For all the cutting-edge AI features that Pixel phones pack, Google’s in-house Tensor chips hold them back. The Tensor G5 marked a big leap forward by switching to TSMC’s more advanced process, lowering power consumption. Still, its performance lags behind the competition, with the GPU especially standing out as a weak point. Unfortunately, it seems Google will do little to improve the Tensor G6’s GPU performance on the Pixel 11.
Leaker Mystic Leaks, known for his accurate Pixel leaks, today teased some information about the Pixel 11’s Tensor G6. The chip will use PowerVR’s CXTP-48-1536 GPU, which launched back in 2021.
Making matters worse, the Tensor G5’s GPU performance is held back by outdated drivers. It lacks Vulkan 1.4 support, limiting its performance in games.
With the PowerVR GPU inside the Pixel 10 delivering sub-par performance, it’s disappointing to see that Google may not do much to improve the situation this time around. While higher clock speeds and other driver optimizations should help, they alone won’t be enough to make up for the older architecture.
Tensor will finally use Arm’s latest CPU cores
There’s at least some good news, though. The leak suggests the Tensor G6 will use Arm’s C1 Ultra core clocked at 4.11 GHz, 4x Arm C1 Pro cores running at 3.38GHz, and 2x Arm C1 Pro ticking at 2.65GHz.
These are Arm’s latest CPU cores, and they should deliver a big step-up in performance and efficiency over the Tensor G5’s Cortex-X4, A-725, and A520 cores. As the name suggests, the C1 Ultra is Arm’s most powerful CPU core. The Pixel will use it for intensive tasks that require bursts of power. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 uses the same Arm C1 cores.
It’s not clear from the screenshot, but Google may switch to a 7-core CPU layout for the Tensor G6, using only one C1 Ultra core. For comparison, the Tensor G5 packs an 8-core CPU.
At least from a CPU viewpoint, the Pixel 11’s Tensor G6 looks promising. It may still not rival the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but it should deliver respectable performance for a 2026 flagship. GPU performance might be another story altogether, though.
