With the Google Pixel 9, Google has introduced several new AI features specifically for those who buy this new flagship device. Among them are Pixel Screenshot to get context from content within screenshot images and Call Notes to transcribe phone calls through the voice recorder app. These two features are confirmed to not be supported on the newly launched Pixel 9a.
According to a report by Ars Technica, Google confirmed that this limited feature is due to the 8GB RAM memory on the Pixel 9a compared to the 12GB or 16GB memory on the other Pixel 9. Due to this memory constraint, Google is using a different language model, namely Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS which is developed specifically for text-based content compared to the multi-model Gemini Nano 1.0 XS.
Although some Gemini features on the Pixel 9a are processed on-device, they are not 100% active for better memory management. This on-device processing only occurs when there is an active AI task. What's disappointing is that Google doesn't mention the difference in generative AI support on the Pixel 9a compared to the Pixel 9, which could be confusing to some.
Do you care about the Pixel Screenshot and Call Notes features? Or are you not going to buy the Pixel 9a because you want to wait for another model or want a better competitor?