The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are here too. They come in two sizes with good looks and AI promises that go far beyond what we’re used to seeing. But their chip has an asterisk: The Tensor G4 doesn’t quite live up to its price tag.

Why is it important?While Google has taken a step forward with the design and specifications of the Pixel 9 Pro, the performance of its Tensor G4 chip has not made the same leap forward and remains behind its competition in the high-end mobile phone sector.

contextGoogle has been developing its own Tensor chips for four generations now and has even increased the RAM to better handle AI tasks, but in terms of pure performance they still can’t compete with Qualcomm or Apple chips.

criteria Leaked benchmarks show the Tensor G4 performing almost 15% better than the G3 in Geekbench or AnTuTu benchmarks. The Pixel Pro series should compete with the best on the market and it falls short. The difference with the iPhone 15 Pro eleven months ago is huge.

In detail:

• The Tensor G4 continues to use Samsung’s 4nm process.
• The competition is already at 3nm.
• The Mali-G715 GPU is the same as a year ago with a slight increase in frequency.
• The AI ​​core (TPU) is the same as the G3 with no significant improvements.
• Chips like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offer even bigger leaps in performance.
• There are leaks pointing to the Tensor G5 produced by TSMC for 2025, which could make the expected leap in performance and, above all, efficiency.

SilverWith a base price of 1,099 euros in Spain (1,199 euros for the XL version), the Pixel 9 Pro is in the upper segment with a performance close to the mid-range.

• Price concerns…
• …and because of the vertical integration that Pixels represent: Google is responsible for the hardware and software, including the chip.

artificial intelligenceThe AI ​​functions that came with the Pixel 2 were like a burning nail to be held onto to avoid the fact that its chip was not a reference. Over time, this argument was diluted as other mobile phones incorporated this argument.

There is one aggravating factor: the artificial intelligence that was presented as part of the Pixel 8 was not exclusive to this model. It came to the Samsung Galaxy S24, and with it the exclusivity of some functions that supported the presence of a chip slightly inferior to its competitors was also lost.

Side B. A chip that’s inferior to its rivals doesn’t tarnish what’s still a fantastic line. The Pixels represent the best possible Android experience for many users, and their integrated AI provides a huge added value.

Additionally, Google is increasingly committing to years of software updates, unlike some of the more expensive, but much shorter update journeys of higher-end software.

In summaryThe Pixel 9 Pro retains its attractive, unique software features (at least for now), and the Pixel experience is great, but the cost of the Tensor G4 makes them hard to stomach.

While day-to-day tasks are a breeze for the G4, more demanding users will probably value better raw performance alternatives in this price range. Perhaps there will be a leap forward in lithographic and performance with the G5, while the G4 remains a step behind the rest.

Featured image | Google, Xataka

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