Can Gemma 3 12B run on Pixel 9a?
YES — Runs great
Grade A · 79/100 · formula estimate
What this means
Our estimate says Gemma 3 12B should fit comfortably on your Pixel 9a.
Download the IQ1_S version, which is about 3.1 GB. We expect it to use about 4.7 GB of the roughly 6 GB available to a model on this phone.
At the estimated speed, a roughly 300-word answer may take about 40 seconds to finish.
This result is calculated from the phone and model specifications. It has not been measured on this exact phone and setup.
9.9tokens/s
estimated · faster than you read
4.7GB
needed at IQ1_S
IQ1_S
quant checked
A
grade · 79/100
needs 4.7 GBusable 6 GB
Google Tensor G48 GB RAMCPU / GPU
See how fast it feels
Estimated at 9.9 tokens/s — faster than you read. A ~300-word reply takes about 40 seconds on this phone.
Where the memory goes
| Component | Detail | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Model weights | IQ1_S GGUF (3.1 GB) + mmap overhead | 3.3 |
| KV cache | 4K context window | 0.9 |
| Runtime | llama.cpp + app overhead | 0.6 |
| Total needed | at IQ1_S, 4K context | 4.7 |
| Usable on Pixel 9a | 8 GB RAM − Android system reserve | 6 |
| Headroom | left for the OS and your other apps | 1.3 |
Pick your quant
| Quant | Download | Verdict | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| IQ1_S BEST HERE | 3.1 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~9.9 tokens/s |
| Q2_K | 4.8 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q3_K_M | 6 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| IQ4_XS | 6.6 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q4_0 | 6.9 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q4_K_S | 6.9 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q4_K_M | 7.3 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q5_K_M | 8.4 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q6_K | 9.7 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q8_0 | 12.5 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
Get it running in 3 steps
1
Install PocketPal from the Play Store — free, no account needed.
2
Download "Gemma 3 12B IQ1_S" in the in-app model hub — 3.1 GB, use Wi-Fi. Search Hugging Face for
unsloth/gemma-3-12b-it-GGUF and pick the IQ1_S file.3
Set context to 4K — expect ~9.9 tokens/s on this phone.
Related checks
MORE ON PIXEL 9A
GEMMA 3 12B ON OTHER PHONES