Facepalm: The Tensor chips powering Google's Pixel smartphones have never delivered top-tier performance, and things could get worse this year. With the Pixel 11 series expected to launch in August, a new leak suggests that the Tensor G6 powering the upcoming lineup may not even use the latest hardware.
According to noted tipster Mystic Leaks, the Tensor G6 will use the PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 GPU, which debuted in 2021. If accurate, the outdated GPU could drag down graphics performance in the new devices, potentially pushing buyers toward alternatives from Samsung, Motorola, and others.
The decision to include a five-year-old GPU in the Pixel 11 is puzzling, especially since graphics performance was a key weakness in the Pixel 10. The PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU proved to be a major bottleneck in the Tensor G5 chipset, scoring only around 3,700 points in Geekbench's GPU benchmark – a fraction of the roughly 26,000 achieved by the Samsung Galaxy S25.
At launch, the Pixel 10's GPU also lacked support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Vulkan 1.4. Google later addressed these gaps with a software update, but the initial shortcomings hurt the lineup's reputation and limited its ability to compete with the Galaxy S series and the iPhone 17.
Much of the Tensor G5 GPU's poor performance can be attributed to outdated drivers. Google shipped the Pixel 10 with version 24.3 for the PowerVR DXT-48-1536, even though Imagination Technologies had already released version 25.1. The newer drivers included key improvements such as Android 16 compatibility, Vulkan 1.4 support, and expanded OpenCL features.
Despite concerns about the GPU, the Tensor G6 is expected to feature a high-performance seven-core CPU based on the ARMv9.3-A architecture. Reports suggest a configuration consisting of one Arm C1 Ultra core clocked at 4.11GHz, four Arm C1 Pro cores at 3.38GHz, and two additional Arm C1 Pro cores at 2.65GHz.
Beyond the hardware specifications, Mystic Leaks also appears to have revealed internal codenames for the Pixel 11 series. As in previous years, the devices are named after animals, with the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro XL reportedly codenamed Cubs, Grizzly, and Kodiak, respectively.