Gemini Intelligence may be one of Google’s flashiest Android upgrades, but it does not look like every phone will get the full experience. A footnote on Google’s page says the premium features need a flagship chip, at least 12GB of RAM, AI Core and Gemini Nano v3 or higher.
That is a steep bar. It means a lot of recent Android phones could miss the first wave, even if they still feel fast in normal use.
Premium AI needs premium hardware
The requirement makes sense from Google’s side. Gemini Intelligence is not just a chatbot shortcut. It is meant to run deeper Android features, including Rambler voice typing, smarter autofill, custom widgets and more complex on-device actions.
Still, the cutoff could sting. Buyers who picked up a capable phone last year may learn that their device is not eligible for the newest Android AI layer. That is the risk when AI features become a hardware selling point instead of a simple app update.
Rollout will matter
Google says Gemini Intelligence features will roll out in waves, starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer. The company also says the experience will expand across watches, cars, glasses and laptops later this year.
The big question is how clearly Google and phone makers explain eligibility. Android users are used to staggered updates, but Gemini Intelligence sounds like a platform shift. If the requirements stay this strict, the messaging needs to be clean. Nobody wants to find out after buying a phone that the best AI features are locked behind one missing spec. It also gives buyers one more thing to check before upgrading. RAM, chipset class and on-device AI support now matter almost as much as camera specs. We will keep watching this alongside Tech My Money’s mobile coverage.
