Has Google’s Tensor processor project really been good for the Pixel series?
Couldn't Google have just stuck with Snapdragon instead?
JoriPress
The arrival of the new Google Pixel 9 series also marks the fourth generation of Google’s semi-custom Tensor processor. Unfortunately, the new Tensor G4 has ended up as more of a stopgap model, offering very little in the way of additional performance or new features over last year’s chipset and handsets. The G4 certainly has not been a disaster; we now have SOS calling and a new CPU, but spending time with Google’s latest flagships has made me wonder if Tensor has been worth all the hassle.
Early Google Pixel smartphones brought in silicon from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series, mostly matching the flagship chips found in other bleeding-edge handsets. It’s worth remembering that brilliant photos and Pixel-exclusive features were around long before Google started building chips. We had Call Screening on the Pixel 3, for instance. The Qualcomm relationship ended with the Pixel 6 series, where Google debuted its Tensor processor, co-developed with and manufactured by Samsung’s semiconductor divisions. On reflection, this decision has undoubtedly had its pros and cons.
