The Google Pixel 9 is gearing up for its grand debut, and naturally, the rumor mill has been working overtime to spill all the beans well in advance. The latest tidbit, fresh off the Geekbench conveyor belt, doesn’t exactly paint a picture of unbridled excitement for the impending flagship.
According to these leaks, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is strutting around with a modest 1378 in single-core and a 3723 in multi-core scores. Meanwhile, its less Pro sibling, the Pixel 9, manages a somewhat more respectable 1653 in single-core and 3313 in multi-core scores. Both are expected to pack a CPU configuration that includes a 3.10GHz primary core, three 2.6GHz performance cores, four 1.95GHz efficiency cores, and varying RAM capacities — a generous 16GB for the Pro XL and a more conservative 8GB for the standard Pixel 9.
These numbers, however, don’t exactly set hearts racing, especially for devices purportedly equipped with the Tensor G4 processor. They fall notably short of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which we lauded for its stellar performance in our Galaxy S24 Ultra review. They also don’t quite match up to the Tensor G3 chip that powered the Pixel 8 series, which handled tasks admirably on those devices.
Unfortunately, this seems to be par for the course with Google’s Pixel lineup, where raw performance often plays second fiddle to other aspects. Historically, Tensor chipsets have struggled to keep pace with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon offerings in benchmark tests.
Of course, these early benchmark results should be taken with a pinch of silicon. There’s no solid confirmation yet that these are indeed the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL, and even if they are, they’re likely running on preliminary software that’s still in dire need of fine-tuning and optimization. The eventual launch is expected to see them running on Android 14 or possibly Android 15, factors that could significantly alter their performance metrics.
And let’s not forget, benchmarks can sometimes be as reliable as a cheap umbrella in a thunderstorm. They can be manipulated, and they often fail to reflect real-world performance accurately.
Ultimately, the true test will come when the Pixel 9 series hits the shelves this fall. With three models — the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL — slated for release, and prices likely to echo last year’s models, there’s still hope for some surprises. Design-wise, expect tweaks like a revamped camera array, sleeker sides, and possibly more surprises in store. So, while the numbers might not thrill right now, there’s plenty of room for the Pixel 9 to make a splash when it finally takes its turn in the spotlight.
