Gemini Intelligence and Nano 4: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 Pioneers AI in Foldables

What happened?

On July 22, 2026, Samsung unveiled its new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8, along with a surprise: they are the first devices to include Gemini Intelligence, Google's new artificial intelligence layer, and the Gemini Nano 4 model, the most advanced version of Google's lightweight model for on-device execution. According to 9to5Google, this integration enables features like contextual assistants, automatic summaries, intelligent photo editing, and real-time translation, all without relying on the cloud. The presentation, held at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul, marked a milestone in the collaboration between the two companies, which had previously worked together on earlier versions of One UI and Google Assistant integration. However, this time the bet is much more ambitious: Gemini Intelligence is not just an assistant, but a complete AI system that operates at the operating system level.

Why is it important?

The arrival of Gemini Nano 4 represents a qualitative leap in on-device AI. While previous versions (Nano 1 to 3) focused on basic tasks like notification classification or text suggestions, Nano 4 introduces multimodal capabilities: it can process text, images, and audio simultaneously with low latency. This is crucial for foldables, whose form factor allows advanced multitasking. Additionally, Gemini Intelligence unifies these capabilities into a coherent experience, similar to what Apple Intelligence attempts in the Apple ecosystem, but with a more open and cross-platform approach. According to Google data, Nano 4 has 3.8 billion parameters, making it the largest model capable of running on a mobile device without compromising battery life. This enables tasks like real-time image processing for generative photo editing, or simultaneous translation in video calls with latency under 100 milliseconds.

Market consequences

This alliance reinforces Samsung's position as a leader in hardware innovation, while Google ensures its AI ecosystem reaches millions of users. For competitors (Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo), pressure increases: they must offer comparable local AI capabilities or risk falling behind. Apple, with its Apple Intelligence, remains strong in its closed ecosystem, but the Samsung-Google advantage is openness: Gemini Intelligence will be available to developers through APIs, allowing them to create applications that leverage local processing. Developers, for their part, will have new APIs to create apps that take advantage of local processing, reducing cloud dependency and improving privacy. According to IDC analysts, foldable shipments are expected to grow 25% in 2026, partly driven by this innovation. Furthermore, the integration of Gemini Intelligence could accelerate the adoption of on-device AI, a market that Gartner predicts will reach 1.2 billion units by 2027.

What readers should know

• Availability: The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 go on sale in August 2026 with Gemini Intelligence pre-installed. Prices are expected around $1,999 for the Fold and $1,099 for the Flip, though Samsung has not officially confirmed.
• Key features: Contextual assistant that understands on-screen content (e.g., suggests restaurants when it detects a conversation about dinner), generative photo editing (remove objects, change backgrounds with a single tap), simultaneous translation in video calls (supporting 13 languages), and intelligent document summaries (able to synthesize long articles into 3-5 sentences).
• Privacy: Since processing is local, data does not leave the device, improving security over cloud-based solutions. Google has confirmed that Gemini Nano 4 works completely offline for basic functions, though some advanced tasks like web search still require a connection.
• Limitations: Some advanced features (like complex web search) still require an internet connection; Gemini Nano 4 focuses on fast, offline tasks. Additionally, the model takes up approximately 2 GB of storage, which could be an inconvenience for users with limited space.

Historical context

The evolution of Gemini Nano began in 2023 with the Pixel 8 Pro, which included Nano 1 for basic functions like notification classification. Since then, each iteration has doubled performance and capabilities. Nano 2, launched with the Pixel 9 in 2024, added improvements in natural language processing. Nano 3, present in the Pixel 10 of 2025, introduced limited multimodal capabilities. Nano 4, with 3.8 billion parameters, is the largest model that can run on a phone without degrading battery life, thanks to a 40% power consumption optimization over Nano 3. Samsung, for its part, has been collaborating with Google on AI for years (One UI based on Android, Google Assistant integration in Galaxy Watch), but this is the first time they have integrated such a comprehensive suite. In 2024, Samsung had launched Galaxy AI with cloud-based features, but the bet on local AI with Gemini Intelligence marks a strategy shift. According to internal sources cited by 9to5Google, the collaboration began in 2025, when Samsung decided to abandon development of its own local AI model to focus on Google's solution.

“Gemini Intelligence is not just an assistant; it is the operating system of on-device AI,” said a Google spokesperson cited by 9to5Google. This phrase summarizes Google's ambition to make Gemini the centerpiece of the mobile experience, directly competing with Apple Intelligence and the assistants from Amazon and Meta.

Speculation and unconfirmed

It has not been confirmed whether other Samsung models (like the Galaxy S27 series) will receive Gemini Intelligence soon, nor whether Google plans to launch Nano 4 on its own Pixels. There are also no details on the price of the new foldables, though they are expected to be around $1,999 for the Fold and $1,099 for the Flip. Some analysts speculate that Samsung might offer a launch promotion with discounts for those upgrading from a previous model. Additionally, it is unclear whether Gemini Intelligence will be compatible with older versions of Android or if it will require Android 16, expected by late 2026. It has also not been confirmed whether Gemini Intelligence features will come to other Samsung devices, such as tablets or wearables, though it is likely given Samsung's unified ecosystem.

Conclusion

The combination of Samsung's foldable hardware with Google's AI marks a before and after. Users will get a smarter and more private assistant, while the industry watches closely: the future of smartphones lies in on-device AI, and Samsung and Google have just written the first chapter. With Gemini Nano 4, the gap between cloud and local AI narrows dramatically, offering capabilities that once seemed impossible on a mobile device. The question now is whether competitors can keep pace or if this alliance will consolidate Samsung and Google's dominance in the high-end market. What is certain is that July 22, 2026, will be remembered as the day on-device AI made its definitive leap.