Google Pixel 9 might be even slower than Pixel 8 according to leaked benchmark

Google’s Tensor G4 chip, which is poised to power Pixel 9 series, has been spotted on Geekbench 5 with disappointing scores.

Google went the Apple route in 2021 and announced the Pixel 6 lineup with it’s own self-developed chip. The company named it Tensor, and the upcoming Pixel 9 will receive the fourth iteration of this custom SoC. However, Google’s Tensor chips didn’t play out as well as Apple’s A series. They lag behind in terms of performance, and an alleged Geekbench listing suggests that the upcoming Tensor G4 might be even worse.

According to the alleged Geekbench score, the Tensor G4 is undergoing structural changes and achieved a score that’s around 19% lower than the Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 chip. The chipset is also poised to power the upcoming Pixel Fold 2.

Tensor G4 is slow in alleged Geekbench 5 tests

The Tensor G4’s Geekbench score, shared by @QaM_Section31 and later reported by NoteBookCheck, suggests the chipset packs an 8-core CPU. The processor has been spotted with a device codenamed “Google Tokay”.

The Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 has nine cores, so it’s a bit unusual for the Tensor G4 to have an eight-core CPU. Be warned that Geekbench scores aren’t very reliable, and can be manipulated easily. The benchmarking website suggests Tensor G4 has an Arm Mali G715 GPU.

The eight CPU cores include one Cortex X4/X5 core clocked at 3.1 GHz, three Cortex A7xx cores at 2.6 GHz, and four Cortex A5xx cores at 1.95 GHz.

Alleged Geekbench5 result for Google Tensor G4 ?

DEVICE NAME : GOOGLE TOKAY
SINGLE CORE : 1082
MULTI CORE : 3121
CPU : CORTEX-X4 MP1 3.10 GHz + CORTEX-A7xx MP3 2.60 GHz + CORTEX-A5xx MP4 1.95 GHz
GPU : MALI-G715 MPx xxx MHzhttps://t.co/EXWaPTnk4H

— Quadrans Muralis (@QaM_Section31) February 9, 2024

The main highlight here is the benchmarking scores. The Tensor G4 received 1,082/3,121 and 1,024/2,788 in Geekbench 5’s single and multi-core tests. In comparison, the Tensor G3 achieved 1,268 and 3,510 points in the single and multi-core tests. That’s around a 19% decrease.

The chipset’s testing on either the Pixel 9 or the 9 Pro isn’t confirmed. There’s a possibility that the tests were conducted on a dummy unit. It’s advisable to take these scores with a pinch of salt, as it’s still very early in the development lifecycle.