text model · gemma · iOS
Can I run Gemma 3 27B on iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config)?
No. Gemma 3 27B needs ~18.6 GB even at Q4_K_M, but iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) only has ~12 GB usable.
Needs ~18.6 GB even at Q4_K_M, but only ~12 GB is usable.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~18.6 GB
- Usable on device
- ~12 GB
- Device memory
- 16 GB
How to run it
On iOS use Apple Foundation Models (Built into iOS 26, ~3B on-device model, zero download, fully private.). Phones realistically run 1B-4B class models. Anything larger thermally throttles or OOMs.
- Parameters
- 27B
- Q4_K_M size
- 16.55 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 28.71 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- gemma3:27b
- Memory
- 16 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~12 GB
- Best runtime
- MLX (via Python or Swift; mlx-lm package)
What you can run instead
Run Gemma 3 27B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) run Gemma 3 27B?
No. Gemma 3 27B needs ~18.6 GB even at Q4_K_M, but iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) only has ~12 GB usable.
How much memory does Gemma 3 27B need?
iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) does not have enough memory. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~16.55 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~18.6 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Gemma 3 27B on iOS?
On iPhone and iPad, Apple Foundation Models (Built into iOS 26, ~3B on-device model, zero download, fully private.) is the standard choice. Phones realistically run 1B-4B class models. Anything larger thermally throttles or OOMs.
Sources
Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.