Google Tensor G5 and G6 chips forecasted to lag behind Apple and Qualcomm

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Pixel 9 Pro Obsidian
(Image credit: Google)

The ship is leaking at Google. 

Earlier this week, a source revealed documents to Android Authority that next year's Tensor G5 and 2026's Tensor G6 would be dropping a nanometer and be the first completely designed internally by Google. The new TSMC-built 3nm chips should be both faster and more efficient than the 4nm Samsung-manufactured ones in the Pixel 9 series. This finally helps Google's chip catch up a little to the Apple A18 processor and Snapdragon 8 Elite.

The comparison starts in 2021 and through 2026. In Google's extrapolation, while improving, their chips routinely lag behind the flagship chips of their competitors. It appears that Google believes the Tensor chip won't be able to perform at the same levels that chips like Apple's current A18 or next year's A19 will produce, based on Geekbench scores.

To be fair to Google, these prognostications are probably based on prototypes for chips that aren't ready for the mainstream yet.

Apparently, the Tensor G6, which will feature in the Pixel 11, gets rid of efficiency cores in favor of a new combination of an ARM Cortex-X930 super core with six Cortex-A730 performance cores, which should provide a significant boost in performance. 

For fans of Google's Pixel series, it looks like the next two iterations could be significantly more impressive and should be more competitive with Samsung and Apple's mainline phones, even if they're not as powerful.

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Scott Younker
Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.