With the introduction of the Pixel 11 series and the Tensor G6 chip, Google has finally managed to outperform one of Apple’s A-series chips in some benchmark tests; but this achievement is not very impressive.
According to Geekbench 6 results, the Tensor G6 only performed better than Apple’s A16 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 15 (2023), and still lags behind newer generations of Apple and Qualcomm chips.
The Pixel 11 scored 2,575 in the single-core test and 6,027 in the multi-core test. In contrast, the iPhone 15 with the A16 Bionic recorded scores of 2,255 and 5,977 respectively. This difference shows that Google has made limited progress, but the gap with more powerful chips remains.
For example, the iPhone 16 equipped with the A18 chip scored 2,800 in the single-core test and 7,589 in the multi-core test. The gap grows even larger with newer generations: the iPhone 18 Pro with the A20 Pro chip reached scores of 4,608 and 12,266 in the same tests. Also, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 used in phones like the Galaxy S26 Ultra shows stronger performance with scores of 3,619 in single-core and 11,010 in multi-core.
According to ITPNA citing PhoneArena, these results have sparked criticism about Google’s continued use of Tensor chips in Pixel phones. Some users believe these chips have failed to provide a convincing advantage not only in heavy processing but also in areas like battery life.
Of course, benchmark scores alone do not determine a phone’s overall quality. Software optimization, thermal management, power consumption and everyday performance also matter. However, the main issue is price: if Pixel phones are sold at flagship Apple prices, users expect competitive performance in gaming, video editing and heavy processing. In such circumstances, Google must either turn to more powerful chips like Snapdragon or lower the price of Tensor-equipped products.