Gemini Intelligence Will Only Be Available for Phones with These Minimum Features — What It Means for Pakistani Buyers
By Sayed Abdullah | May 22, 2026
Every time Google announces a shiny new AI feature, there's a quiet asterisk attached — and usually that asterisk says "only available on the latest hardware." But with Gemini Intelligence, the company's most ambitious on-device AI system yet, that asterisk is louder than usual. The new features will require at least 12GB of RAM and the Gemini Nano v3 model to run, and that single requirement has already rendered a shocking number of premium phones obsolete before the feature has even launched — including Google's own Pixel 9 series from just last year. If you're planning to buy a new phone in Pakistan this year, this is the kind of detail that could make or break your investment.
What Gemini Intelligence Actually Does
Let's start with what these features promise, because they genuinely sound useful. Gemini Intelligence is designed to handle autonomous, multi-step tasks in the background without requiring constant user input. It can source information, transform it, and interact with apps and websites on your behalf. Imagine asking your phone to research a topic, compile findings into a document, and email it to your boss — all while you're doing something else. That's the vision.
There are also more immediately practical features. Gboard's "Rambler" voice-to-text tool can handle filler words and mixed-language input more naturally — particularly relevant in Pakistan, where many of us switch between Urdu and English in the same sentence without even thinking about it. Google is also introducing a "Create my Widget" feature that uses AI to generate contextual home screen widgets based on your usage patterns. These are the kinds of enhancements that make a phone feel smarter without requiring you to learn anything new.
But all of these features run on-device through the Gemini Nano v3 model — not in the cloud. That's the crucial detail. Google wants the processing to happen locally for speed and privacy, but that means your phone needs to meet certain hardware thresholds. And those thresholds are turning out to be significantly higher than most people expected.
The 12GB Problem That Catches Everyone
Google's developer page listing Nano v3 compatible devices reportedly shows mostly 2026 releases. The Pixel 10 series and the Oppo Find X9 series are among the very few 2025-era devices that meet the requirement. That means phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Pixel 9 Pro, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — all premium flagships that cost well over PKR 300,000 when they launched — will not support Gemini Intelligence. Not because their chipsets can't handle it, necessarily, but because they weren't built with the required version of Google's AI model infrastructure in mind.
This is the kind of fragmentation that makes tech buyers furious, and it's not hard to see why. Someone who spent a fortune on a Galaxy S25 Ultra just a year ago now discovers that a core feature of Google's AI roadmap won't run on their device — not because the phone is slow, but because Google drew a line and their phone fell on the wrong side of it. It remains unclear whether Google will update older phones to support Gemini Nano v3 through a software update, but if history is any guide, the answer is usually "no" when it comes to AI features that require specific hardware optimisations.
The Pixel 11 Puzzle
The requirements also create an awkward internal problem for Google. Leaks suggest the base Pixel 11 may launch with just 8GB of RAM. If that's true, Google's own next-generation phone wouldn't meet the minimum for its own flagship AI feature. That's the kind of contradiction that makes product launches deeply uncomfortable — imagine the head of hardware having to explain why the new Pixel can't run the AI that was just demoed on stage.
There are three possibilities here. The RAM leak could be wrong, and the base Pixel 11 will actually pack 12GB. Google could create an exception for its own hardware, which would be a terrible look but technically possible. Or the base Pixel 11 will simply not support Gemini Intelligence, which would create a confusing two-tier experience within a single product line. All three options are awkward in different ways.
What This Means for Pakistani Buyers
In Pakistan, where phones are often purchased outright and kept for several years, the Gemini Intelligence cutoff is particularly relevant. The premium phone market here is driven by buyers who want the latest features and are willing to pay for them, but they also expect their investment to last. A PKR 400,000 phone that can't run a major AI feature within a year of purchase is a much harder sell.
The first device expected to publicly debut Gemini Intelligence is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, likely in July 2026. The Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 series should follow this summer. For anyone planning to buy a premium Android phone in the next few months, the Galaxy S26 series currently looks like the safest option — though as always with unreleased hardware, nothing is guaranteed until the spec sheet is confirmed.
There's a broader lesson here for Pakistani tech buyers: AI features are no longer a marketing gimmick. They're a hardware requirement that will increasingly determine how long your phone stays relevant. The days when you could buy last year's flagship and assume it would run everything just fine for two or three years may be coming to an end, and phone manufacturers — Google included — have not been nearly honest enough about that shift. The 12GB line in the sand for Gemini Intelligence is clear. What's less clear is how many more lines will be drawn before consumers catch on.
🔗 Also Read: AI Is Now More Expensive Than Hiring Human Employees
Does the Gemini Intelligence hardware cutoff change your plans for your next phone, or are you fine using last year's flagship without these new AI features? Let me know in the comments.
Sayed Abdullah is the founder of Prime Pakistan. Based in Karachi, he writes about technology and how it impacts the everyday lives of Pakistani consumers. Read more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the minimum RAM requirement for Gemini Intelligence?
A: Google requires at least 12GB of RAM for devices to support Gemini Intelligence, as it runs the Gemini Nano v3 model on-device.
Q: Will my Galaxy S25 Ultra or Pixel 9 Pro get Gemini Intelligence?
A: Currently, no. These phones are not listed as compatible with Gemini Nano v3, and it's unclear whether Google will update them via software.
Q: Which phones will be the first to support Gemini Intelligence?
A: The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to debut the feature in July 2026, followed by the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 series.
Sources & External Links
- ProPakistani — Gemini Intelligence Minimum Requirements
- Google Developers — Gemini Nano v3 Compatibility
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