[GenAI Prompt API] checkStatus() throws unhandled NullPointerException on Galaxy S25 (SM-S931B) when called immediately after construction

[LukasWestholt]

Summary

On a Samsung Galaxy S25 (SM-S931B), calling checkStatus() immediately after constructing the GenerativeModel throws a raw, unhandled NullPointerException from R8-minified internal code, instead of returning a FeatureStatus or throwing a GenAiException. This looks like a construction-timing race: building the client earlier, so there's a gap before the first checkStatus() call, avoids the NPE entirely.

Environment

Device	Samsung Galaxy S25 (SM-S931B), Snapdragon (qcom) variant
Android	16, build BP4A.251205.006.S931BXXSBCZG3, SDK 36
Bootloader	locked
com.google.android.aicore	0.release.qc.prod_aicore_20260723.00_RC11.964081323 (versionCode 494422), last updated 2026-08-19
com.samsung.android.aicore	3.0.02.7 (versionCode 300207510), last updated 2026-06-07
genai-prompt tested	1.0.0-beta2 and 1.0.0-beta4, both fail identically

Steps to reproduce

val model = Generation.getClient(generationConfig {})
model.checkStatus() // suspend fun, throws here

No ModelConfig overrides, default config only.

Actual behavior

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at java.util.Objects.throwNullPointerException(Objects.java:504)
	at java.util.Objects.requireNonNull(Objects.java:222)
	at ba0.<init>(...)
	at ea0.a(...)
	at p7.b(...)
	at fa0.a(...)
	at ce0.<init>(...)
	at yf.a(...)
	at ot.a(...)
	at f4.g(...)
	at t2.resumeWith(...)
	at k9.run(...)
	at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:1070)
	...

(Class names are R8-obfuscated per build and differ between the beta2/beta4 runs, but the shape, Objects.requireNonNull failing inside an internal object's <init>, is identical both times.)

Expected behavior

checkStatus() should return a FeatureStatus, or at worst throw a well-typed GenAiException, not an unhandled NPE, regardless of how soon after construction it's called.

Additional context

• Workaround: construct the client earlier, well before the first checkStatus() call, matching this repo's OpenPromptActivity sample, which naturally has a gap between construction and the first status check. With that change, the NPE stops reproducing on the same device and checkStatus() resolves normally.
• This is consistent with a race in AICore's internal service-binding init on first contact.
• Also resembles [GenAI Prompt API] "Null getService" on Galaxy S26 (SLSI2600) - Unexpected feature type: 1 #1021 ("Null getService" on Galaxy S26/SLSI2600), reported fixed in an AICore release around end of April 2026. Both AICore packages on this device postdate that fix, so this looks like either a separate, still-unpatched variant, or something specific to Samsung's own com.samsung.android.aicore layer.
• Happy to pull more logs or try a minimal repro project if useful.