Pixel 10 (with Tensor G5 inside) might be amazing for gaming, but that don't impress me much

Pixels: love them or hate them, Google's phones are here to stay. For now. One can never know with Google and their love for shutting down their own projects. I mean, one quick scroll in the "Killed by Google" digital graveyard is enough; you'll see what I'm talking about.

The Google phone for 2025 – namely, the Pixel 10 – is going to be a thing, though. It's going to happen and it's going to bring along a brand-new chipset, called Tensor G5.

Back in July, we talked about how this Tensor G5 chip got its design finalized and ready for production at TSMC using its advanced second-gen 3nm N3E process. We hope(d) this chip will bring a major upgrade, as Pixel fans have long awaited a competitive, in-house (designed by Google itself) processor.

While previous Pixel models, starting with the Pixel 6, used customized Exynos chips that struggled with performance and network issues due to subpar modems, Google is aiming for the Tensor G5 to compete with leading chipmakers like Qualcomm and Apple.

Some rumors even claimed that the Tensor G6 will also be manufactured by TSMC using advanced 3nm-class technology. This shift from Samsung, whose chips were often criticized for poor battery life and performance, signals a strategic upgrade.

Yes, but…

Will the Tensor G5 even be that powerful?

As my colleague Anam observed, one of the main challenges holding back Google’s Pixel smartphones has been the performance of their custom Tensor chipsets, which still lag behind Apple’s A-series processors and Qualcomm’s top Snapdragon chips.

Hence, the high hopes for the Tensor G5 and its prospects of leveling the playing field with other flagship devices. However, recent leaked benchmark scores suggest that the Pixel 10 may offer only modest improvements, with performance similar to the current Pixel 9.

• Benchmark leak reveals Tensor G5 will be a let-down, but may edge out Snapdragon 8 Elite in gaming

The leaked benchmarks come from the Geekbench platform, where a leaker spotted what appears to be the Tensor G5 inside the base model of the Pixel 10, codenamed "Frankel."

According to the conducted testings, the Pixel 10’s single-core score of 1,323 and multi-core score of 4,004 are, ahem, below expectations. By comparison, the Pixel 9 scored 1,800 in single-core and 4,573 in multi-core tests, meaning the new chip may not be the upgrade many had hoped for.

Of course, the Tensor G5 is still a long way from materializing and mass-producing; further fine-tunings and optimizations will make it top the Tensor G4. But so what? Will the G5 be much, much better than the G4? Or are we possibly getting a marginal upgrade in performance at the best? Not a pleasant thought, now that I come to think of it.

For reference, the Snapdragon 8 Elite (the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 successor) is claimed by Qualcomm to be much better than the previous model. The first Oryon mobile CPU core delivers a substantial 45% increase in performance along with a 44% improvement in power efficiency. The Adreno GPU also impresses, providing a 40% boost in performance and matching that with a 40% gain in efficiency. Qualcomm reports an overall system-wide power savings of 27%. The Oryon CPU cores reach a maximum clock speed of 4.32GHz.



Speaking of CPU cores, the Tensor G5 is expected to feature a primary Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.40GHz, accompanied by five Cortex-A725 cores running at 2.86GHz, and two Cortex-A520 cores at 2.44GHz.

This architecture shows incremental upgrades compared to the Tensor G4, which powers the Pixel 9 with a slightly different configuration.

If anyone thinks that the Tensor G5 may not be able to achieve the same speeds as the latest chips from Apple and Qualcomm… well, they could be right. While speed has never been Google’s main priority for its in-house chips, the hope was that the G5 might bring the Pixel closer to its competitors.

On the other hand, the Tensor G5 is rumored to include a robust GPU upgrade, which could make Pixel phones better suited for gaming. Prior models have also struggled trying to keep up in that area as well.

If these upgrades could result in longer battery life and cooler operation, even if peak processing speeds remain below flagship levels, it could mean much for mobile gamers.

In the words of Shania Twain…

"So, you're a gaming flagship? That don't impress me much!", as Shania Twain would've sung, if she was to sing about 2025 smartphones made by Google.

That's my point as well. The Pixel 10 with the Tensor G5 might bring along a truly amazing gaming experience thanks to upgrades here and there, but… I'm finding it hard to react with anything but "So what?"

If Google insists on its $100 yearly price hike, things will get even more frustrating (the Pixel 9 starts at $799, the Pixel 8 started at $699, and the Pixel 6 – $599).

I may not be a gamer, but even if I was, I'd simply go get a Snapdragon 8 Elite phone, or get the latest iPhone Pro Max, or something with a MediaTek 9400 inside. You know, this is how I'd get both a reliable, blazing-fast phone and a great gaming platform. Simple as that.