By Zak Doffman
Publication Date: 2026-05-18 06:12:00
All change for Android
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Updated on May 18 with further analysis of Google’s new upgrade decision.
Bad news for hundreds of millions of owners of Android smartphones. It turns out that if you want Google’s latest upgrade, anything other than a 2026 phone won’t be good enough. And that means even Samsung’s nearly new, $1500-plus Galaxy S25 doesn’t make the cut.
As Android specialists @AssembleDebug have just warned, Google’s new “Gemini Intelligence features are only available on Android devices with the most advanced capabilities and spec requirements.” That means Google’s Pixel 10 series and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series.
Google says Gemini Intelligence has been built with security and privacy at its center. This is about automating tasks, but that comes with risks. “Because great AI experiences require uncompromising privacy, we’ve grounded Gemini Intelligence on…
