Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Great news for Google Pixel 8 owners – the feature you didn’t think would be available on your device is finally coming to your Pixel 8! Gemini Nano, the on-device AI that was initially exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro, is now making its way to the standard Pixel 8 as well. Google had previously stated that it wouldn’t be compatible with the Pixel 8, but they have since changed their stance, much to the delight of Pixel 8 users.
Gemini Nano, the latest iteration of Google’s Gemini AI, made its debut on the Pixel 8 Pro in December 2023. However, Pixel 8 owners were disappointed to learn that they would not have access to this feature. In a recent episode of the Android Developers podcast in March 2024, it was confirmed that Gemini Nano would not be supported on the non-Pro Pixel 8 due to undisclosed hardware limitations, despite sharing the same processor as the Pro model.
Fortunately, Google has had a change of heart and will be introducing Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 in the next feature drop. This update will include a developer preview of Gemini Nano, along with Google’s AICore system service app, enabling features like Summarize in the Recorder app and Smart Reply in the Gboard keyboard app.
Google has been conducting tests on the Pixel 8 to ensure that devices with lesser RAM can still effectively run Gemini Nano without compromising user experience. With 8GB of RAM on the Pixel 8 compared to the 12GB on the Pro model, it seems that the Pixel 8 is more than capable of handling Gemini Nano. Interestingly, Gemini Nano is also integrated into the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, which features a non-Pro version with 8GB of RAM running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Gen 3 processor.
While Google has not specified an exact release date for the update bringing Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8, they have already rolled out an update for Pixel devices this month. This indicates that the release may still be a few months away. Nevertheless, Pixel 8 users can look forward to benefiting from Gemini Nano soon, proving that Google has not forgotten about a device they launched just last year.
