Google Tensor G6 brings 4K Portrait Video and more to the Pixel 11

Google has formally launched the Pixel 11 series and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Like generations earlier than them, these new Pixel 11 flagships are all powered by a Google-made customized Tensor SoC, the brand new Google Tensor G6 on this case. And like yearly earlier than this, Google isn’t chasing benchmark or uncooked spec sheet numbers, as a substitute specializing in the holistic experiences enabled by the SoC, with a eager give attention to on-device AI options.

Underneath the hood, the Tensor G6 addresses among the lingering critiques of earlier generations by prioritizing energy effectivity. The upgraded CPU boasts as much as a 20% enchancment in energy effectivity in comparison with the Tensor G5. With the brand new CPU, you possibly can rise up to 25% quicker internet looking and 15% quicker app loading occasions in on a regular basis use, if Google’s testing on pre-production {hardware} is to be believed.

Moreover, Google says it has particularly optimized the chip to deal with demanding cellular titles like Asphalt Legends, Disney Speedstorm, and Squad Busters, which is a stunning transfer given gaming has by no means actually been Tensor’s forte. That is paired with a brand new customized modem that’s designed to ship greater throughput and decrease energy draw, although Google has remained tight-lipped in regards to the particular vendor particulars.

What we may determine from our temporary hands-on with the new Pixel 11 series, the Tensor G6 sports activities a seven-core configuration, with one prime “C1 Extremely” core clocked at 4.1GHz, 4 efficiency “C1 Professional” cores clocked at 3.4GHz, and two effectivity “C1 Professional” cores clocked at 2.65GHz. The GPU seems to be a PowerVR C-series variant with six compute items clocked at 1.3GHz.

For reference, the Tensor G5 got here with one ARM Cortex-X4 (3.78GHz) cores, 5 ARM Cortex-A725 (3.05GHz) cores, and two ARM Cortex-A520 (2.25GHz) cores. The GPU was a PowerVR DXT-48-1536.

The actual star of the Tensor G6 silicon is the upgraded Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). Google co-designed the Tensor G6’s silicon structure straight alongside Google DeepMind’s newest AI fashions. Armed with 50% extra compute energy and better reminiscence bandwidth, the TPU permits the on-device Gemini Nano mannequin to run with considerably decrease latency and better high quality.

For on a regular basis background duties like notification summaries and voice transcripts, the G6 runs native workloads as much as 3.5x quicker whereas consuming as much as 3.5x much less vitality. This {hardware} effectivity permits the telephone to deal with sure AI-heavy duties, like Gboard’s new sign-to-text translations, solely on-device.

On the digicam entrance, the Tensor G6 introduces an upgraded Imaging Sign Processor (ISP) outfitted with a devoted {hardware} accelerator designed particularly for video portraits. This unlocks 4K Portrait Video on a Pixel for the very first time. Low-light images additionally will get a large enhance with On the spot Evening Sight, permitting the brand new Pixels to seize evening pictures as much as 4.5x quicker than earlier Pixel generations, and not using a drop in high quality. Moreover, the beefier TPU and ISP are claimed to allow spectacular element at excessive distances, driving as much as 120x Professional Zoom on the Pixel 11 Professional fashions (however not the Fold) and 30x Tremendous Zoom on the usual Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Professional Fold.

In case you are eyeing the foldable kind issue, you might need seen that there’s a catch. Whereas the Pixel 11 Professional Fold carries the upgraded Tensor G6 ISP, Google confirmed that the foldable is not going to help 4K Portrait Video or On the spot Evening Sight as a result of telephone’s distinctive bodily format and sensor constraints. It does, nevertheless, retain the 30x Tremendous Zoom and hardware-accelerated AV1 encoding, that are supported throughout the remainder of the Professional lineup.

Lastly, safety will get its first main hardware-level refresh in half a decade. Working in tandem with the brand-new Titan M3 safety chip — marking Titan’s first main replace in roughly 5 years — the Tensor G6 permits a quantum-safe boot. By leveraging post-quantum cryptography, Google goals to protect consumer knowledge in opposition to rising, extremely superior digital threats, making the Pixel 11 collection one of many first client smartphone lineups to characteristic this degree of forward-looking protection.

As all the time, in the event you care about nitty-gritty specs, Google is leaving you excessive and dry. We hope to dive deeper into the Tensor G6 after we spend extra time with the brand new Pixel 11 collection. Till then, you’ll have to take Google’s phrase on how good the brand new processor is.