Pixel 9a
Credit: Eric Zeman/PCMag
Google's latest budget smartphone, the Pixel 9a, comes with a smaller version of the company's on-device AI model, Gemini Nano. This version, called Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS (extra-extra small), differs from the Gemini Nano XS (extra small) found in the flagship Pixel 9 series, as reported by Ars Technica.
The Pixel 9a has 8GB of RAM, compared with 12GB in the higher-end models. Google confirmed to Ars Technica that the lower memory didn't allow it to run all Pixel AI features on the 9a.
Users can still use Gemini Assistant by holding the power button or opening the Gemini app. However, some AI-powered functions are not available on the 9a. For instance, the Pixel Screenshots app, which processes images, and Call Notes, which analyzes audio from phone conversations, are not included. The phone call scam detection feature, recently announced for Pixels, may also be absent from the 9a.
The Gemini Nano XXS on the Pixel 9a doesn't run continuously in the background like it does on flagship models. Instead, it loads only when needed. Additionally, this smaller AI model is text-only and cannot process images or audio.
Contrarily, these are some of the features that do work on Pixel 9a. Google says the phone supports Recorder summaries because the AI doesn't work directly on the audio. The app creates transcriptions without using Gemini, and then the text-only Gemini Nano XXS creates summaries from the text.
This is the first time an A-series Pixel phone doesn't have all the software features of its flagship counterparts. Google really tried to trick us by making this device have a 5,100mAh battery, the biggest any Pixel device has ever had.
Google's product page for the Pixel 9a doesn't clearly outline which AI features are missing. The full extent of this phone's AI limitations is not yet known, and hands on testing may be needed to get a complete picture.
It's safe to say that hardware won't be the only difference between the flagship and budget devices anymore; the differences will be more than that and more integrated in the software.