something, these necessities counsel the leak will not be fully appropriate.

Regardless of the case, Google says that Gemini Intelligence will make its debut on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy gadgets later this 12 months, with a report suggesting that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 would be the first to launch the brand new options.

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