Can SmolLM3 3B run on Pixel 9a?
YES — Runs great
Grade S · 100/100 · formula estimate
What this means
Our estimate says SmolLM3 3B should fit comfortably on your Pixel 9a.
Download the Q4_K_M version, which is about 1.9 GB. We expect it to use about 2.8 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 25 seconds to finish.
This result is calculated from the phone and model specifications. It has not been measured on this exact phone and setup.
16.2tokens/s
estimated · instant
2.8GB
needed at Q4_K_M
Q4_K_M
quant checked
S
grade · 100/100
needs 2.8 GBusable 6 GB
Google Tensor G48 GB RAMCPU / GPU
See how fast it feels
Estimated at 16.2 tokens/s — instant. A ~300-word reply takes about 25 seconds on this phone.
Where the memory goes
| Component | Detail | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Model weights | Q4_K_M GGUF (1.9 GB) + mmap overhead | 2 |
| KV cache | 4K context window | 0.2 |
| Runtime | llama.cpp + app overhead | 0.6 |
| Total needed | at Q4_K_M, 4K context | 2.8 |
| Usable on Pixel 9a | 8 GB RAM − Android system reserve | 6 |
| Headroom | left for the OS and your other apps | 3.2 |
Pick your quant
| Quant | Download | Verdict | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2_K | 1.3 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~23.6 tokens/s |
| Q3_K_M | 1.6 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~19.2 tokens/s |
| IQ4_XS | 1.7 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~18.1 tokens/s |
| Q4_0 | 1.8 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~17.1 tokens/s |
| Q4_K_S | 1.8 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~17.1 tokens/s |
| Q4_K_M BEST HERE | 1.9 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~16.2 tokens/s |
| Q5_K_M | 2.2 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~14 tokens/s |
| Q6_K | 2.5 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~12.3 tokens/s |
| Q8_0 | 3.3 GB | ✓ Runs great | ~9.3 tokens/s |
Get it running in 3 steps
1
Install PocketPal from the Play Store — free, no account needed.
2
Download "SmolLM3 3B Q4_K_M" in the in-app model hub — 1.9 GB, use Wi-Fi. Search Hugging Face for
unsloth/SmolLM3-3B-GGUF and pick the Q4_K_M file.3
Set context to 4K — expect ~16.2 tokens/s on this phone.
Related checks
MORE ON PIXEL 9A
SMOLLM3 3B ON OTHER PHONES