Can Llama 3.1 8B run on Pixel 10a?
YES — Runs, barely
Grade B · 61/100 · formula estimate
What this means
The checked IQ4_XS version should run, but there is very little memory left for the operating system and other apps. The smaller Q2_K version is the safer choice.
Download the Q2_K version, which is about 3.2 GB. We expect it to use about 4.5 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 42 seconds to finish.
This result is calculated from the phone and model specifications. It has not been measured on this exact phone and setup.
7tokens/s
estimated · reading pace
5.8GB
needed at IQ4_XS
IQ4_XS
quant checked
B
grade · 61/100
needs 5.8 GBusable 6 GB
Google Tensor G48 GB RAMCPU / GPU
Make it bearable
1
Drop to Q2_K (3.2 GB) — it runs comfortably here at ~9.6 tokens/s. Recommended over IQ4_XS.
2
Drop context to 2K — saves ~0.3 GB of KV cache and a little speed.
3
Close every other app before loading — the 0.2 GB headroom is real; Android may kill the app otherwise.
4
Expect throttling after ~10 min of sustained generation on a phone chassis.
See how fast it feels
Estimated at 7 tokens/s — reading pace. A ~300-word reply takes about 57 seconds on this phone.
Where the memory goes
| Component | Detail | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Model weights | IQ4_XS GGUF (4.4 GB) + mmap overhead | 4.6 |
| KV cache | 4K context window | 0.6 |
| Runtime | llama.cpp + app overhead | 0.6 |
| Total needed | at IQ4_XS, 4K context | 5.8 |
| Usable on Pixel 10a | 8 GB RAM − Android system reserve | 6 |
| Headroom | left for the OS and your other apps | 0.2 |
Pick your quant
| Quant | Download | Verdict | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2_K BEST HERE | 3.2 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~9.6 tokens/s |
| Q3_K_M | 4 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~7.7 tokens/s |
| IQ4_XS | 4.4 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~7 tokens/s |
| Q4_0 | 4.7 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q4_K_S | 4.7 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q4_K_M | 4.9 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q5_K_M | 5.7 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q6_K | 6.6 GB | ✕ Won't fit | won't fit |
| Q8_0 | 8.5 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 "Llama 3.1 8B Q2_K" in the in-app model hub — 3.2 GB, use Wi-Fi. Search Hugging Face for
bartowski/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct-GGUF and pick the Q2_K file.3
Set context to 4K — expect ~9.6 tokens/s on this phone.
Related checks
MORE ON PIXEL 10A
LLAMA 3.1 8B ON OTHER PHONES