Google is Locking Away 3.5GB of the Vanilla Pixel 10’s RAM for AI

Buying a new smartphone is always exciting. Seeing “12GB of RAM” on the spec sheet of the Google Pixel 10 feels like a win. More memory means a faster phone, right? Well, not exactly. It turns out the Pixel 10 has a bit of a secret: a permanent, AI-only memory partition totally inaccessible to your apps and games.

This isn’t a bug; it’s a deliberate choice by Google. The company has permanently reserved around 3.5GB RAM of the vanilla Pixel 10’s 12GB for its own AI framework and the Tensor’s dedicated processor for AI tasks (spotted by Android Authority). Think of it as a special VIP section that only the phone’s AI can enter. The partition ensures the proper functioning of on-device AI features like real-time voice translation, live call summaries, and photo editing.

3.5GB of RAM out of the Google Pixel 10’s 12GB are exclusively for AI

Last year, the company followed a different strategy. The company played it safe with the base Pixel 9, leaving all its RAM available for general use. The dedicated AI partition was a premium feature reserved for the higher-end Pixel 9 Pro. This particular model shipped with a larger 16GB memory pool. But with the Pixel 10, Google is taking another path where AI becomes even more important.

For the vast majority of your day-to-day use, about 8.5GB of usable RAM is still enough to handle everything you can throw at it. However, the Pixel 10 isn’t just a phone for today. Let’s remember that Google promises up to seven years of major OS updates. As a phone’s lifespan stretches, its hardware has to keep up with evolving software. By the end of its support cycle, future Android versions, heavier applications, and more complex multitasking habits may demand more from the system’s memory. That “extra” 3.5GB that’s locked away might start to feel like a luxury the phone can no longer afford to lose.

“Pro” models, the most recommended for heavy multitaskers

That said, the vanilla Pixel 10 is the only model in the new lineup with 12GB of RAM. All “Pro” variants boast 16GB of RAM, which is great. So, assuming Google reserves the same 3.5GB of RAM in the “Pro” devices, they would still offer 12.5GB of RAM for general use. So, heavy multitaskers who want to keep their phone for several years should better look at a Pixel 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, or 10 Pro Fold.