In a surprising turn of events, Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google has revealed that its latest Pixel 8 smartphone will miss out on the highly-anticipated Gemini Nano AI feature.
What Happened: During a recent broadcast of The Android Show podcast, a Google engineer revealed that the Pixel 8 will not support the Gemini Nano AI due to hardware limitations.
While Google is planning to bring Gemini Nano AI to future high-end devices, this news indicates that not all existing devices can support such advanced features.
In Pixel 8's case, the 8GB of RAM is the hardware limitation that prevents it from running Gemini Nano. Its more expensive sibling, the Pixel 8 Pro, has 12GB of RAM, which makes it capable of running Google's AI model.
Interestingly, though, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.'s SSNLF Galaxy S24 is currently equipped with AI for certain features despite having the same amount of RAM as the Pixel 8.
Nonetheless, the Google engineer expressed concerns regarding potential compromises to the Pixel 8’s user experience.
See Also: Perplexity AI Vs. ChatGPT Vs. Google Gemini: Which AI Chatbot Is The Best For You?
On the Pixel 8 Pro, the Gemini Nano AI is already enhancing various features, such as the Recorder app’s Summarize function and the Gboard Smart Reply in messaging apps.
Google also elaborated on the Gemini Nano’s capabilities, particularly its impact on the Recorder app, noting the AI’s reduced latency and high efficiency despite its smaller size.
Why It Matters: Google’s Gemini AI has been rolled out to the Pixel 8 Pro, showcasing Gemini-powered features in apps such as WhatsApp and the built-in Recorder app.
This move by Google to push the Gemini Nano AI model to Pixel smartphone users through the AI Core app update was a significant step in enhancing user experience with AI capabilities.
The absence of Gemini Nano AI in the Pixel 8 highlights a growing challenge in the tech industry: the balance between hardware advancement and software innovation.
As AI becomes more integral to smartphones’ functionality, hardware specifications play a crucial role in determining which devices can support these cutting-edge features.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Google
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