As Android the OS has evolved, so has the hardware that powers it. These days, smartphones come with high power and high efficiency CPUs paired with large amounts of RAM. Pretty much everyone buying a new phone these days has something that can perform extremely well. But still, people want to know what the fastest and bestest processor is, so benchmarks are used to help rank these things.
In a recent interview, Google’s Soniya Jobanputra (Google Pixel product management team) shared that being the fastest isn’t what Google’s goal is with Tensor. This isn’t news, but we do love getting a peek at Google’s thought process, especially as the company gets more involved in creating its own chipsets.
When we are designing the chip, we’re not designing it for speeds and feats. We’re not designing it to beat some specific benchmark that’s out there. We’re designing it to meet our use cases.
Anyone running a newer Pixel phone powered by a Tensor chip would likely surrender that while they aren’t the fastest phones on the block, they are plenty smooth and deliver more than enough to complete essentially any task. That’s the important part. Can they handle all of the AI tasks? Can they play the games you want to play? If you answered yes to that, then who cares how high they score on a benchmark?
One specific pain point Google wanted to address with the Tensor G4 is opening apps and the speed at which that action takes place.
We knew that we had a pain point with opening apps. And so as we built G4, we really focused on, okay, what do we need to do to make sure that experience is better for users.
As Pixel 9 units begin to hit the doorsteps of those who preordered, we’ll be curious to see the initial impressions from users. We obviously can’t share anything on that front yet ourselves, but we have high hopes for Pixel and Tensor in 2024 and beyond.
To put it crassly, it’s what a loser says.
And I am a huge pixel fan sigh, been since the Og pixel!
I don’t care about benchmark performance. But if you can’t win that, you gotta win something right? A Prius isn’t the fastest car on the road (although the latest gen is definitely a game changer in that dept), but it sure as hell gets among the best mpg. The tensor or rebadged exymos is like a last gen Prius that’s slow as hell AND gets 15MPG… oh and it overheats like a beater with a leaky radiator system lol
The only win I can think of is it’s cheaper. And you could argue that with previous gen pixels where the price was somewhat lower than other flagships devices. But now it’s parity more or less. So the only win is Google making more profit.
Seriously, I bet pixel 9 would be a better device instantly if we can swap in a snapdragon…sigh
Once they match up with snapdragon or come close,their tune will change, now it's just typical talking points.
pain point being opening apps, in 2024 is a big NO.
should have just went with snapdragon.
they should be selling the phones for less.
They are already the cheapest option out of the big 3.
I would buy this if the chip were more efficient than a comparable Snapdragon. Yet the opposite is true, by quite a bit.
This is just an excuse for Samsung's process deficiency compared to TSMC. Once they've switched for the 10 series, watch the marketing change.
That said, my P8P's performance is usually good enough, and its battery life is usually good enough. But it was also cheaper than the competition. The price they're trying to charge for the 9 Pro XL, with not only an inferior SoC but only 128 GB of storage, is too much to ask. If I'm going to pay the same as an iPhone Pro Max or Galaxy S Ultra, I expect performance and battery life to match.
I honestly don't care that much about raw performance at this point. I currently have a Pixel 8 Pro with a Tensor G3 which is way below the competition in terms of raw performance and it handles everything I do with no issue. What I care more about is efficiency.
Ordered Pixel 9 Pro, first Pixel after spending last 10 years + on Galaxy S series..looking forward to a different experience
There's a famous blues song by Willie Dixon that comes to mind.
"Some folks are built like this
Some folks are built like that
But the way I'm built
Now, don't you call me fat
'Cause I'm-a built for comfort
I ain't a-built for speed
But I got ev'rything
A-that a good girl need"
So the most common task – opening apps – wasn't a focus before now I assume?
IDK, all this bashing of the tensor chip. I have a pixel fold, and its does everything i need it to, with zero issues. It never gets hot, like some are complaining about. Will it get warm? YES, but the btching and moaning is getting old. Is it as good as a snapdragon? NO! Just get a samsung or OP if thats what you want. BTW, dont expect anything different, other than a better modem on the 9 series.
I too have a pixel fold and while I do like it, Tensor is garbage. The modem is worse than my much older iPhone 12. And yes, it does get hot. If you live in a hot climate, like I do, then there are times where the CPU gets unusually hot doing just normal tasks and then being in a hot climate, the phone will slow down to a crawl where it is practically unusable. Don't get me wrong, I do like my fold and knew these issues going into it. But the Tensor blows! It's a "C" grade chip at best.
"We're not designing it to trigger fake benchmark scores in benchmark apps like Samsung and OnePlus do". Is what they should have said.
All I want is a phone that doesn't feel like it came out of an oven from basic uses like taking pictures. I just played tourist in Chicago last week and the thing got hot from taking so many photos and videos during the architecture river cruise.
Which phone?
Pixel 8 Pro but it also happened with the 6 and 7 Pro's. Need that new chip ASAP.
Damn. Just about every year we go to Orlando for our anniversary in June & it’s always hot af. Like hotter than 3 Zimbabwes hot. Whether it be because I got a new phone or I’m getting my tourist on like you said I’m constantly taking pics & have never had that issue. I took 64 pics alone during the fireworks show at SeaWorld when doing a night time comparison between my S24 Ultra & 14 Pro Max & neither device got hot.
I live in Tampa and if I'm taking lots of pics or videos, it gets warm. If I'm using Waze and Android Auto, it sometimes gets warm. This has been happening on the last 3 Pixel's for me and my phone is always running latest updates, etc. (I sideload everything as soon as it's available).
Dang. Minus that raggedy ass S7 Edge, I don’t think I’ve ever had a phone get hot on me: especially not from everyday use like pics/vids & navigation.
Ahh, Tampa. I love FL! I’m 7 hours north of you in Marietta, GA.
I never had any temp issues on my 6 or 8 unless doing GPS, Data and charging at once on a warm day. Which yeah, using CPU, GPS, Modem and charging battery will heat up ANY device. I've never had the phones get warm AT ALL just snaping photos or doing video.
I do all 3 on my s22+ and it never over heats, just saying.
LOL. Bllsht.
Okay? It's a known issue with the Pixels and has been for years. Not sure what you're talkin about.
His works fine, so no one's allowed to b*tch and moan anymore. Because it gets old and bothers him.
Is this really news? Even if the leaks hand't confirmed the paltry performance increase over the G3, I think we all pretty much predicted that it wasn't going to be much of an upgrade and that Google would take this position. I guess we'll see if people are buying it this year (both literally and figuratively).
Next year will be better …. they say! I have an S23 and it goes without saying that it IS faster, smoother and well, more responsive than my P8. There is a difference and from what I understand the P9 is not at all that different from the P8.
Having a P8 and an S24 Ultra, other than the S24 being a bit faster in imaging processing I see ZERO difference in daily use of both devices. I often get less lag on my P8 when trying to swipe between open applications and multi-tasking. I get many studders on my S24.
Interesting: not my experience on the S23 as it is smoother and more peppier. User’s experiences do vary, don’t they? 🙂
I'm gonna say it again, benchmarks have their uses which are a good indicator of how long a chip can keep up with future updates and heavy loads down the road based on actual performance. you know how fast the chip throttles or gets hot or perform against the competition, plus good for performance/battery life ratio.
Ding ding ding! I'm not a heavy user so I have no issues with my Pixel 8's chip. However, now that Google is offering 7 years of updates, they should be making their phones to last that long, and I'm afraid the Tensor G3 in my phone will not be doing so hot in 5-7 years.
If they really keep updating it for 7 years in the case of the G3 I doubt we will see half the new announced features down the road especially for the regular 8 which didn’t take longevity into account (based on the Ram and chip used). I’d say the 9 series are well equipped for a good amount of time in the future. Would like to see how it stacks up against the 8 Gen 3
So do the prices reflect use cases, actual specs, or just whatever Apple/Samsung are currently charging?
Everyone will just keep raising prices until people stop buying them. They are still buying $1000-1700 phones so here we are.
Stock Android and less bloat with an unlocked boot loader while getting new Android OS updates first has value to me which one can't get with a Samsung phone. Hardware wise I just really need first a rate display and camera so Pixel works for me. Others may have different priorities.
Well I would also say having a good modem that gets good signal is important. As is an SOC that doesn't overheat when recording video or just doing normal tasks.
I really don't get the point of this comment. It feels obtuse.
With all the Google discounts already the P9 Pro is $200 under what Apples charges for its Pro phone
It's also the same price as the S24 while having a better display, better cameras and 50% more RAM, while also avoiding the 3rd party crap Samsing (is paid to) preinstall.
The Pixel is tehe cheapest option for what you get.
Yeah but Google needs start base storage at 256gb though a 256gb pro model pixel at MSRP is 1100, the same as a 256gb iPhone 15 pro so it's not really cheaper if you think about it
Will they say the same thing when TSMC makes the chip next year?
Yes, because Google is not looking to top benchmark charts. It's about how the chip works in everyday tasks. If it was about benchmarks they would go with the Qualcomm chip.
Best way to future proof your phone is to make it as fast as possible today. Who knows what everyday tasks will be in the next seven years. I think everyone saying its about how the chip works in everyday tasks knows this is a bunch of bullshit spin trying to coverup for a weak poorly designed processor.
You know if the G4 was the fastest out there then Google would be bragging about the speed. Spin. LOL
Exactly. Jobanputra 's comment screams "minimum viable product" from early 2000's Agile tech trend that Google never seemed to grow out of.
You mean the tech industry as a whole hasn't managed to grow out of.