This year, Google could have something new planned, as leaks suggest a Pixel 9 Pro XL will top out above the standard Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, and while you’d expect such a phone to be seriously powerful, an early benchmark outlines a mixed picture. image.
Spotted by X user @QaM_Section31 (through NotebookCheck), the Pixel 9 Pro XL is listed with 16GB of RAM on Geekbenchwhich is 4GB more than the 12GB in the Pixel 8 Pro, and double what you get in the Pixel 8.
That’s a promising amount and could help with on-device AI tasks. But unfortunately, the phone’s Tensor G4 chipset doesn’t look that promising as the device returned a single-core score of 1,950 and a multi-core result of 4,655.
For reference, NotebookCheck claims that the Tensor G3 in current Pixel models returns an average single-core score of 1,711 and an average multi-core result of 4,382, in a database of tests conducted by the site.
So that would make the Tensor G4 only about 10% more powerful, and well behind the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used in most of the top Android phones, let alone the A17 Pro used in the iPhone 15 Pro Max is used.
A second set of below average scores
Unfortunately, this Pixel 9 Pro XL result may not just be an anomaly, as a few days earlier the standard Pixel 9 seemingly appeared on Geekbench with the same chipset, and achieved even worse results, somehow even falling behind the Tensor G3.
But that in itself calls these scores into question, because the Tensor G4 will certainly be a more powerful chipset than the G3. Benchmark results may vary, so it may simply be that these two examples scored at the low end of what to expect from the G4. And it’s also worth noting that since the Pixel 9 line isn’t ready yet, these will be early versions of the phones, so results could improve with the release of hardware and software.
Still, it’s not a promising start, and it suggests that if nothing else, the Tensor chipsets are likely to lag behind most rivals in terms of power.
It’s likely that the Google Pixel 9 trio will launch in October, so it will likely be at least a few more months before we know for sure how powerful these phones are.