text model · phi · iOS
Can I run Phi-4-mini 3.8B on iPhone Air?
Yes. Phi-4-mini 3.8B runs on iPhone Air at Q4_K_M (~3.8 GB of ~8 GB usable).
Runs at Q4_K_M using ~3.8 GB of ~8 GB usable. You have room for Q8_0 for higher quality.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~3.8 GB
- Usable on device
- ~8 GB
- Device memory
- 12 GB
- Best quant
- Q4_K_M
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
- 3.8B
- Q4_K_M size
- 2.49 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 4.08 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- phi4-mini:3.8b
- Memory
- 12 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~8 GB
- Best runtime
- llama.cpp + Metal (via PocketPal or Off Grid app)
You could also run
Run Phi-4-mini 3.8B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPhone Air run Phi-4-mini 3.8B?
Yes. Phi-4-mini 3.8B runs on iPhone Air at Q4_K_M (~3.8 GB of ~8 GB usable).
How much memory does Phi-4-mini 3.8B need?
iPhone Air has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~2.49 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~3.8 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Phi-4-mini 3.8B 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.