The topic Gemini Intelligence has high Android spec requirements, likely won’t support Pixel 9… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Google’s new Gemini Intelligence push was announced this week and it has pretty steep requirements for Android devices to support the new features, cutting off the Pixel 9 series and even last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 due to one spec.
In short, it’s an overarching branding for Google’s most powerful AI features on premium Android devices. Announced earlier this week, this includes things like more intelligent autofill, Gboard’s upgraded voice-to-text “Rambler” and “Create my Widget.”
“Premium” is a good description, too, based on the spec requirements.
In a footnote on its Gemini Intelligence page, Google details what this experience will require, and the minimum spec requirements are pretty steep including a “flagship chip,” 12GB or more of RAM, and support AI Core and Gemini Nano v3 or higher. The device also needs to be getting at least 5 Android OS upgrades in its life span, 6 years of security updates (at least quaterly), and meet some quality requirements around crash rates and other aspects of the device.
The requirement for Nano v3 is particularly telling here, as it shows what existing devices will or will not be capable of supporting Gemini Intelligence.
Google details what Android devices support Nano v3 on a developer page (highlighted on social media, without sourcing, so we went out and found it) with the list including almost exclusively 2026 releases outside of the Pixel 10 series and Oppo Find X9 series. Devices as recent as the Pixel 9 series and even Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 are still on Nano v2, meaning they won’t meet the criteria for Gemini Intelligence just yet.
Is Nano3 not being on Pixel 9s a hardware limitation or an exclusivity limitation to push P10s? I thought it was the latter for some reason.
It’s worth noting that this section is specifically talking about Gemini Nano’s Prompt API support, not the model specifically. So it’s hard to say for certain whether or not all of those last-gen devices definitely do not support the new requirements. It’s also not directly clear if this can be updated after the fact through future OS upgrades.
It’s also telling here that Gemini Intelligence requires 12GB of RAM. Leaks suggest that the Pixel 11 series will cut RAM allotments, with the base Pixel 11 potentially dropping to 8GB of RAM – if anything, these requirements suggest the leak may not be completely correct.
Whatever the case, Google says that Gemini Intelligence will make its debut on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices later this year, with a report suggesting that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be the first to launch the new features.