By Nermeen Nabil Khear 
Due to the Pixel 9a’s shipping with 8GB RAM, instead of the 12GB or 16GB of RAM we saw with the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup, Google had to ship a smaller model of Gemini AI with the device. For the people who track this stuff, it’s important to note, because with this smaller model comes less features.
Confirmed to Arstechnica, the Gemini model that ships with Pixel 9a is labeled as Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS, with the XXS standing for extra extra small. The more expensive Pixel 9 models have Nano 1.0 XS, capable of the features we’re all now familiar with, such as Pixel Screenshots (image processing), as well as continuously running the background.
Missing Features: This is where the smaller XXS model differs from XS. To help conserve the 8GB of onboard memory, Gemini does not run in the background on the Pixel 9a and it does not ship with Pixel Screenshots, as the XXS model cannot process images. Call Notes, another Google feature that uses on-device AI to create phone conversation summaries, is also unavailable, with the XXS model also unable to process audio.
Noted is the presence of Recorder summaries, as Gemini doesn’t specifically work on the audio. Instead, the app creates transcriptions of the audio, then the on-device Gemini XXS creates summaries of those transcripts. That’s a nice workaround.
Takeaway: In 2025, when a lot of “budget” phones are shipping with lots of RAM, like those from OnePlus and Nothing, it’s somewhat sad that the Pixel 9a ($499) ships with only 8GB. No, it’s not the end of the world and we still expect this device to run smoothly, but it almost seems like it would have been more efficient to toss in the 12GB. It’s probable that Google had a target price and profit goal to hit with this device, but now we have to talk about what features this phone is missing compared to a standard Pixel 9. That’s suboptimal for the marketing department.
// Arstechnica
Read the original post: Pixel 9a Has Extra, Extra Small Model of Gemini AI With Less Features
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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