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In short: You do not usually see software program updates considerably boosting efficiency on telephones, however evidently Google is bucking the pattern for the Pixel lineup for almost each mannequin launched since 2022. A brand new replace improves GPU benchmarks by as much as a whopping 62% on Geekbench – a great addition contemplating these units aren’t precisely the reigning champions on the subject of graphics processing.
Redditors over at /r/Pixel_Phones have uncovered some spectacular Geekbench 6 GPU benchmark scores for Pixel units. Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman reports that the Google Pixel 7a has seemingly seen essentially the most important will increase – as much as a whopping 62%, to be particular. Then there’s the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9, which skilled boosts of 31% and 32%, respectively.
Notably, the efficiency replace is not restricted to Android 16. Rahman notes that his Pixel 6a, which remains to be on Android 15, additionally noticed an almost 23% spike in Geekbench 6 GPU benchmarks. It even outperformed the Pixel 9 Professional, scoring a formidable 8,252 factors. The true cause for the good points is the introduction of newer GPU drivers.
All of it sounds reasonably spectacular for a collection of telephones avid gamers usually avoid as a consequence of their lackluster gaming efficiency, at the very least in comparison with the likes of Snapdragon’s Adreno GPU.
In the meantime, all Tensor-powered Pixels depend on Arm Mali GPUs. Fortunately, Google appears to have larger management over its self-designed Tensor platform – a bonus the corporate is clearly exploiting to eke out extra efficiency.
Most cellphone producers keep away from rolling out important driver updates to their units post-launch to keep away from stability points. However Google’s leveraging its platform benefit to just do that.
The query stays whether or not these Geekbench scores truly translate to real-world miracles. Geekbench is designed to imitate on a regular basis duties like machine studying and laptop imaginative and prescient, however additional testing is required to pinpoint which apps will profit essentially the most from this replace.
Rahman notes that apps leveraging the Vulkan graphics API ought to take larger benefit of the driving force enhancements. Video games ought to hopefully run quicker too.
All mentioned, at the very least Pixel telephones have inched a bit nearer to their Snapdragon-powered rivals when it comes to GPU prowess. Possibly if Google had launched these updates sooner, the lineup won’t have drawn flak for lagging behind rivals in efficiency.
