Can SmolLM3 3B run on Moto G (2025)?
YES — Runs, barely
Grade A · 71/100 · formula estimate
What this means
Our estimate says SmolLM3 3B should fit, but replies are likely to arrive slowly.
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 2 minutes to finish.
This result is calculated from the phone and model specifications. It has not been measured on this exact phone and setup.
4.1tokens/s
estimated · reading pace
2.8GB
needed at Q4_K_M
Q4_K_M
quant checked
A
grade · 71/100
needs 2.8 GBusable 6 GB
Dimensity 63008 GB RAMCPU / GPUalso sold with 4 GB
Make it bearable
1
Drop context to 2K — saves ~0.1 GB of KV cache and a little speed.
2
Close every other app before loading — the 3.2 GB headroom is real; Android may kill the app otherwise.
3
Expect throttling after ~10 min of sustained generation on a phone chassis.
See how fast it feels
Estimated at 4.1 tokens/s — reading pace. A ~300-word reply takes about 98 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 Moto G (2025) | 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, barely | ~5.9 tokens/s |
| Q3_K_M | 1.6 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~4.8 tokens/s |
| IQ4_XS | 1.7 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~4.5 tokens/s |
| Q4_0 | 1.8 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~4.3 tokens/s |
| Q4_K_S | 1.8 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~4.3 tokens/s |
| Q4_K_M BEST HERE | 1.9 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~4.1 tokens/s |
| Q5_K_M | 2.2 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~3.5 tokens/s |
| Q6_K | 2.5 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~3.1 tokens/s |
| Q8_0 | 3.3 GB | ! Runs, barely | ~2.3 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 ~4.1 tokens/s on this phone.
Related checks
MORE ON MOTO G (2025)
SMOLLM3 3B ON OTHER PHONES