As a rule, software updates do not provide a significant increase in smartphone performance. Usually, it can get worse due to the addition of new features. But Google decided to break this stereotype. The company has released updates for almost all Pixel models, starting with the 2022 devices, and the results are simply amazing. In Geekbench 6 tests, the GPU performance increased by up to 62%. This is great news, because Pixel devices have never been known for their powerful graphics.
Reddit users in the /r/Pixel_Phones community noticed a sharp increase in GPU performance test results. Pixel 7a received the largest increase – up to 62%. Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 also performed well, with growth of 31% and 32%, respectively.
Interestingly, the update works not only on Android 16. For example, the Pixel 6a, which is still running on Android 15, also received a 23% performance boost in Geekbench 6. Moreover, it even outperformed the Pixel 9 Pro, scoring 8252 points. The reason for this jump was the new GPU drivers.
This is an impressive achievement for a series of phones that are not usually considered the best for gaming due to weaker graphics compared to Snapdragon devices with Adreno GPUs.
It’s worth noting that all Pixels based on Tensor chips use Arm Mali graphics. But it seems that Google has taken control of platform optimization and is now actively improving the performance of its processors.
Most smartphone manufacturers avoid major driver updates after the release of devices to avoid stability issues. But Google is using its advantage – control over Tensor – to change this rule.
The main question is whether these test results will affect real-world performance. Geekbench simulates everyday tasks such as machine learning and computer vision, but it’s not yet clear which applications will benefit the most. Applications running on the Vulkan API are expected to benefit the most from the updated drivers. Games should also run faster.
In any case, Pixel smartphones are now at least a little closer to their Snapdragon competitors in terms of graphics performance. Perhaps if Google had released these updates earlier, the Pixel series would not have been so criticized for its poor performance compared to its competitors.
However, not all updates are equally beneficial. For example, recently some Pixel smartphones «died» after updating to Android 15.
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Source: techspot
