AI Models for Pixel Fold — What runs on 12GB

28 great · 21 slow · 45 won't fit
Chip
Tensor G2
Memory bandwidth
51.2 GB/s
NPU
RAM options
12 GB
Usable for models
~9 GB
Year
2023

Specs checked against manufacturer and public documentation on . Launched in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan only.

What runs on the Pixel Fold

All 94 models at their recommended quant, on the 12GB configuration. Select any row for the full report.

ModelParamsQuantNeedsSpeedVerdict

~ = bandwidth-based estimate · ✓ = measured on real hardware

Best model by use case

Best for Chat

Top everyday assistant & writing pick here — ~38.4 tokens/s at Q8_0, using 1.3 of ~9GB.

Best for Coding

Top code completion & explain-this pick here — ~37.7 tokens/s at Q4_K_M, using 6.7 of ~9GB.

Best for Reasoning

Top math & step-by-step thinking pick here — ~20.9 tokens/s at Q4_K_M, using 1.9 of ~9GB.

FAQ

What is the biggest AI model the Pixel Fold can run?

Bonsai 27B (1-bit) (27B parameters) at Q1_0 — it needs 4.8GB of the ~9GB usable on the 12GB Pixel Fold, at ~6.1 tokens/s.

How much of the Pixel Fold's 12GB RAM can AI models actually use?

About 9GB. Android keeps roughly 2–4GB for the system and resident apps, so of the 12GB about 9GB is actually available to a model.

Can the Pixel Fold run Llama 3.1 8B?

Yes — at Q4_K_M it needs 6.3GB of the ~9GB usable and runs at ~4.7 tokens/s.

How fast is local AI on the Pixel Fold?

The Tensor G2 has 51.2GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is what decode speed scales with. Small models like Ternary Bonsai 1.7B reach ~46.1 tokens/s; larger 7–14B models land in the single digits. Anything above ~8 tokens/s feels smooth for chat.

Which quantization should I use on the Pixel Fold?

Q4_K_M is the size/quality sweet spot for most models. For example, Qwen3 0.6B at Q8_0 takes 1.3GB of memory here. Only drop to Q3 or IQ4 if a model just misses fitting; Q8 rarely pays off on 12GB of RAM.

Is 12GB of RAM enough for local AI?

49 of the 94 models we track fit on the Pixel Fold — 28 run great and 21 run with compromises. 45 models (mostly 12B+) don't fit at their recommended quant.

Other Google phones

Pixel 9 ProPixel 9Pixel 8 ProPixel 8aPixel 10Pixel 10 ProPixel 11Pixel 11 ProPixel 11 Pro XLPixel 9aPixel 9 Pro XLPixel 10 Pro XLPixel 10aPixel 9 Pro FoldPixel 10 Pro FoldPixel 11 Pro Fold