text model · Qwen2.5-VL · iOS
Can I run Qwen2.5-VL 3B on iPhone Air?
Yes. Qwen2.5-VL 3B runs on iPhone Air at Q4_K_M (~4.4 GB of ~8 GB usable).
Runs at Q4_K_M using ~4.4 GB of ~8 GB usable. You have room for Q8_0 for higher quality.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~4.4 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
- 3.75B
- Q4_K_M size
- 3.05 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 5.1 GB
- Context
- 32k
- 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 Qwen2.5-VL 3B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPhone Air run Qwen2.5-VL 3B?
Yes. Qwen2.5-VL 3B runs on iPhone Air at Q4_K_M (~4.4 GB of ~8 GB usable).
How much memory does Qwen2.5-VL 3B need?
iPhone Air has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~3.05 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~4.4 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Qwen2.5-VL 3B 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.