Pixel 8 for Some Reason Can’t Access Google’s Latest AI Tools
On paper , the Pixel 8 seems like a surefire hit for Google. It has the same chip as the more expensive Pixel 8 Pro, but is cheaper and has a screen size that is more convenient for some. Unfortunately, in a strange twist that makes absolutely no sense, Google says it won’t use its latest AI models on the cheaper Pixel 8.
The move caught many people by surprise and was only made public after Terence Zhang, a member of the Geminin-on-Android team, said that “Nano will not be coming to Pixel 8” during a Q&A session at Mobile World Congress. 2024. The news was noticed by Mishaal Rahman and shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Obviously there are quite a few red flags here. To begin with, Google is promoting Gemini more than I’ve ever seen it promote anything else it has produced. While opinions on Google’s AI model vary, there’s no arguing that Gemini can be promising at times. However, one of the most promising factors was that Google introduced a version of its unusual artificial intelligence model in its Pixel 8 line.
But now it seems the flames of hype are all over the place, which may have been fanned too much by the tech giant as it now cites “hardware limitations” that prevent it from bringing the Nano, a mobile version of the Gemini, to the Pixel 8. It’s an excuse that doesn’t have makes absolutely no sense, especially since the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro use the same chipset.
In fact, the only difference between the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 in terms of hardware is the display size, which should not affect the AI, the cameras, which again should not affect the AI, and the RAM allocation. The Pixel 8 has 8GB of storage, while the Pixel 8 Pro has 12GB. Of course, this may reduce the AI processing time a bit, but losing 4GB of RAM shouldn’t completely disable the phone from the AI model. In fact, the base version of the Galaxy S24 series also has 8GB of RAM and supports Gemini Nano features perfectly.
If there’s any other hardware difference, Google has never said so, which is odd considering how much Google touts its Pixel 8 devices as being built for artificial intelligence.
Of course, there are arguments as to how Google may have presented the situation during its initial announcements of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. However, the company has never clearly stated that the two devices will offer different AI capabilities. Pixel 8 buyers probably would have liked to have known about this back in October, when the phone hit store shelves.
As it stands, it seems like Google might be creating some false restrictions to try to differentiate its phone as a more “professional” level phone, but that’s purely speculation on my part. Whatever the reason, the Pixel 8 doesn’t look great, especially if Google continues to push its AI products and one of its flagship devices won’t even be able to take advantage of those features.
My big question now, however, is what’s left of the Pixel 8. Google promised seven years of support for the smartphone, but if it’s already integrating new AI features in less than six months, those seven years of support don’t look like much. promising. Let’s hope the tech giant fixes this in the future. However, for now, Pixel 8 owners can probably expect to miss out on some of the new AI features.