Gemini Intelligence’s high specs may block Pixel 9 and Galaxy Z Fold 7
▼ Summary
– Google’s new Gemini Intelligence AI features require a “flagship chip,” 12GB+ RAM, and Gemini Nano v3 or higher, plus long-term software update commitments.
– The requirement for Gemini Nano v3 effectively excludes recent devices like the Pixel 9 series and Galaxy Z Fold 7, which only support Nano v2.
– A Google developer page lists devices with Nano v3 support, almost exclusively 2026 releases such as the Pixel 10 series and Oppo Find X9 series.
– The 12GB RAM requirement contradicts leaks suggesting the Pixel 11 base model may drop to 8GB of RAM.
– Gemini Intelligence will debut on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices later this year, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 expected to be the first to launch it.
Google’s latest push into on-device AI, branded as Gemini Intelligence, comes with hardware requirements so demanding that they may exclude recent flagships like the Pixel 9 series and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7. The culprit? A single spec: Gemini Nano v3 support.
So what exactly is Gemini Intelligence? It’s Google’s umbrella term for its most advanced AI features on premium Android phones. Announced this week, the suite includes smarter autofill, an upgraded Gboard voice-to-text feature called “Rambler,” and the new “Create my Widget” tool. The name “premium” is fitting, given the hardware bar Google has set.
Buried in a footnote on the Gemini Intelligence page, Google outlines the minimum requirements: a flagship chip, 12GB or more of RAM, support for AI Core and Gemini Nano v3 or higher, at least five Android OS upgrades over the device’s lifetime, six years of quarterly security updates, and strict quality benchmarks around crash rates and performance.
The Gemini Nano v3 requirement is the most revealing. It effectively determines which existing devices can run Gemini Intelligence. On a developer page listing Nano v3 support, Google includes almost exclusively 2026 releases,the Pixel 10 series and Oppo Find X9 series are the only exceptions. Phones as recent as the Pixel 9 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 remain on Nano v2, disqualifying them from the new AI features for now.
Here’s the full list of devices confirmed for Gemini Nano v3: Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold; Honor Magic 8 Pro; iQOO 15; Motorola Signature; OnePlus 15, OnePlus 15R; OPPO Find X9, Find X9 Pro, Find X8, Find X8 Pro, Reno 14 Pro 5G, Reno 15 Pro 5G, Reno 15 Pro Mini 5G, Reno 15 Pro Max 5G; realme GT 7T; Samsung Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra; vivo X200T, X200, X200 Pro, X300, X300 Pro.
For comparison, devices stuck on Nano v2 include: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold; Honor Magic V5, Magic 7, Magic 7 Pro; iQOO 13; Motorola Razr 60 Ultra, Razr Ultra 2025; OnePlus 13, OnePlus 13s; OPPO Find N5; POCO F7 Ultra, F8 Pro, F8 Ultra, X7 Pro, X8 Pro; realme GT 7 Pro; Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z TriFold; vivo X200 FE, T4 Ultra; Xiaomi 14T Pro, 15, 15T, 15T Pro, 15 Ultra, 17, 17 Ultra, and Pad Mini.
A caveat: the developer page specifically references Gemini Nano’s Prompt API support, not the model itself. That leaves some ambiguity about whether last-gen devices could still meet the requirements. It’s also unclear if future OS updates could enable Nano v3 on older hardware.
The 12GB RAM requirement is another telling detail. Leaks have suggested the Pixel 11 series might cut RAM, with the base model potentially dropping to 8GB. If these Gemini Intelligence specs hold, that leak may be off the mark.
Google says Gemini Intelligence will launch on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices later this year. A report indicates the Galaxy Z Fold 8 could be the first phone to ship with the new features out of the box.
For more on Gemini, follow Ben on Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
