Updated
Updated · Android Authority · Aug 18
Pixel 11 Tensor G6 Trails Rivals by 52% in CPU Tests as TPU Jumps 50%
Updated
Updated · Android Authority · Aug 18

Pixel 11 Tensor G6 Trails Rivals by 52% in CPU Tests as TPU Jumps 50%

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Aug 18

Summary

  • Geekbench 6 tests show Tensor G6 lifts Pixel 11 CPU performance only modestly—about 18% single-core and 21% multi-core year on year—while still lagging Samsung’s Exynos 2600 by 18% and 51% respectively.
  • 3DMark results paint a weaker gaming picture: GPU gains are just 7% to 10%, and performance falls below last year’s Pixel 10 after a few minutes of stress testing despite improved peak clocks.
  • Snapdragon rivals keep a 37% single-core and 52% multi-core lead, while their graphics often more than double Tensor G6; Apple holds a 44% CPU edge and Samsung’s Xclipse GPU is about 90% faster.
  • Google appears to have traded raw CPU and GPU muscle for AI, boosting TPU performance by 50%, but the strategy is harder to justify with the Pixel 11 Pro cut to 12GB of RAM from 16GB.
  • The gap matters beyond benchmarks because Google sells Pixel phones on seven-year longevity, yet the latest chip still lacks ray tracing and remains a generation or two behind flagship competitors on sustained performance.

Insights

If the Pixel 11 prioritizes AI over raw power, will its weaker GPU render its seven-year lifespan obsolete for heavy users?
Why did Google intentionally try to block benchmark apps from testing its new 3nm Tensor G6 chip on the Pixel 11?