The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are expected to be fast and a new leak puts a number to the gains suggesting Google's Tensor chip might be a top contender. While the latest smartphones from Google will be officially revealed on October 19th, 2021, much has already been described and the camera system seems to be ready to give the competition a run for the money.
The Google Tensor chip is generally expected to be better than the chip used in the Pixel 5. While the Pixel 4 leaned on one of Qualcomm's best chips at the time, the Snapdragon 855, Google chose to equip the Pixel 5 with an upper-mid-range chip, the Snapdragon 765G, instead of the much more powerful Snapdragon 865. Google has a history of doing more with less and the Pixel 5 proved to have good performance.
More secrets about the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro were unveiled in a recent leak of Google's marketing materials from Carphone Warehouse. Although since removed, the documents looked genuine and claimed that the Tensor chip powering the Pixel 6 line will provide 80-percent greater performance than that of the Pixel 5. That's an impressive gain over last year and should level the playing field when the Pixel 6 Pro is compared to Samsung's current flagship and bring it closer to the speed that is possible with Apple's processor. An example of the relative speeds of the Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra can be seen on Geekbench and might help quantify the speed of a chip that is 80-percent faster.
How Fast Is The Pixel 6 Pro?
Based on the leaked materials and the claim that the Pixel 6 Pro's Google Tensor chip will be 80-percent faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, that means it will easily surpass the power of the already snappy Pixel 5. Since that processor was slower than 2020 flagships and has fallen further behind in 2021, it's worth questioning how impressive this comparison is. Google's Tensor chip won't beat Apple's A15, the fastest mobile chip available currently. Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 will most likely also outperform the Tensor processor, however, it should be a much closer matchup.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G, which powers the Pixel 5, scores just over half that of the Snapdragon 888 in the Geekbench processor test. Multiplying by 1.8 to match the 80-percent performance boost of the Pixel 6 Pro claim, however, makes this a close comparison. The marketing materials didn't specify how the chip was measured and performance varies depending on the benchmark used, so the calculations might not match real-world performance. Either way, an 80-percent faster Pixel 6 Pro would likely run even with the Snapdragon 888 on single-core speed, 994 and 992 respectively. On multi-core, the Snapdragon pulls ahead, scoring 3,081 over the estimated 2,828 of the Google Tensor.
It should be noted that marketing information can sometimes be skewed and hands-on, industry-standard benchmarks will give a better idea of performance. Also, benchmarks can't match the way each individual uses their phone, so the experience will vary from person to person. What is clear from the leaks, if true, is that Google's Tensor processor will be competitive with the current line of Android flagship phones. When 2022 arrives it may fall behind again, since Google's releases come later in the year than most other manufacturers. However, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro should be fast phones with great battery life and excellent photographic capabilities, resulting in the best Pixel experience ever.
Source: Carphone Warehouse, Geekbench