Google’s Gemini AI is a RAM hog, which leaves less RAM for apps on the Pixel 9 Pro, claims a new report. It appears that on-device Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is a significant and omnipresent burden on device memory.
Gemini reserves about 3GB of RAM on the Pixel 9 Pro
The just-launched Google Pixel 9 series smartphones pack the latest Tensor G4 SoC (System on a Chip). Google has indicated the chipset was never intended for raw performance but it was built for the growing demand for on-device Gen AI.
The Tensor G4 isn’t the first smartphone chipset to pack dedicated hardware for AI. However, Google seems to have tweaked the SoC to better handle Gen AI tasks by reserving a portion of the device’s RAM.
Google has reportedly confirmed that it partitions up RAM in the new Pro, Pro XL, and Pro Fold and keeps some memory reserved for AI features. A new report has now revealed that Google reserves as much as 3GB RAM on the latest Pixel 9 Pro. This leaves only about 13GB of RAM for all other apps and the Android OS on the Pixel 9 Pro.
Can Google Pixel users reclaim the memory reserved for Gen AI?
Google is packing a lot of Gen AI features into its Pixel smartphones. Several of these features are exclusive to the Pixel-branded devices.
Although Google offers AI features, users can refuse or avoid using them. Under such circumstances, users should have the choice to get more RAM for other activities. After all, Android device users can clear memory by ending tasks, services, and apps that are running in the background.
Sadly, the same principle doesn’t apply to Gemini AI on the Google Pixel 9 series of smartphones. According to Android Authority, Google reserves “Unevictable” or “MLocked” RAM for Gemini AI. As the name implies, it’s almost impossible for Android OS to reclaim this memory.
On older devices such as the Pixel 8 Pro, and even on the entry-level Pixel 9, Google reserved approximately 0.26GB as Unevictable and Mlocked RAM. However, on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google has kept aside about 2.91GB RAM for AI tasks.
Reserving memory for on-device AI tasks helps improve responsiveness. In other words, Gen AI on the Pixel 9 Pro XL will feel faster or perky. This would help users who rely heavily on Gen AI. However, for users who rarely, if ever, use Google’s latest AI features, their device is essentially locking them out of 3GB RAM. This alone could be a deal-breaker for mobile gamers and multitaskers.