text model · mistral · iOS
Can I run Mistral Nemo 12B on iPhone 16 Pro?
No. Mistral Nemo 12B needs ~8.6 GB even at Q4_K_M, but iPhone 16 Pro only has ~4.5 GB usable.
Needs ~8.6 GB even at Q4_K_M, but only ~4.5 GB is usable.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~8.6 GB
- Usable on device
- ~4.5 GB
- Device memory
- 8 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
- 12.2B
- Q4_K_M size
- 6.96 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 12.13 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- mistral-nemo:12b
- Memory
- 8 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~4.5 GB
- Best runtime
- llama.cpp + Metal (via PocketPal or Off Grid app)
What you can run instead
Run Mistral Nemo 12B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPhone 16 Pro run Mistral Nemo 12B?
No. Mistral Nemo 12B needs ~8.6 GB even at Q4_K_M, but iPhone 16 Pro only has ~4.5 GB usable.
How much memory does Mistral Nemo 12B need?
iPhone 16 Pro does not have enough memory. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~6.96 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~8.6 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Mistral Nemo 12B 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.