When it comes to pure GPU performance, Google Pixel phones clearly lag behind other brands. However, this does not deter them from easily handling most mobile games and other graphic-heavy tasks. They may lag behind in performance, but not anymore, thanks to a software update. A recent update for Pixel devices has proven that software updates can significantly increase the GPU performance of devices.
Higher GPU Scores in Benchmarks
Pixel users on Reddit’s /r/Pixel_Phones noticed a big jump in Geekbench 6 GPU scores. The Vulkan API benchmark results are much higher than before. Usually, people test a phone’s performance when it first launches. Older results show the initial performance. Now, the new scores show big improvements.
For example:
- The Pixel 7a improved by 62%
- The Pixel 8 improved by 31%
- The Pixel 9 improved by 32%
These numbers show that recent updates have unlocked more power in Pixel GPUs.
Is Android 16 Responsible?
Many users on Reddit have suggested that these performance boosts could be the result of the Android 16 update. However, this may not be entirely true. A user whose Pixel 6a runs on Android 15 reported a 23% increase in GPU scores. According to the user, his Pixel 6a scored 8,252 points in Geekbench 6. This score makes it even higher than the previous score of the Pixel 9 Pro.
This suggests that Android 16 is not the main reason for the improvement. Something else is boosting the GPU performance.
New GPU Drivers Likely Caused the Boost
The real reason is likely new GPU drivers in recent Android updates. All Tensor-powered Pixels use an Arm Mali GPU, but they do not always have the latest GPU drivers.
- In February 2024, Google released a new GPU driver for Tensor G1, G2, and G3 Pixels with Android 15.
- In December 2023, Google released a different driver for Tensor G4 Pixels.
- Later Pixel updates brought even newer GPU drivers.
- The Android 16 beta includes the latest one.
These updated drivers likely improved GPU performance across multiple Pixel models.
Will This Boost Improve Real-World Performance?
Benchmark scores do not always reflect real-world performance. However, Geekbench 6’s GPU test checks tasks like machine learning and computer vision, which are important for many apps. This means Pixel users might notice faster performance in some real-world tasks.
The impact of this GPU boost depends on:
- Whether apps use the Vulkan graphics API
- Which GPU features improved in the new drivers
More Testing is Needed
More testing is needed to see which apps benefit the most. However, this seems to be a big win for Pixel users. Google has managed to unlock extra GPU power without upgrading hardware. If this trend continues, future software updates might bring even more performance improvements to existing Pixel devices. Instead of downgrading the smartphone performance of old models, other brands must do well to keep the performance of old devices at optimum levels.
