The Google Pixel 9A may have the same Tensor G4 chip as its more expensive counterparts, but it comes with a text-only version of Gemini AI. Google confirmed to Ars Technica that the Pixel 9A does not have access to certain features, such as the Pixel Screenshots AI app, due to its smaller storage capacity of 8 GB.
Unlike the Gemini Nano XS model, which comes with the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Pixel 9A has an even smaller model with built-in AI: Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS, according to Ars Technica. For comparison, the Pixel 9 has 12 GB of RAM, and the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro Fold have 16 GB. On the Pixel 9A, Gemini Nano XXS is launched only when needed and does not run in the background, Ars Technica reports.
In addition to the Pixel Screenshots feature, which uses artificial intelligence to find screenshots, Ars Technica also confirmed that the Pixel 9A does not support Call Notes, a feature that generates summaries of phone calls using artificial intelligence. However, it can still provide audio summaries from the Recorder app, as it relies on transcriptions.
Last year, Google added Gemini AI to the Pixel 8 Pro only, not the Pixel 8, but later launched it on the mid-range device after user complaints. The model used in the Pixel 8 is the Gemini Nano XXS, Google told Ars Technica.
