Google's budget-friendly Pixel 9a offers seven years of updates, but its hardware specs are unlikely to keep up with future features.

Or lack thereof. The Pixel 9 phones come with 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on the model you choose. The Pixel 9a, meanwhile, only has 8GB of RAM, and this isn’t enough to run Gemini Nano XS.

Google's approach to AI has changed substantially since the Pixel 8a launched, with some of the Pixel 9's hallmark features relying on local AI processing through the smartphone-optimized Gemini Nano.

Due to only 8GB of RAM, the Pixel 9a will not have Pixel Screenshots or Call Notes in the Phone app. Google says (via Ars Technica) that the Pixel 9a runs “Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS” (extra extra ...