Not so long ago, a new leak of Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 devices has done the rounds, shedding a lot of light on what to expect from Google’s 2nd iteration of their custom-built Tensor SoC. To the surprise of many tech enthusiasts, it appears that Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 phones will not boast the same raw horsepower as its counterparts from Qualcomm. Thanks to some clever tracking from the eagle-eyed developer Kuba Wojciechowski, it is all but confirmed that the 2nd gen Tensor SoC would stick to the same CPU configuration as last year, albeit boasting a slight bump in frequencies. Of course, such news is likely to put off a lot of the people keeping tabs on Google’s much-anticipated flagship phones of this year. Yet, I would like to argue that this seemingly underwhelming leak could be the very same reason the Pixel 7 can be a gem of a phone.
CPU: refinement rather than a major overhaul
At first glance, it is quite understandable why many would be visibly frustrated after looking at the latest leak. After all, having a CPU architecture dating back to early 2021 — the Cortex X1 — is never going to excite many people around, especially when you consider that the CPU cluster we are talking about is the high-octane one doing most of the heavy lifting. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8 gen 1 features the more modern Cortex X2 CPU architecture within its ranks. However, while it boasts a substantial bump in performance, it comes at the cost of more power consumption. It can be argued that the performance-to-power ratio, on the whole, is better on the Cortex X2. Yet the fact that the Cortex X2 CPU core will draw more power than its predecessor cannot be denied, which might be the reason Google opted to stick with a tried-and-trusted formula and improve upon it. By avoiding the increased power consumption, Google has more thermal headroom to better utilize the high-speed cluster, allowing the Cortex X1-based cores to run at higher frequencies and shoulder more of the burdening tasks. After all, what is the benefit of having all that more firepower when it will inevitably succumb to harsh thermal throttling?
Looking at the referenced Geekbench run, the Tensor G2 boasts marginally higher frequencies across the board, translating to a 10-15% advantage in multi-core performance over the Pixel 6 Pro. This particular strategy is not strange for Google. After all, it is the same strategy Google has adopted for years when it comes to the camera — it took them nearly 5 years to integrate a newer sensor for their main camera. Only time will tell whether this decision will ultimately pay its dividends.
Sizeable GPU and TPU improvements
Aside from the CPU, it has been detailed that the Tensor G2 will feature a substantial upgrade to many other components that Google heavily leans on for essential aspects of the whole user experience. According to Wojciechowski, the Tensor G2 will make the transition from the Mali G-78 GPU to the newer G-710 model, which is expected to boast a remarkable improvement in both performance and efficiency. According to ARM, the newer GPU is claimed to improve performance by 20% while retaining a 20% efficiency advantage over its predecessor. Not only that, but ARM also promises a substantial 35% bump in ML performance, meaning that Google is no longer only reliant on the SoC’s TPU, its neural-focused unit, for ML-based tasks. Also, the camera processing will benefit from the improvements brought to the table by the GPU upgrade, as Google relies on the GPU for a big part of the camera pipeline. Needless to say, gamers will be the biggest beneficiaries, thanks to the sizeable gains of the newer GPU model, especially with a CPU more optimized for sustained performance.
Other substantial upgrades
The good news doesn’t stop here, as it is claimed that the Tensor G2 will feature other upgrades to other integral components. Google is said to have significantly improved the video encoding and decoding engine, bringing some firmware-level enhancements to the Google/Exynos ISPs as well. Moreover, Google’s upcoming Tensor SoC will include a new, more capable Samsung-based modem, which will improve peak speeds and stability. As you can see, Google’s Tensor G2 has a lot to brag about across the board, which points to several tangible improvements in the user experience.
Lingering questions must be answered first
Despite the said improvements and performance claims, there are a couple of questions that remain unanswered. Unfortunately, Google seems to have a knack to shoot itself in the foot, especially when it comes to battery life. Last year, the larger Pixel 6 Pro had a beefy 5,003 mAh battery inside, while the smaller Pixel 6 still had a respectable 4614 mAh one. On paper, both batteries should be more than enough to pull you through the day with relative ease. In reality, however, the battery life of the Pixel 6 phones left a lot to be desired. According to the latest leak, Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 Pro will more or less retain the same battery capacity as its predecessor, whereas the vanilla Pixel 7’s battery will be a bit smaller, coming in at just 4,355 mAh. Of course, battery capacities do not tell the whole story, with many other attributes of the phone contributing to the phone’s efficiency. Hopefully, this slightly underwhelming battery capacity — particularly that of the vanilla Pixel 7 model — does not translate into an equally unimpressive battery life like its predecessors.
Speaking of which, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of last year’s Google flagships was the fingerprint sensor. The absence of an alternative means of biometric authentication, such as Face Unlock, only served to compound the issue. Not only was it quite slow to unlock, but it was also far from reliable. Practically, you are more likely to stumble across an unrecognized fingerprint error than not. For a flagship phone, this is far from acceptable and Google needs to address this issue if they truly want to appeal to the average consumers with their Pixel lineup. Aside from these two gripes, and the odd software bugs and glitches plaguing the Pixel phones occasionally after a software update, Google has little else to do.
The verdict
Google has never been known for boasting the highest raw horsepower under the hood compared to its contenders. If anything Google is known for more than anything else, it is refining a tried and trusted formula more so than performing an overhaul on regular basis just to stick to an ongoing trendy fashion. One needs to look no further than their endeavors in the camera department — only last year did Google hop on the bandwagon of the high Megapixel count. It might be a bit surprising that they chose to follow the same philosophy with the CPU, opting for relatively minor adjustments rather than gambling with a different configuration, which doesn’t necessarily mean it will cease to impress. Having said that, the Google Pixel 7 series still sports several intriguing upgrades, including a sizeable GPU upgrade and a new modem. There is also the prospect of Google luring its customers by debuting new exclusive UI features, which will now take full advantage of a substantial TPU upgrade and a more ML-capable GPU accompanying it. Assuming the user complaints from last year regarding the battery life and fingerprint scanner have been addressed, the Pixel 7 series could be a big hit, even if the spec sheet flatters to deceive.
Featured-Image: GizChina
