Google’s big bet on custom chips for their Pixel line-up of devices has had its ups and downs. Putting their Tensor-branded chips into Pixel phones starting with the Pixel 6 and taking us through the most recent Pixel 9 launch has returned positives like longer support windows (ex: more years of software updates), but there have been a number of issues that plagued early models (overheating, poor battery life, etc).
A leak that dropped over the weekend has brought the top issues into the spotlight once again, even as the Pixel 9 has mostly cleaned them up. The leak, if anything, gives us very interesting insight into how Google takes feedback on their Tensor chips, what the plans are for the near future, and whether or not they have been a success so far.
To no one’s surprise, Google understands that the top two issues surrounding their Tensor chips are devices that overheat and battery life that can’t seem to make it through a single day. Android Authority says they have seen internal documents out of Google’s gChips division that describe those two items and also how the Tensor program isn’t quite meeting (financial) goals yet.
When it comes to overheating, an issue that plagued the Pixel 6 line from day 1, Google has apparently confirmed that this was a part of the number 1 reason for returns of Pixel devices. They specifically called out stability as being the reason for returns, but that thermal comfort limits are a target for improvement that should make customers happier in this area.
The other big note from Google had 86% of Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 owners producing battery life that couldn’t last an entire day, yet Pixel owners apparently want phones that last up to 36 hours. In various forms of surveys and testing groups, there was unanimous feedback that said battery life was not acceptable on those older Pixel phones. I don’t think anyone around these parts would disagree there.
So what’s the plan? Well, we know that Google is about to make a major chipmaking switch-up with Tensor G6 in the Pixel 11 for 2025 and beyond. That change could help fix the two issues described above, even if the Pixel 9 might have already addressed them on some level. I can say from testing that thermals do seem improved in all Pixel 9 devices and battery life has been borderline exceptional at times.
The rest of this leak moves from Google understanding customer concerns to a dive into how much money Tensor makes/costs on a per chip level. Google is not meeting financial goals yet with Tensor, so with Tensor G6 they plan to make adjustments in order to help there too, which could lead to less of an upgrade that we had initially anticipated. It’s definitely chip nerd talk that I wouldn’t necessarily call concerning or anything, unless you were hoping Tensor was going to turn into a gaming powerhouse type of chip. That’s not exactly what Google has ever pushed with Tensor, though, so consider that.
Has Tensor started to meet your needs or are you still very much nodding along to those top complaints above?