When Google launched the Pixel 6, it was the first smartphone to feature Tensor, Google’s in-house developed chipset. Although it had some compromises, such as a lower quality screen and lower Tensor performance compared to leading chipsets of the time, the phone’s price more than made up for its shortcomings. This trend continued with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8.
However, as time has gone on and new Pixel devices have been released, it has become harder to justify the Pixel’s price, especially considering that the performance of Tensor chips – even that of newer phones like the Pixel 10 – continues to lag behind the major chipsets used by Google’s biggest competitors. And with the growing details surrounding another price hike with the release of the Pixel 11, deciding against opting for a Pixel over a device like a Samsung Galaxy is probably about to get a little easier.
The price increases here aren’t even the biggest problem. In fact, price increases are almost expected, especially as we continue to face the ongoing RAM shortage problem affecting key technology industries. The problem is that Google hasn’t done anything to make Tensor feel better as a chip. Sure, we’ve received more AI features with each new Pixel release – and even some throughout the year between phone releases – but Tensor as a whole hasn’t improved enough to be fully important to many people, at least when it comes to battery and performance, despite it being almost five generations of Tensor since the Pixel 6 was released.
Tensor G6 leaks are promising, but the chip will likely still lag behind
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The next big issue regarding the price hikes we’re seeing with the Pixel 11 series is how much it actually advances the platform. While there’s some good here – like the reported 256GB base storage increase – there’s also some bad. Because while the extra money will technically get you more storage, it won’t allow the Pixel 11 to hold up against other flagship devices in the same price range.
So far, the reports we’re seeing around the new Tensor G6 that the Pixel 11 will use haven’t given me much reason to think they’ll hold up against whatever Snapdragon has released at the time. Especially since those same reports lean toward the G6 having a potentially outdated GPU, although the model number makes it look like it’s potentially been updated in some way.
Of course, these reports are all based on leaks, which means the truth could be different, although I don’t think anyone expects Google to suddenly release a Snapdragon killer with the Pixel 11. So far, the company has seemed content to lean heavily on its AI features in order to set its devices apart from the competition. And while many of these features will often expand beyond the Pixel to other Android operating systems at some point, it seems unlikely that Google will change direction without major backlash from users. And while many are fed up with Tensor’s poor performance and battery life, not everyone is unhappy with it.
The crux of the Pixel problem
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This brings us to the big problem. There was a time when the Pixel series, with its mediocre performance and lackluster hardware, was considered an advantage. The devices were cheaper options for those who wanted to get closer to a flagship experience without the full flagship price tag. However, as the price of the Pixel series has increased over the years, the devices have become much less attractive.
Of course, it’s still one of the best ways to get as close to a clean Android experience as possible – stock Android is now a thing of the past – but it still leaves a lot to be desired when you start looking at the competition. I have my complaints about Samsung’s handling of the Galaxy series and OneUI as a whole, but there’s a reason Samsung has become the biggest smartphone brand on the market while Google hasn’t.
Unfortunately, the Pixel series doesn’t exactly perform exceptionally well compared to Samsung, especially considering all the issues Pixel users have faced with the latest Android 17. As such, I’m not holding my breath over the Pixel 11 being the one to break the mold, especially since none of the leaks have pointed in that direction. If Google wants to treat the Pixel series like a flagship, then it needs to deliver what users expect from a flagship device, and it’s not doing that yet with Tensor and people are abandoning the Pixel because of it. Add to that these price increases and Google has only made its competitors even more attractive.
