Google's Tensor designs have been underwhelming to say the least. Unlike Qualcomm and MediaTek, Google prioritizes the TPU, so you don't quite get the same level of performance as other high-end mobile platforms. This has been a constant source of annoyance over the last four years, and while Pixels aren't necessarily slow by any measure, they don't handle extended gaming or any sustained intensive workload — like shooting a 30-minute 4K video — all that well.
Thankfully, there's a lot to like in the Tensor G6 that's powering the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and the 11 Pro Fold; it addresses a lot of the lingering issues with Google's hardware efforts. I'll share detailed benchmarks of the Tensor G6 in a little while, but ahead of that, I want to talk about what's new with the underlying hardware this year, and why the G6 is a better choice than previous generations.