Google backtracks and announces Gemini Nano will come to the Pixel 8 after all

Google backtracks and announces Gemini Nano will come to the Pixel 8 after all،

You remember when Google seemingly gave Pixel 8 owners the short end of the stick and said “No Gemini Nano for you!” » ? Well, amid fans' righteous outrage, it looks like someone at Google HQ may have been listening. The company is now backtracking and has announced that the upcoming Pixel Feature Drop will indeed bring a developer preview of Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 align.

Google seems to be very cautious about bringing these features to the little ones Pixel 8. The company also seems to agree with the hypothesis that the reason why Pixel 8 was left out in the first place is its lack of RAM compared to the Pixel 8 Pro (8 GB versus 12 GB). This was a theory that many initially speculated, as Google had no clear reason given as to why the smaller device couldn't support the same features as the larger one.

To this extent, Google is issuing what appear to be subtle warnings that this is a test and only a test to see how it goes. In a statement to the media, Google declared:

We've seen a lot of excitement from users and developers since the Pixel 8 Pro became the first smartphone to feature the Gemini Nano last year. Running large language models on phones with different memory specifications can provide 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 get more feedback and see more innovation.

Additionally, Seang Chau, Google's VP of Device Software and Services, discussed this topic in the most recent episode of “Made by Google Podcast” indicating the following:

The plan is therefore to make Gemini Nano also available on Pixel 8 behind a developer option. So that developers, who know exactly what the impact would be on their user experience, can use this feature. And of course, all users who also understand the potential impact on user experience can also use this feature. We are still doing system health validations because even if you are a developer you may still want to use your phone daily, but we plan to release it by the next feature.

So this is it. I guess we can double the version of Gemino Nano that will arrive at Pixel 8 like “Nano-Lite”? But more seriously, this remains excellent news for Pixel 8 owners and Pixel owners in general, who were unhappy with Google's decision to keep the mobile version of Google's LLM exclusive to its new flagship. As a Pixel owner myself, I had the same feelings about excluding AI features like “Circle to Search” from the Pixel Fold (a device I own), which Google is also rolling back on .