When the Google Pixel 7 series launched in May 2022, we were told it had the Tensor 2 chipset, the chipset made by Google that follows the chip released in the Google Pixel 6 series. We’ve just heard our first leak about this next component. , and it is surprising.
Bear with us here, because the source is complicated: someone managed to buy a locked prototype of the Google Pixel 7 Pro and uploaded its boot logs (the only remaining accessible information) to the Telegram channel Google News | EN (opens in new tab) (presumably nothing to do with Google’s own news tool of the same name).
This channel then shared key information: the upcoming phones will apparently have the same screens as their predecessors, and the Tensor 2 chipset will apparently be incredibly similar to the original. Take all of this information with a pinch of salt, due to the curious nature of the source – but it’s interesting to investigate.
If there are limited component changes to the chipset, that means the Pixel 7 probably won’t have as much processing power over its Pixel 6 predecessor – that doesn’t mean it will be identical, because Google could add more AI intelligence, but don’t expect a super powerful Android.
This fact may disappoint you – after all, newer phone models are expected to be more powerful – but in reality, this really isn’t an issue.
Analysis: better is worse
Each new iteration of the Android processor should be faster than the previous one. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 should be faster than the 888, which should be faster than the 865, which should be faster than the 855 (for example).
However, in practice things are not so simple, and we can prove this by looking at benchmarks. At , we use the Geekbench 5 test to see how fast phones are in a lab, although other sites use alternatives. And it has shown us something very interesting lately.
Phones using the latest-generation Snapdragon 888 chip from 2021 generally perform on par with those using its predecessor, the 865 – and those in the newer 8 Gen 1 often underperform both.
In part, that’s because these newer chips have horrible overheating issues, which can cause performance to drop quickly under use – and there’s something to be said for newer chips excelling in ways that benchmark tests don’t. catch.
But the simple fact of the matter is that phones have gotten to the point where they are fast enough. You don’t need a cell phone to be faster if your fingers aren’t fast enough to need it, or if the game’s graphics have surpassed what small screens can do.
Instead, the new chips focus more on power optimization and efficiency, new camera features, and improved AI intelligence. Being powerful or fast is no longer as important as being smart.
So it’s likely that Google is simply catering to audience usage and focusing less on power and more on everything else. And that would fit its modus operandi – it has always relied heavily on AI intelligence for things like photography and smart assistants.
So if the Pixel 7 doesn’t impress in benchmark tests, that’s fine – the phone will likely see improvements in many other areas and will still be a contender for our list of the best smartphones.