Google Tensor has shown confidence in the future of Pixel hardware, but it’s also been a drag on the lineup. Hopefully that will change in a few years, but in the meantime the Pixel release will be a big deal.
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Google’s first Tensor-powered device, the Pixel 6, marked a turning point in the company’s hardware efforts. This has led to significant growth in the lineup, with this week’s report detailing that Pixel will see another 67% growth in his 2023, especially in Japan.
But it wasn’t without its problems.
Tensor caused two problems for Pixel phones. For one, the software has been a bit of a mess since the migration. Since Tensor took over, there have been countless delayed updates, and the update has caused some nasty issues, like my Pixel 6 losing connectivity. In earlier times, this was not the case.
But perhaps even more troubling is the impact of hardware. The gap between Tensor and chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek is real and impactful. Google has made great strides with his Tensor G2, but Pixel phones can’t compete on battery life, tend to run extremely hot, and don’t quite meet the same standards when it comes to connectivity.
According to a report released this week, it’s entirely possible that Google will fix much of this issue in time. The company plans to launch the Tensor G5 in his 2025 as its first fully custom chip. This will be on the Pixel 10 and will be the first Tensor created by TSMC. This move alone is promising, as TSMC has repeatedly shown to have the upper hand in Samsung’s process. TSMC chips are generally more efficient, faster, and better overall, but his Samsung chips, such as the Exynos series, have struggled much longer than the Tensor.
With this in mind, the future of Google Tensor is very bright. There are no guarantees, but the part of Tensor that Google builds on its own is the best, so there is hope.
But while we wait, this puts existing Pixels in a difficult situation. As we made clear in our recent Google Pixel Fold review, it’s not too hard to accept or work around Tensor’s shortcomings in the current Pixel. You’re getting an objectively inferior chip, but you’re also getting it for a lot less than competing devices. But just as the Fold is hard to sell at the same price as Samsung’s foldable, if the regular Pixel goes up in price, the Tensor will be a tough pill to swallow.
Effectively, Google can’t, or at least shouldn’t, increase the price of the current Pixel until this new chip is implemented.you don’t necessarily have to and nothing TRUE refers to what happened. But since the Pixel 7a has raised the base cost of his Pixel line, it stands to reason that the rest of the product could also go up in price. And even then, keeping the price the same would also limit what Google could do to improve the device, unless it was willing to further cut its profit margins.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that Samsung will work together to bring this issue to the fore. Tensor G3 and/or G4 may finally solve many of these problems. After all, Samsung keeps improving. Tensor G3 also seems to be a solid upgrade.
I don’t think anyone can really go wrong with a Pixel 8 or Pixel 9 with a Samsung Tensor chip. Google cannot demand the same premium as other companies.
Good news? All current Pixel phones will hold up until the debut of the Tensor G5. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will stop providing updates at the end of 2026, a full year after Google’s first Tensor G5-powered device launched.
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