Google unveiled its new Tensor G6 processor at its Made by Google event and the chip powers the entire Pixel 11 series. The company is calling it the Pixel's fastest and most powerful chip yet. The Tensor G6 is getting a huge CPU and modem upgrade with biggest gains in on-device AI and battery efficiency.
Tensor G6 Packs Arm's Latest C1 Cores
The Tensor G6 is fabricated on TSMC's 2nm node and packs Arm's latest C1 CPU cores, which is a first for the Tensor line. It features an unusual 7-core CPU with a single C1-Ultra core clocked up to 4.11GHz, 4x C1-Pro cores clocked at 3.38GHz and 2x more C1-Pro cores at 2.65GHz.
Google didn't disclose benchmark scores, but said the CPU is 25% faster at web browsing, 15% faster at app loading and up to 20% more power-efficient than the Tensor G5. You can check our Tensor G5 benchmark results to understand the performance difference.
Meanwhile, Tensor G6 has appeared on Geekbench, but its scores are much lower than expected. In the leaked listing, the Tensor G6 has scored 2,112 in single-core and 5,196 in multi-core. As this is a leaked listing, you should take the initial scores with a pinch of salt.
Apart from that, the TPU has received another major upgrade. Google says the new TPU in Tensor G6 delivers 50% more computing power and 2x the memory speed. It will be used to run its most advanced Gemini Nano AI model directly on the device.
There are some other hardware changes too. The Tensor G6 gets an upgraded ISP with a new Custom Video Portrait Engine for the camera and for improved security, it packs the new Titan M3 coprocessor.
Notably, the Tensor G6 has replaced Samsung's Exynos modem with the MediaTek M90 5G modem. It may finally fix poor reception, heating issues and poor battery life on the Pixel 11 series.
Related Articles
GPU is Still the Weak Spot
Google made no mention of gaming performance at the event. Just like earlier, the Tensor G6 brings a PowerVR GPU and it's not a major upgrade over the Tensor G5. In fact, it ships with the older C-Series GPU named CXTP-48-1536, which was designed way back in 2021. However, we may get ray tracing support this year.
As we already know, Pixels focus mostly on software and AI experiences rather than raw power. Compared to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 benchmark scores, the Tensor G5 is going to trail behind significantly, even with the latest Arm C1 cores.
Overall, the Tensor G6 is designed for efficiency and on-device AI performance and it's coming to all Pixel 11 models. You can check out all Pixel 11 colours in our dedicated article.
Related Articles
