Pixel 9's Tensor G4 isn't great as report claims your excitement might fall elsewhere

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What you need to know

• A report claims to have spilled the crucial details of Google's minimal performance upgrades for the Pixel 9 through the Tensor G4 SoC.

• The chip has reportedly changed its core structure to help the chip cool off while also including minimal speed increases and the same GPU as the G3.

• The Tensor G4 has been rumored to feature slight upgrades over the G3 for a while and recent rumors suggest the only big change will be its Exynos 5400 modem.

The supposed nitty-gritty surrounding Google's upcoming Tensor chip has surfaced and it's nothing short of disappointing.

The folks at Android Authority credit an unnamed Google insider for information surrounding the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 series. According to this source, the Tensor G4 features cores that clock in "slightly higher" than the Tensor G3 alongside a reconfigured architecture. It reportedly follows a 4+3+1 scheme with the Cortex-A520 (1.9GHz), Cortex-A720 (2.6GHz), and Cortex-X4 (3.1GHz).

There's speculation that Google decided to swap the core setup to help the chip run cooler. Pixels have had a bad history of overheating problems as it's happened continuously across multiple iterations.

The report adds that has also kept the same GPU as the Tensor G3: the Mali-G715. However, it's rumored to clock in slightly higher at 940MHz instead of 890MHz.

The Tensor G4 is rumored (once again) to feature a new modem from Samsung's kitchen called the Exynos 5400. We've long since heard whispers about satellite connectivity support on the Pixel 9 and this modem would be its catalyst. This piece of hardware will allegedly improve power consumption by "up to 50%" than the Pixel 8.

Additional rumors state Google might not take advantage of this new modem across the entire Pixel 9 series. Speculation states the company is testing a device with the Tensor G4 and the previous Exynos 5300 modem. In theory, this could be a Pixel 9a, though we're likely a long way off from knowing for certain.

Other smaller technical aspects of the Pixel 9, like its AV1 encoder, ML accelerator, Digital Security Processor, and Titan M2 Security chip are rumored to remain unchanged.

The latest report doubles down on rumors we heard last year that suggested the Tensor G4 would only offer "slight" performance upgrades. The Tensor G4 was reportedly known as "Zuma Pro" internally, which is a play off the G3's "Zuma" codename. More importantly, the chip was supposedly designed to run off a new processor called "Redondo."

However, sources claimed that Google ran into problems between its American and Indian teams working on it, thus scrapping the project entirely.

The Tensor G4 also appeared during an AnTuTu benchmark test, which completely spoiled its specifications. While the scores seemed high, they were only moderately better than the Pixel 8.

With what's been rumored, perhaps the major Pixel performance upgrade we're waiting on will arrive with the Tensor G5. Google is expected to drop Samsung for TSMC as it prepares the next chip for the Pixel 10 series. Though the rumors keep us wondering, we'll know for sure on August 13 as Google readies its next hardware event.