Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 probably won’t outpower other Android phones – that’s fine

Ben Schoon | Jun 11 2023 - 9:00 am PT

Google is preparing for the next round of its Tensor chipset, with some leaks pointing to big changes but also performance on Tensor G3 that won’t really put the Pixel 8 series outshining other Android phones. But really, does it even need to?

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Tensor G3 just needs to be better, not a powerhouse

Google’s upcoming Tensor G3 will debut in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and as the third generation of the company’s flagship smartphone chip, there are expectations for it to bring some improvements.

A leak last weekend offered a deep dive into what Tensor G3 will bring on a technical level. New, much more modern cores, could be set to bring better efficiency and a performance boost over Tensor G2. There are also further improvements for AI, video encoding, and more. Really, things are shaping up nicely.

Google Tensor G3 reportedly brings massive upgrades to Pixel 8

But in the days that followed, leaked benchmarks had some questioning if the new chip would actually be any good. When compared, this alleged Tensor G3 – keep in mind that benchmarks are easily faked – fell well short of Qualcomm’s current Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, offering up performance that was in the same ballpark as last year’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.

Is that bad? For spec heads, probably. But for the average user, not really! Tensor has never really been about performance and always lagged just a bit behind other flagship Android chipsets. Yet, general performance has never really suffered. Modern Pixel phones, for the most part, perform quite well.

And Google has really made this clear. Back in 2021 with the original Tensor chip, Google straightforwardly said that raw performance wasn’t its primary goal with these chips – the company is “perfectly comfortable” not winning on benchmarks.

To me, Tensor G3 just doesn’t need to focus on performance. With other boosts such as UFS 4.0 storage and a new GPU, the difference will likely feel negligible anyway. The real focus, again, just needs to be on efficiency. I’m tired of the erratic battery life, the overheating, and the other quirks that Tensor has become infamous for. The new cores and the modest design really signal that Google is trying to improve, and with other improvements on Samsung’s end, I really hope this is finally the year we get meaningful leaps.

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Top comment by ZR

Liked by 34 people

I totally agree. The Tensor G3 doesn't really need to be much faster but it needs significant improvements to thermals and battery performance. If the Tensor G3 can deliver something along the lines of last years Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 I would be beyond thrilled.

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