Google originally launched the base Pixel 8 without the impressive generative AI features that we saw with the Pro model. Well, the company has since launched Gemini Nano on several devices. However, during the Q&A session, Google stated that Gemini Nano will not be making it to the base Pixel 8 due to “hardware limitations.”
Gemini Nano is the compact and efficient AI model that can fit onto a phone’s chip. It’s currently powering the AI on the Pixel 8 Pro (Review), and the Samsung Galaxy S24 phones. Also, Gemini Nano will be coming to the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 and the Dimensity 8300. So, it’s definitely making the rounds
But, Gemini Nano will not be coming to the base Pixel 8
The Android developers YouTube channel just held another episode of The Android Show where it talked about Gemini Nano, MWC, Android 15, and more. The whole show lasted for 58 minutes, and it was chock full of a bunch of information.
During the show, there was a Q&A session where six Developers answered questions brought up by the community. One question that was brought up was whether Gemini Nano was going to be coming to the Pixel 8 (Review). One of the hosts said that Gemini now will not be coming to the Google Pixel 8 due to “hardware limitations.”
This, as you can guess, left many people scratching their heads. Hardware limitations? The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are both running the same SoC, the Google Tensor G3. Other than that, pretty much everything else about them is the same internally. The only main difference between the models is the fact that the base Pixel 8 has 8GB of RAM while the Pixel 8 Pro has 12GB of RAM.
The difference in RAM could possibly be a factor… until you take into account the fact that the Galaxy S24 has 8GB of RAM, and it has Gemini Nano.
So, either there are actual hardware limitations that we don’t know about or Google is intentionally withholding Gemini Nano from the base Pixel 8 in order to push sales to the Pro model. Hopefully, the latter is not the case.
![The base Pixel 8 lacks Gemini Nano due to 'hardware limitations' (What, Google?) #TheAndroidShow: the latest from MWC'24, Gemini Nano, Android 15 and more!](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/pou4o1X1DI4/hqdefault.jpg?w=810&ssl=1)
Anyway, Gemini Nana is not coming to the base Pixel 8. However, we’re fairly sure that it will be on the base Pixel 9. It’s highly unlikely that Google will withhold Gemini Nano from a phone that’s running an SoC processor more powerful than what the Pixel 8 Pro has.