Gemini Intelligence on non-flagship smartphones? MediaTek has this covered

During the latest Google I/O, the Mountain View company presented to the public great promises related to artificial intelligence, announcing a series of advanced experiences designed for the entire Android ecosystem.

However, a fundamental detail was omitted during the main event: the functionalities of Gemini Intelligence will be limited to an extremely restricted list of ultra-premium devices. This exclusivity stems from the stringent hardware requirements needed to run the new processing models.

To access these novelties, smartphones must indeed be equipped with a AI Core-compatible processor, with native, specific support for Gemini Nano v3, and 12 GB RAM.

MediaTek, with its new Dimensity 8550, aims to bring part of these features to a more affordable price range.

MediaTek Dimensity 8550 official, supports Gemini Intelligence

Strict requirements have effectively confined access to Gemini Intelligence to a very small number of very recent and expensive devices, among which currently stand out the series Galaxy S26, the Pixel 10 and the OnePlus 15.

Even ultra-high-end devices released very recently, such as the Pixel 9 lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, only support the previous Gemini Nano v2 version.

Unless Google decides in the future to update its own requirements, these latest smartphones face a real risk of being left out of the most recent generative AI implementations.

In this particularly selective situation, the semiconductor industry is already offering concrete solutions to broaden access to new technologies. MediaTek has indeed recently launched, without too much media fanfare, its new processor named Dimensity 8550.

This component positions itself as the direct successor of the Dimensity 8500, a chip launched at the beginning of this year and currently used by mid-to-high-end devices at more affordable prices, such as the Poco X8 Pro 5G, the Motorola Edge 70 Pro, and the Xiaomi 17T.

Although the specs of the new processor maintain an identical architecture to that of its predecessor, with a CPU configuration of the type “All Big Core” 1+3+4 based entirely on Cortex-A725 cores, the real difference lies entirely in the NPU block.

The Dimensity 8550 is indeed equipped with a powerful NPU 880 and with an unprecedented software and hardware element named LLM Booster. This precise technological configuration guarantees support for the Google Gemini Nano v3 model, providing the essential foundation to bring advanced performance and the Gemini Intelligence features to devices in a market segment below the absolute flagship tier.

Altri ostacoli hardware e la reazione del mercato

Despite MediaTek’s move, the compatibility of future smartphones with Google’s new features is not yet automatic.

The requirements impose, in fact, not only the presence of a qualified processor, but also a minimum of 12 GB of RAM and a guaranteed update cadence for Android. If we take as an example a device like the Motorola Edge 70 Pro, we note that it is marketed also in a base version with only 8 GB of RAM, a quantity that would inevitably exclude it from Google’s latest offerings.

The consumer reaction to these stringent specifications has been particularly heterogeneous. Many users have expressed strong dissatisfaction at seeing their high-end smartphones, purchased recently, already excluded from the new software features.

On the other hand, a sizeable portion of the audience has welcomed the news in an unexpectedly positive way. Several online consumers have declared themselves relieved at not having to search for workarounds or alternative solutions to disable unwanted tools on their own smartphone, going so far as to deem the cheaper models decidedly more attractive precisely because of the lack of pervasive artificial intelligence.