Should pixel 10 ditch sensor for snapdragon? It is complicated

What if Google’s next flagship of Pixel used Qualcomms high flight Snapdragon 8 elite Instead of Google’s internal tensor processor? Although it is obviously hypothetical (Google already has plans for Pixel 11s Tensor G6), it has hit-and-miss If the Tensor project has failed And if Pixel wouldn’t be better to use the same piece as everyone else.

The performance is of course the obvious and most talked about difference. It is well documented that tensor typically bench marks a few generations behind brand new rivals, leaving Google’s current Tensor G4 closer to 2022’s 8 gene 2 than the new Powerhouse 8 elite. Things don’t seem to change with the G5; The gap has expanded as Qualcomm has driven ahead with custom CPU cores that Arms Cortex CPUs cannot match.

This is not to say that the current Pixel 9 is slow, nor the 10 series. With both Pixel 9 Pro XL and Galaxy S25 Ultra In my hand, I can testify that both apps and power through my daily tasks without breaking sweat. But honestly, even more affordable phones now offer a lot of performance when surfing on social media. For premium users who want to play the most demanding Android games or shoot through video editing apps, there is no doubt that the Snapdragon 8 elite has much more headroom-a particularly important assessment given the seven-year life of these hand sets. Nevertheless, this has been the case for several years at this time, so let’s look at other developments to make this thought experiment much more interesting.

Another blessing for recent flagship from Snapdragon is improved battery life. Thanks to the TSMC’s 3NM process, Rival handed the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s battery life exceeded an equivalent 5,060mAh capacity (see Magic 7 Pro – 5,270mAh, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra – 5,000 mAh below). Given, display and other specification differences contribute, but it is a general topic as well. Pixel falls far for our competitors in our video playback, browsing and video calls – tests – and offers anywhere from just 66% to 85% of the screen in time for the Galaxy S25 Ultra in these scenarios. Depending on what you do, it can result in a few extra hours of screen-on-time. This is definitely reflected in my time used with the two phones – Pixel 9 Pro XL will easily take me through a whole day, but the S25 Ultra is more likely to push through another day of basic use.

However, Google’s hand set is the same and even sometimes about the best competition when it comes to image and video recording, so you can take more of the precious snaps before the phone goes dead. Tensor’s imaging pipeline seems more frugal than snapdragon, possibly because of its tighter integration with its AI processor. Still, this seems to depend much more on the camera’s hardware than the processor, seen from the huge variation in results from our Snapdragon 8 elite flagship. In any case, hopefully general battery life will probably be better when the Pixel 10 -century Tensor G5 finally switches Samsung Foundries for TSMC And a more innovative 3nm node, but we have to see if it can close that gap.

One last point worth considering whether Snapdragon is Qualcomm’s huge selection of extra alternatives. Qualcomm has long had flaming fast and reliable 5G modems and the latest Wi-Fi standards (Samsung Modems have been MEH). In addition, there is aptx loss-free for high-end wireless sound and Snapdragon seamless For better integration with the latest PCs. Few brands ever throw in everything Qualcomm has to offer, but these will let Google do some more interesting things with the wider ecosystem. Given, Google invests in satellite SOS and other features that ensure that the phone feels updated, so it’s more of a case of picking and choosing what will do for the most interesting products. I will undoubtedly love a snappier connection between pixel and PC, as well as a different option than the unreliable LDAC to play my flacet

OK, enough of Snapdragon -Schmoozing. It is clear that we will give up a lot of what makes the pixel so great if the ditched tensor for snapdragon, right? Well, I’m not so sure it’s as true today as it was a couple of years ago.

Take, for example, AI, Tensor’s early golden goose that kept the early models on everyone’s radar. Tensor was tired of the slow pace of machine learning of silicon innovation, and allowed Google to push forward with calculation photography and AI functions on the device that was leap and boundaries ahead of that time. While Google is already cutting his teeth on these ideas while still using Snapdragon, Pixel 6 ante increased with live translated, face unblur and real tone, and Google’s two follow -up phones cemented their reputation on these fronts.

2024, however, leveled the playing field. Galaxy Ai showed that Samsung and Snapdragon can match a lot of what Google has to offer, and that GAP has narrowed on with the S25 series. Close cooperation between the two has brought real-time translations, document summary and even new AI-imaging functions on unit. Countless other brands have introduced similar AI capabilities with their flagship products in 2025, such as OnePlus 13 with their Gemini Nano-powered Magic Compose and Live Transfer Tools, leaving the Pixel 9 series with fewer unique AI award. Plenty of brilliant Pixel-exclusive features Of course, and Google will undoubtedly throw a few more on us when Pixel 10 rolls around. However, many of these tools can almost certainly run on a snap dragon-driven pixel, complete with the other benefits we have listed so far.

Photography is not a safe room for pixels these days. While the brand continues to be one of the more reliable athletes when it comes to HDR and color authority, many other phones can do so as well. In fact, I would argue that Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi produce better images when it comes to color science and plow their phones with useful filters and other AI tools to make them creative power plants. Google’s latest innovations in ADD Me and Best Take are welcome, but hardly pushes the creativity envelope, but that’s what high-end photographers are all clinging for.

Long -term updates are also not solely Pixel’s domain. Google has made it easier for Suppliers like Qualcomm to support their chips anymoreAlthough without necessarily supporting the latest Android machine features further down the line. Nevertheless, Samsung now supports its Galaxy flagship with seven years of OS upgrades and matches Google. OnePlus promises four OS and six years of security updates, and several others have committed to the Four/Five split.

A Snapdragon chip certainly does not guarantee long-term support, but it would not be a barrier for pixels that last for seven years either.

Speaking of updates, Android 16 Breaks the long -standing practice of rolling out significant upgrades with the latest pixel. If Google wanted, it can completely change the launch window to be one of the first with a new Snapdragon processor. Wouldn’t it be?

Well, it sounds pretty crucial. Surely, Google is foolish not to choose Snapdragon?

Let’s not be so rushed: Price is the elephant in the room, and we know that the 8 elite does not come cheap. Tensor is not exactly a bargain, but it is not so expensive, and the company plans to get the costs even further down over the next two generations. Meanwhile, rumors suggest that next year’s flagship in Snapdragon will cost even more. If you have wondered why brands seem to have very tight budgets to update their designs, it’s because silicon costs use ever larger portions.

Can Google offer such long updates, continuously restore the design or invest so big in its beloved software features if it has to pay the Snapdragon tax? Only Google knows, but I imagine something may give. At least, Tensor Google lets support budget, flagship and tablet products from a single building block- an idea Apple also exploits to great success.

Let’s not forget that Rivals have only recently closed the gap on Tensor’s advantages in AI, photography and updates. Being at the rudder of the chipestin gives Google a level of planning it cannot have when buying the shelf. Unfortunately, Tensor does not appear to have anything that has planned groundbreaking for the next couple of generations. Still, it will turn 4K 60FPS HDR video, 100x zoom, a new movie about Recovery Motor, and Surrounding health -related functions In the next couple of generations, keep the pixel fresh with new features to talk about. In addition, the potential for another outbreak design change is probably worth holding the piece around.

So I really wanted Google to ditch Tensor and go back to Snapdragon for Pixel 10 and potentially outside? Some of me say yes, but just as much there are already many good phones if you are desperate for a Qualcomm chip. Tensor’s more intangible properties have helped make Pixel the beloved series as it is, and despite our disagreements, it still plays an important enough role in the series’ identity to keep it around. In any case, we are stuck with Tensor for at least a few more years.