16GB RAM for Gemini AI on the device?

Google is widely expected to release four Pixel 9 phones this fall. The list includes the next-generation Pixel Fold, which a new leak claims could be called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Then we will get Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Google didn’t tease any of these devices at I/O 2024. The event focused on the artificial intelligence features available in Google apps and Google phones. Artificial intelligence was such a big topic that Android 15 was only an afterthought. Google detailed Gemini-based features coming to Android 15 this fall, and a day later decided to announce non-AI features for the operating system.

Now we have a leak regarding the Pixel 9, which offers several specifications of two of the four Google phones from 2024. Leaks like this are an everyday occurrence in the world of Pixel devices. Google cannot or does not want to keep secrets about its devices. But this Pixel 9 Pro XL specs leak is quite telling as it teases a big update that teases the on-device Gemini AI features that will be coming to Google’s next-generation phones.

Blog MySmartPrice Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Geekbench 6.3.0 benchmarks have been discovered for the first time. As you can see below, these initial results are well below what the iPhone 15 Pro/Max can offer. However, we are looking at early tests with a non-final version of the software. And that’s assuming they’re true, to begin with.

On the other hand, Google’s Tensor chips will never beat the iPhone in benchmarks. And I expect the iPhone 16 models to perform even better than the Pixel 9 models.

More interesting than the benchmark results are the specifications they mention. The Pixel 9 Pro XL test shows that the phone will be equipped with the Google Tensor G4 chip and 16 GB of RAM. The Pixel 9 test shows the same chip, but paired with 8GB of RAM.

If you follow the latest AI news, especially Apple Intelligence, you probably know that RAM is a big bottleneck in processing AI features on a device. Apple needs an iPhone 15 Pro/Max or better to provide Apple Intelligence. In other words, it is an iPhone equipped with at least 8 GB of RAM. Some reports say that Apple Intelligence will always need at least 2 GB of RAM for local processing.

Earlier this week, I said that as a long-time iPhone user, I’m willing to wait until Apple gives me the Siri AI functionality I want on iPhone. It is a personal AI assistant that is context-aware. What I mean here is the data saved on the phone and what is displayed on the screen. Siri will then be able to execute commands to perform actions in apps or control your iPhone.

I said at the time that no one was trying to tease or demonstrate an experience similar to Apple’s vision for Siri. But I also speculated that Google would want to create its own personal AI assistant for Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 9. Rumors already say that work on such an assistant may continue. The same goes for Samsung and other Android providers.

A key aspect of Apple Intelligence is privacy through on-device processing AND a completely new type of cloud computing. The former is likely the reason why Apple Intelligence won’t work on iPhone 15 and older devices that will support iOS 18. Again, it’s all about RAM.

Apple copies Android features for the iPhone all the time, but overall, Google has always followed Apple’s lead when it comes to Pixel hardware and software features. With the Apple Intelligence vision in place, Google cannot afford to fall short of Apple’s privacy guarantees.

After all, we all knew that Apple’s AI strategy would rely on strong privacy features. Google probably saw this coming too. Moreover, Google will also want to surpass Apple’s artificial intelligence with its huge Gemini model.

That’s where the 16GB RAM in the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes in handy. By increasing the amount of RAM, Google can ensure that the phone has enough memory to support the Gemini AI assistant features on the device now and in the years to come. The Pixel 8 Pro has 12GB of RAM, which could be enough for more sophisticated Gemini AI models later this year.

By the same token, the Pixel 9’s 8GB of RAM could be bad news for the device’s AI. However, remember that Google talked about its Gemini Nano and Gemini 1.5 Flash models on stage at I/O 2024. This allows Google to bring some of Gemini’s advanced features to devices like the Pixel 9 along with on-device processing. However, I’m speculating here.