August 30th.Google Pixel 10 cell phoneDespite having 12GB of running memory (RAM), the machine hides a little secret: it's divided into a fixed, AI-only memory partition that's completely unavailable for regular apps and games.
This is an intentional design by Google. According to Android Authority, of the 12GB of memory in the standard Pixel 10, Google has set aside about 3.5GB for its own AI frameworks, as well as for the dedicated processor in the Tensor chip that is responsible for AI tasks. You can think of this memory as an "AI exclusive VIP area" that only the phone's AI functions can access. It is with this partition that AI functions on the device side can work properly, such as real-time voice translation, instant summarization of call content, and photo editing.
For most users' daily use, the approximately 8.5GB of available RAM is actually enough to handle all kinds of needs. But Google's positioning of the Pixel 10 is more than just "the phone of the moment" - Google has promised to provide up to seven years of mainstream system updates for this phone. As the phone's lifecycle lengthens, the hardware needs to keep up with the constant software upgrades. Toward the end of the support cycle, future versions of Android, more resource-intensive apps, and more complex multitasking habits may place higher demands on phone memory. By that time, the 3.5GB of memory that is now "locked in" may become a valuable resource that phones can't afford to consume.
It's important to note that in the new Pixel 10 lineup, only the standard version comes with 12GB of RAM, with all 'Pro' models carrying 16GB of RAM. Assuming that Google also reserves 3.5GB of RAM for AI in the Pro models, these models will still offer 12.5GB of usable memory for regular apps. So for those who need to do heavy multitasking frequently and plan to use the phone for a long time, the Pixel 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, or 10 Pro Fold would be a better choice.