Google Tensor G4 explained: Everything you need to know about the Pixel 9 processor

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Noble00_@reddit

Comes standard with 12GB on the base and 16GB on the Pros, hoping this trend will continue with Android if we're trying to partition on device LMMs (that said idk how many of these new features will run on device). Another new non-Qualcomm modem, curious to see how it holds up in due time. All in all, seems like a regular incremental update. Hoping in practice is a refinement of the Exynos 2400 which while sure won't be as fast as the latest SoCs, is in parity with the day to day for phone use... hopefully

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Nice-Ferret-3067@reddit

Crazy to think base model phones have more RAM than base model Macbooks

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boonkoh@reddit

But that's because MacOS and iOS need less RAM.

The whole new iPhone 16 lineup only has 8GB RAM. Even the Pro Max model. Yet, the OS works smoothly and apps run well. Whereas on Android, 8GB is getting to be on the meagre side these days.

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Balance-@reddit (OP)

The most notable thing is that they aren't talking about a new or improved TPU.

That’s right; the G4 features the same third-generation “rio” AI core as last year

If we look at AI-benchmark scores, we can see the G3 is already a lot behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Dimensity 9300. So if the G4 doesn't offer any improvements, this won't be the platform for the most capable local AI.

Processor	CPU Cores	AI Accelerator	Year	Lib	CPU-Q Score	CPU-F Score	INT8 NNAPI 1.1	INT8 NNAPI 1.3	INT8 Accuracy	FP16 NNAPI 1.1	FP16 NNAPI 1.3	FP16 Accuracy	INT8 Parallel	FP16 Parallel	INT8 NLP	FP16 NLP	AI Score
Dimensity 9300	3.25 GHz + 3x2.85 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x3 GHz A720	APU 790	2023	mm	31.5	27.1	180	1227	92.6	109	507	95	72.6	49	38.3	63.7	2293
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	3.3 GHz X4 & 5x3.2 GHz A720 & 2x2.3 GHz A520	Hexagon DSP / HTP Gen 3	2023	qhqh	21.3	20.2	261	1141	90.6	121	330	92.3	106	73.7	74	97.4	2254
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	3.36 GHz X3 & 2x2.8 A715 & 2x2.8 A710 & 3xA510	Hexagon DSP / HTP Gen 2	2022	qhqh	23.5	20.1	203	836	90.6	99.3	240	92.3	91.4	52.5	58.2	77.1	1706
Apple A17 Pro	2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz	Neural Engine (16 cores)	2023	coreml	33.9	26.8	78.2	226	100	117	254	64.8	14.1	24.9	10.9	19.1	744
Google Tensor G3	3.0 GHz X3 & 4x2.45 GHz A715 & 4x2.15 GHz A510	Google Tensor TPU 3.0	2023	nn	14.8	13	61.5	241	94.4	53.1	95.2	86.9	24.1	21.6	18.7	56.7	586

The overal score of the Tensor G3 is 4x lower than of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Dimensity 9300, and it gets beat by the now 4 year old Snapdragon 888 on many metrics, as wel as the lower positioned Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2.

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wichwigga@reddit

Embarrassing performance for how much they're charging

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RoughRunner@reddit

If you don't play games on your phone, I'm genuinely asking what you lose buying a midrange processor instead of the benchmark toppers. If the OS is smooth and the battery life is good, what do you lose? I have always bought a new phone with the best available processer in the past so I can keep using them for a long time with ROMs, I still use my OnePlus 6 that I bought in its launch year and that had the best Snapdragon chip at the time. But I think buying the best chip is just a mental block for me now if you don't get massively enhanced functionality anymore, I don't think I will use the new AI features almost at all. I think I should just get the phone with the best overall hardware instead of just focusing on the chip. The ship has probably sailed on the best phones having a headphone jack but I won't compromise on an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor coming from the better physical one on my OP6, and the Pixel 9 Pro has that now. I can use my OP6 until Pixel 10 with Tensor 5 but really I'm genuinely asking, is it that big a deal to get a less powerful processor in a phone?

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Adair0801@reddit

I’m not sure why this is even a question honestly. When your competition (iPhones/Galaxy Flagships) that can offer you significantly better performance while they are never known their price to performance ratio.

The pixel 9 marks Google’s return to charge their phones like proper flagships again, and if the performance under delivers people are absolutely entitled to complain about it.

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RoughRunner@reddit

I'm not saying it isn't worthy of complaint, everyone is absolutely right tensor is a bad value compared to other chips. Like I said I always bought the best chip for my previous phones, I understand wanting the best performance for your dollar. However, you didn't really answer my question. If you care about the benchmarks or you actually use your phone at it's peak load all the time like in games then obviously a pixel isn't for you. But I don't and all I want to know is if the tensor chip is adequate for basic things on the stock OS. As far as ive seen most reviewers say the stock OS has been performing fine on the Pixels. I know how it will age is a different thing but if it's good enough and I like the hardware, the phone works on my network and it goes on sale, what do I forgo getting a Pixel instead of a phone with the best Snapdragon processor? I'm genuinely asking if you lose any real world functionality...

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Riptrack13@reddit

I feel like the whole point of pixel phones has never been about having the fastest most cutting edge hardware, but more about the design of the phone and especially the software. You're absolutely right that nobody is buying a pixel to max out resources all the time, they're doing it for the overall user experience. Also, the spec of the pixel 9 isn't so bad, I mean they did give the pro versions 16 gb of ram and great storage...

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Creamy_Durian@reddit

As far as I'm concerned, Pixel has never advertised itself as a gaming product. There are plenty of expensive technology that aren't optimal for gaming (monitors, headphones, ect.). If someone is getting a phone for gaming then they should clearly get a Samsung Galaxy.

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Riptrack13@reddit

Or a gaming phone...

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Adair0801@reddit

But your same argument can also be applied to dissuade people from getting top end phones altogether and save lots for getting a midrange or even low end phone, since you are correct that phone performances are reaching a plateau. If I have to spend $1200US it is very difficult to not think google is somehow screwing people over for having a chipset that is a good 2-3 years behind the competition.

Google somehow made better software or better hardware into mutually exclusive elements by marketing about how they care about software more, but both should be true for the price they charge.

Pixels were never about cutting edge specs, that is true, but the gap was not this drastic pre pixel 4 and the next three generations got away with it due to Google pricing them aggressively. If you charge flagship prices no one should defend a lackluster chipset. You did mention aging, which a high spec chipset naturally does better no matter phone or computer.

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aerohk@reddit

OS is smooth today, but this phone has 7 years of update. The next one or the one after, it could become slow.

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The_Greatest_USA_unb@reddit

What do you loose ? Money.

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spicesucker@reddit

That’s been every Pixel phone at launch tbf

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mrheosuper@reddit

Only starting since pixel 5. Before that they always used flagship soc

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wankthisway@reddit

Things were fine until the Pixel 4 where they charged way too much for dogshit battery life, but it at least had the latest and greatest Snapdragon chip. Got worse with the Pixel 6 though, now you're paying flagship prices for midrange performance for a "phone" whose modem makes it's phone capabilities garbage.

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SortOfWanted@reddit

From all recent reports/leaks, it seems Google is putting a lot of effort in Tensor G5 (Google architecture vs Exynos-derived, new modem, new fab, etc). The G4 then (and Pixel 9) feels like a "we need a new product this year with minimum effort" type of launch.

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haloimplant@reddit

this has been the story for years and years and years

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PERSONA916@reddit

This is kind of old news. The P9 was originally supposed to be the first phone with Google custom silicon, but shortly before the P8 it came out that it wouldn't happen until the P10.

That news combined with the much better form factor of the P8 (amateur) and a few other things like the screen upgrade is why I upgraded to the P8 knowing I was going to skip the P9

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N0v0c41n@reddit

I personally gave up all the hope, they don't want to have a high power SoC, so many years with next Gen gonna be better in this and that and more power...

But they announced everything today for Pixel 9 only, due to the "better Tensor" seems like they now wanna differentiate by Pixel version not by capability of the SoC, times seems to be over with for every Tensor Pixel later, that's a little concerning in my eyes.

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kyledawg92@reddit

They were always destined to be behind while using Samsung, at least they have a chance now with TSMC making the Tensor G5 next year on N3E.

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65726973616769747461@reddit

does benchmark really matters when alot of the AI use cases are locked behind software? It doesn't really matter if you phone rank no.1 in this ranking when you can't access the suppose Gemini AI features.

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Balance-@reddit (OP)

Most important table of the article:

SoC	Google Tensor G4	Google Tensor G3	Google Tensor G2
CPU	1x Arm Cortex-X4 (3.1GHz) 3x Arm Cortex-A720 (2.6GHz) 4x Arm Cortex-A520 (1.92GHz)	1x Arm Cortex-X3 (2.91GHz) 4x Arm Cortex-A715 (2.37GHz) 4x Arm Cortex-A510 (1.70GHz)	2x Arm Cortex-X1 (2.85GHz) 2x Arm Cortex-A78 (2.35GHz) 4x Arm Cortex-A55 (1.80GHz)
GPU	Arm Mali-G715 (MC7?) (940MHz)	Arm Mali-G715 MC7 (890MHz)	Arm Mali-G710 MP7
RAM	LPDDR5X	LPDDR5X	LPDDR5
Machine Learning	Third-gen Tensor Processing Unit	Third-gen Tensor Processing Unit	Next-gen Tensor Processing Unit
Media Decode	H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1	H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1	H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1
Modem	Exynos 5400 4G LTE 5G sub-6Ghz and mmWave Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.X Satellite connectivity	Exynos 5300i 4G LTE 5G sub-6Ghz and mmWave Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.3	Exynos 5300b 4G LTE 5G sub-6Ghz and mmWave Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2
Process	Samsung 4nm (4LPP+ ?)	Samsung 4nm	Samsung 5nm

So basically new CPU and new modem, and the rest stays the same.

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Stennan@reddit

Is the modem integrated in the SOC or is it a separate chip on the circuit board? Cause I have a nagging suspicion that having an "external modem" isn't that good for efficiency...

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Ryrynz@reddit

It's external in all phones.

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Just_Maintenance@reddit

Doesn't Qualcomm use integrated modems?

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Ryrynz@reddit

Yeah.. actually they do, not all but most these days.

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Stennan@reddit

When 5g just rolled out even QC were forced to use external modems. Battery life was horrendous nd phones go really hot.

Perhaps it would be same regardless of external/integrated, but I think it is a significant issue with regards to power draw. So would be great to get insight into power draw

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Ryrynz@reddit

Wouldn't surprise me if it was about 50%-100% more efficient tbh.

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LordEthan2@reddit

more RAM in XL

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TwelveSilverSwords@reddit

The livestream chap mentioned that the G4's TPU can do 45 TOPS, and it was double that of the G3 (which means G3 was 22.5 TOPS).

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zarco92@reddit

The G4 is definitely the one to skip.

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OverlyOptimisticNerd@reddit

Seems to be the case with all of the latest releases:

Intel - 14th gen has issues, to say the least.
AMD - Zen 5 seems to be a flop so far.
Qualcomm - Maybe the best of the group, the Snapdragon X series seems to be a great re-entry for Windows on ARM, though at the same time, it did not live up to a lot of their pre-release marketing (gaming).
Apple - M3 didn't get a full stack release and they're already moving on to M4. And THAT might not get a full product lineup release either as it's only been released for the iPad Pro so far, and we're already hearing about M5.

I can't recall ever seeing a hardware generation where literally every vendor has the same "wait until next gen" feel to it.

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caedin8@reddit

I’d mostly agree but zen 5 still has the higher quality parts like x3d and the enthusiast SKUs to be released

And for Qualcomm, it’s a good release but it’s on par with M1 generation, so it’s good for them but not competing with next gen/current gen products.

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OverlyOptimisticNerd@reddit

Well, 9950x reviews are landing now. Results mirror that of the 9600x and 9700x.

My hopes for x3d rely 100% on pure hope at this point.

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Nice-Ferret-3067@reddit

Qualcomm - *still* doesn't have devkits out, lmao

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KiefStarmer@reddit

Qualcomm - Maybe the best of the group, the Snapdragon X series seems to be a great re-entry for Windows on ARM, though at the same time, it did not live up to a lot of their pre-release marketing (gaming).

Their naming for the Snapdragon X is so silly. They have essentially released their equivalent of the Apple M1: perfect for MacBook Air and iPad, but not as good as the M1 Pro/Max/Ultra that came later. Yet somehow Qualcomm has released an SoC called the Snapdragon X "Elite" that only competes with the base spec M3, and performs worse than the M3 Pro/Max. Their branding gives them nowhere to move upwards until the next generation.

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StanceVader@reddit

I feel Arrow Lake and Lunar lake are going to be worth it.

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Infamous-Bottle-4411@reddit

Zen 5 is ok. Stop yapping

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OverlyOptimisticNerd@reddit

Depends on how you define "ok."

The 9600x has similar clock speeds and power consumption as the 7600, is slightly faster, costs nearly $100 more, and doesn't come with a cooler. However, that's based on current street pricing. Going off of original MSRP, it's more expensive than the 7600, slightly cheaper than the 7600x, but still lacks a cooler.

It's a marginal upgrade over the 7600, with a price hike, and the loss of a cooler.

The 9700x is similar, in that it's clearly a successor to the 7700, not the 7700x, but is priced more like the 7700x.

It's a flop in its current state. Even if AMD had dropped the "x" moniker, added a cooler, and charge the same price as the former non-x CPUs, it would still be seen as a flop. Why? The latest testing from GN shows it's not actually more power efficient, and the performance gain is marginal. It's basically what Intel pulled during their pre-Zen iterations.

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ZephyrusWhoosh@reddit

Right now with 9600x and 9700x have given a very questionable/bad impression. Let’s just hope the 9900x and 9950x can change that. I don’t have high hope honestly but I just want to give a proper judgement once to full line have released.

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Stennan@reddit

I think they will be great workstation products and I can't wait to see what kind of Threadripper parts they put out (AMD Shareholder). The improvements might also boost the 9800X3D to some extent, but Intel Effing upp might have caused AMD to start trying to ask for "Nvidia prices".

As a shareholder that is nice, but as someone who would want to upgrade my 8600k/1080ti... man these mainstream products for DIY/gaming are boring 😒

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Stennan@reddit

"Zen 5%" improvement in gaming on average (AMD internal testers said so themselves to HUB) while showing figures like 16% IPC improvement and 10-25% gains in games? Yeah, AMD charging that price and trying to sell a 65W part without a cooler as a 9000X was not a pro-consumer move.

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SoupaSoka@reddit

Feels boring at best, outdated at worst, at least at this price point. I'm on a Pixel 7 and will be happy to wait at least one more generation.

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APBradley@reddit

Yeah, I was excited at the prospect of upgrading from a 7 Pro to a 9 Pro, but this is very underwhelming. Thinking I may just hold out for the 10.

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jsodfskavi@reddit

So, it's made by samsung. Okay, that's all I need to know.

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Ray-chan81194@reddit

And it seems not to be on the latest and greatest node and packaging offered by Samsung. So, not much improvement then.

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railagent69@reddit

This is definitely worth skipping. I might be interested in a pixel 10 depending on how Tensor 5 might be on a TSMC node.

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GeneralChaz9@reddit

I was surprised to see how many Pixel 8 Pro owners were eating up the hype after the keynote today. Wanting to pay $300-600 for the Pixel 9 Pro after a trade-in, but for what? On a hardware level, this is an extremely incremental update and the 8 series has seven years of updates. I would figure a good chunk of these software features advertised for the Pixel 9 will get backported at some point.

The Pixel 10 is the soonest I'd upgrade, but it would need to be a major upgrade from my P8P to convince me.

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