Is the Pixel 11’s Tensor G6 actually a good upgrade from the G5? I crunched the numbers

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Google unveiled the Pixel 11 series last week, powered by its new Tensor G6 processor . And, in typical Google fashion, it’s surprisingly light on the details of its latest flagship silicon, just as it was with the Tensor G5 and last year’s Pixel 10 series.

Still, we know quite a bit about the Tensor G6, both from Google’s own claims and from what it conspicuously left unsaid. The result is a chip that looks less interested in chasing Qualcomm and Apple on raw CPU and GPU performance, and more focused on AI, efficiency, and security.

A few immediately interesting things pop up just from a quick look at the spec table. The CPU is a seven-core affair, down from eight cores last year. Google has opted to trim one of the middle Arm C1-Pro cores , potentially freeing up silicon area for other components, such as the greatly improved TPU. Perhaps higher clock speeds and more modern architecture will offset this change, but we shouldn’t expect a vastly improved multi-core CPU score this year.

Google has also moved to the PowerVR CXT series for its GPU. As rumored, this is an older, low-ish-end part that is unlikely to be much of an upgrade over last year’s DXT model. We’re still waiting to publish our benchmark results, but we’ll discuss what to expect below.

On the upside, Google claims that its fifth-generation TPU offers up to 50% more number-crunching performance for on-device AI. Combined with model and software optimizations, the company claims the new chip can be up to 3.5x faster than the last generation. Of course, that’s Google’s own workload-specific figure, rather than a standardized benchmark.

Google didn’t mention it specifically, but it’s also reportedly moved to a new MediaTek modem build, which might help resolve lingering connectivity and power draw issues. We’ll just have to test it. The Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold also support hardware AV1 video encoding.

There’s a new Titan M3 security processor, the first Titan update in roughly five years. It’s built on the RISC-V architecture, with “post-quantum secure boot.” In other words, it’s a more robust, tamper-resistant security chip that lets secure apps trust your phone is running the software that it says it is. The Titan M3 also stores certificates for SIM, bank cards, and other secure information.