Ahead of the Google launch event, scheduled on August 13, the upcoming Pixel 9 series has witnessed many leaks and rumors. While the majority of the leaked specs indicate that the company is working to improve and enhance its smartphones, the latest leak has something else in mind. According to a recent rumor, the Google Pixel 9 series is expected to feature a Tensor G4 chipset. The in-house Tensor processor has been ill-famed due to its poor performance and inefficiency. This chipset in the upcoming Google Pixel 9 series could be the weakest link among all other specifications.
If the rumor that Pixel 9 will carry a Tensor G4 chip is true, then it is undoubtedly an upgrade over its predecessors. The Google Pixel 8 series features a Tensor G3 chip, and the Google Pixel 7 has the Tensor G2 chipset. The Tensor G3 processor introduces a revamped 9-core CPU cluster with advanced ARM cores, delivering a significant boost in performance and efficiency, surpassing the capabilities of the previous Tensor G2 chip. According to a report published by the Android Authority, the Cortex-X4 will be the big core, with 3x Cortex-A920 'mid' cores and 4x Cortex-A520 cores. That's one less mid-core compared to the Tensor G3.
Initial Geekbench results suggest that the forthcoming Tensor G4 processor will bring a significant 11 percent improvement in single-core speed, whereas multicore performance will see a relatively smaller 3 percent increase, suggesting a concentrated effort to enhance individual core efficiency. However, this is not enough to compete with the other players. While the chipset could be a disappointing factor in the upcoming Google Pixel 9 series, Google has decided to alter the core layout. This will make the whole design run cooler. The latest cores provide a boost in speed and efficiency, and omitting one core would lead to a significant reduction in power usage with negligible effects on performance, as per the report. Nevertheless, it's essential to note that the modem, not the CPU, has historically been the primary power-hungry component in Google Tensor SoCs.
To improve performance, it has been reported that Google is working to pair the Tensor G4 chip with the new Exynos Modem 5400. The new modem brings satellite connectivity support and efficiency improvements. The report claims that it has “up to 50 percent” better power consumption than the Exynos Modem 5300 used in the Pixel 8. But, this might not be the case with every device in the Google Pixel 9 series.
