During the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review period, we were unable to perform any benchmark tests as the installation of applications such as Antutu 3D, Geekbench 6, Geekbench AI and 3D Mark was blocked at the operating system level. It was only yesterday that Google opened the "prison door" and we were finally able to test to see the true capabilities of the Google Tensor G4 chip.
So how does the Tensor G4 compare to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Apple A 17 Pro, Apple A16 Bionic, and Dimensity 9300?
Score
Here are the Tensor G4 benchmark scores compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra), Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (OnePlus 12R), Apple A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro Max), A16 Bionic (iPhone 14 Pro Max), Dimensity 9300 (Vivo X100 Pro) and Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (Realem GT 6)
Geekbench 6
Tensor G4 – 1916/4644
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 2329/7526
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – 1860/4614
Apple A17 Pro – 2873/7228
Apple A16 Bionic – 2634/6761
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – 1081/4204
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 2071/5032
Geekbench AI
Tensor G4 – 2058 / 2017 / 3129
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 1704 / 1829/ 2773
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – N/A
Apple A17 Pro – 3705 / 6515 / 5696
Apple A16 Bionic – 3514 / 6128 / 5344
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – 1642 / 1674 / 2474
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – N/A
AnTuTu 3D
Tensor G4 – 1,016,712
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 2,200,000
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – 1,490,495
Apple A17 Pro – 1,523,961
Apple A16 Bionic – 1,457,779
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2– 1,222,747
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 1,852,552
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Tensor G4 – 2567
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 4717
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – 3083
Apple A17 Pro – 3695
Apple A16 Bionic – 3355
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – 3712
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 4067
Conclusion
Tensor G4's strength lies in its CPU and AI processing capabilities only at this point. Its graphics capabilities are not able to compete with all the other chips that were tested. In fact, it is lower than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which is almost two years old. This confirms our initial prediction that the Pixel 9 series is not a device for those looking for a device with high gaming capabilities.
So the question here is that the AI and CPU capabilities alone deserve to place the Pixel 9 series as a flagship device in 2024 while we no longer label the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 device as a flagship. This isn't helped by the Pixel 9's selling price, which is significantly more expensive than mid-range devices and comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Whether it is worth it or not is in the hands of the buyer and not us. After testing the Pixel 9 Pro XL for almost two weeks we can only say that it is a very smooth device and can run the majority of applications very smoothly. But it can only be recommended to those who are looking for an Android device with the most "native" operating system and excellent photography capabilities.