A Snapdragon-powered Pixel might sound amazing. Here’s why it’s a terrible idea

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It’s been roughly five years since Google first dropped Snapdragon silicon in Pixel phones in favor of its Tensor processors. I think it’s fair to say this move has been a double-edged sword for the company. Sure, there’s been good everyday performance, capable on-device AI, and great camera capabilities. But the transition also brought modem issues, heating problems, and uncompetitive peak performance.

This state of affairs has led enthusiasts to urge Google to return to Snapdragon silicon, and it seems like an intriguing idea at first. But the more I thought about this possibility, the more I realized this probably wouldn’t be a great move for Pixel phones.

Our own benchmarks over the years have consistently shown that Google’s Tensor-powered Pixel phones lag behind rival devices (see above). That means switching to Snapdragon silicon would definitely bring major peak performance gains. There’s also been no shortage of battery life complaints since the first Tensor-powered Pixel landed in 2021.

Why not switch to Snapdragon silicon, then? It’s simple: any performance and efficiency gains delivered by Qualcomm’s chips would absolutely come at a premium.

Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon chips have long had a reputation for being very expensive. The Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 8 Elite are among the most prominent examples of Qualcomm chips that saw price hikes. However, it’s long been rumored that the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will also get a hefty increase. In fact, Qualcomm has just confirmed that it’s pushing up chip prices across the board.

If Google switches to flagship Snapdragon silicon, it simply wouldn’t be able to insulate Pixel buyers against price hikes in the same way that it can right now. A look back at earlier Tensor-powered Pixels reveals how aggressive Google could get relative to the competition. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 launched at $599, while the Galaxy S21 and S22 retailed for $799, and the OnePlus 9 started at $729. Prefer the Pro phones? Well, the Pixel 6 Pro and 7 Pro launched at $899, beating the $999 Galaxy S21 Plus and S22 Plus, let alone the Ultra line.

It’s really only with the Pixel 9 and 10 series that Google’s pricing has come into line with Samsung and Apple devices, but the Pixel 10 Pro XL still undercuts the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Another major disadvantage for Google is its lack of Samsung and Apple’s economies of scale. That is, Samsung and Apple’s huge production orders mean they can often get parts at a discount compared to Google’s relatively small production run for Pixels. In other words, if Google and Samsung made the same phone, Google would likely have a more expensive parts bill.