Google's Gemini Intelligence: Why Your Pixel 9 or Galaxy Z Fold 7 Might Not Qualify

Google's latest push into on-device AI, dubbed Gemini Intelligence, comes with hardware prerequisites that unexpectedly exclude several recent flagship phones. While the technology promises powerful new capabilities, its memory requirements are steep enough to leave even the Pixel 9 series and last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the cold. Here's a closer look at what's happening, which devices are affected, and what this means for Android users.

What exactly is Gemini Intelligence, and why does it need such high specs?

Gemini Intelligence is Google's next-generation on-device AI suite, designed to run complex language models and real-time processing tasks directly on your phone. Unlike cloud-based solutions, this approach offers faster responses, better privacy, and offline functionality. However, because the AI models are large and require substantial memory to run efficiently without compromising performance, Google has set a minimum RAM threshold. In this case, the requirement is reported to be 16GB of RAM—a spec that many current flagships, including the Pixel 9 and Galaxy Z Fold 7, do not meet. The high memory demand ensures smooth multitasking and prevents the phone from slowing down during heavy AI workloads.

Google's Gemini Intelligence: Why Your Pixel 9 or Galaxy Z Fold 7 Might Not Qualify — Source: 9to5google.com

Which specific devices are being cut off from Gemini Intelligence?

According to the report, the Pixel 9 series—including the standard Pixel 9 and likely the Pixel 9 Pro—will not support Gemini Intelligence, despite being Google's own latest flagship lineup. Similarly, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, which was released in 2024, also falls short of the 16GB requirement. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 typically packs 12GB of RAM, while the Pixel 9 series tops out at 12GB for some models (though the Pixel 9 Pro XL may have 16GB in certain configurations, but the base models seem to miss out). Older devices like the Pixel 8 series and earlier folds are also obviously excluded. Essentially, any phone with less than 16GB of RAM won't get these new AI features.

What is the single spec causing this limitation?

The bottleneck is RAM—specifically, a minimum of 16GB of system memory. This is unusual because most flagship phones in 2024–2025 still launch with 12GB or even 8GB as standard. Even high-end tablets and some laptops don't always have 16GB. Google's decision likely stems from the sheer size of the on-device AI models, which need to load and run alongside the operating system and any open apps. Without sufficient RAM, the phone would either crash or become unusably slow. Other specs like processor or storage are less critical, as modern chipsets (like Tensor G4 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) already have AI accelerators. The RAM requirement is the hard cutoff.

Does excluding Pixel 9 and Fold 7 make those phones obsolete?

Not at all. While missing out on Gemini Intelligence is disappointing for users of these recent flagships, the phones remain fully capable for all standard tasks: photography, gaming, productivity, and other AI features that don't require 16GB. For example, Google Assistant, live translation, and camera AI will still work. However, the most advanced on-device generative AI tasks—like real-time image generation, advanced voice assistants, or running large language models locally—won't be available. This limitation may make some users hesitant to upgrade to these models if they specifically want the latest AI tricks. But for most people, the phone's core functionality is unaffected.

What alternatives do consumers have if they want Gemini Intelligence?

If you're after Gemini Intelligence on a phone, you'll need a device with at least 16GB of RAM. Currently, that includes certain high-end models like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (rumored to have 16GB), the OnePlus 13 Pro, and some gaming phones like the Asus ROG Phone series. Google itself may introduce a Pixel 9 Pro model with 16GB in some regions, but the base Pixel 9 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 are out. Another workaround is to wait for future software optimizations that might lower the RAM requirement, though Google hasn't announced any such plans. Alternatively, you could rely on cloud-based AI services, though that sacrifices privacy and offline capabilities.

Will future Android phones better support Gemini Intelligence?

Yes, the trend is clear: RAM is becoming a differentiator for on-device AI. Flagship phones released in 2025 and beyond are expected to routinely ship with 16GB or even 24GB of RAM, especially as competition among manufacturers intensifies. Google's requirement is likely to push the entire industry to adopt higher memory configurations as a standard. Moreover, as AI models become more efficient through quantization and pruning, future versions of Gemini Intelligence may run on lower-RAM devices. For now, though, the optimal choice is to either upgrade to a 16GB phone or wait for next year's models that will almost certainly meet the spec.