Popular pressure has led Google to allow the Pixel 8 to run artificial intelligence on the device. Starting with the next Pixel feature update, The Pixel 8 will use Gemini Nano for some AI features.
Google announced Gemini Nano as its mobile-optimized large language model in December and said it would be a core part of Android going forward.
However, in its own device family, it could only use the Pixel 8 Pro. Despite using the same Tensor G3 chipset, the Pixel 8 was unable to run AI on the device due to “hardware limitations.” Pixel fans and Android experts wondered exactly what restrictions Google meant.
Now, according to a statement from Google, everything has changed:
Since the Pixel 8 Pro became the first smartphone to receive the Gemini Nano last year, we’ve seen a lot of hype from users and developers.
Running large language models on phones with different memory specifications can result in different user experiences. So we tested and validated this on the Pixel 8.
We’re excited to offer more enthusiasts and developers the opportunity to try Gemini Nano, where we hope to receive more feedback and further innovation.
The Pixel 8 will get Gemini Nano support in the next Pixel feature update as a developer preview and, like the Pixel 8 Pro, will feature recorder summaries and smart replies in Gboard.