Ahead of next week's Pixel event, a benchmark of the Google Pixel 6 has appeared on Geekbench. And the numbers suggest that Google's new Tensor system-on-chip that powers the phone is not as good as top flagships from Apple and Samsung.

And while there is clearly going to be a performance gap between the Pixel 6 and phones powered by Apple's A15 Bionic or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 silicon, it is unlikely that Google is happy or sad about these numbers. Rather, they suggest that Google is looking at the Tensor chipset for reasons other than pure performance.

But before we get to that, let's dive into the numbers MySmartPrice found on the Geekbench website: the Geekbench test results are for a phone with a 6.4-inch display and the Tensor chipset, which Google plans to launch on October 19 event, which matches the description of the standard Pixel 6 that Google plans to unveil at its October 19 event.

According to the Geekbench website, the Google phone in question recorded a single-core score of 1,027 and a multi-core result of 2,706 on Geekbench 5, which measures general performance. This is certainly better than last year's Pixel 5, which was powered by a Snapdragon 765G; the Pixel 5 had a single-core score of 596 and a multi-core score of 1,617.

While this is certainly an encouraging improvement for Google's new Pixel, it still falls short of the Geekbench results produced by several major flagship smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy S21 with the Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip, single-core score of 1,084 and a multi-core result of 3,302. [The results for the A15 Bionic silicon in Apple's new iPhone are even more striking: the iPhone 13's single-core score of 1,684 and multi-core score of 4,129 were the best results in our tests.

There are reasons not to take these Pixel 6 numbers at face value. For one, they may be pre-release versions of Google's phones that have not yet been optimized for performance. The Pixel 6 that eventually ships could have very different results if we had the chance to test it. Nevertheless, the numbers in this report are similar to previously leaked Geekbench scores for the Pixel 6 Pro, which will feature the same Tensor chipset.

One should also be wary of confusing synthetic benchmarks with actual performance; numbers such as those obtained from Geekbench tests are useful for comparing different phones, especially those with different chipsets. However, the day-to-day performance one notices when actually using a phone may tell a very different story.

There is also the issue of the actual goal of Google's Tensor. While optimal performance is certainly the goal, and the numbers suggest that the Pixel 6 is close enough to a top-class Android phone for most people, one gets the sense that Google is switching to its own Tensor chip for other reasons.

Much of the Tensor talk so far has focused on the chip's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), not the CPU or GPU. the TPU is responsible for managing tasks involving artificial intelligence and machine learning. the TPU is the core part of Tensor's pipeline. Since the TPU is a core part of the Tensor pipeline, many tasks will pass through that part of the chipset

. It also means that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be well equipped to handle tasks like intelligent photo processing and voice commands.

When Google takes the stage to unveil the Pixel on October 19, it will not be enough to simply say that it has Google-designed silicon. Google will have to specify not only the performance and the architecture of the chip, but also what it means in order to bring tangible benefits to Pixel 6 owners.

As it stands, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be important upgrades for Google's flagship phones. The Pixel 6 Pro will add a telephoto lens to its wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras. Additionally, the new model is expected to feature a larger battery and faster charging than past Pixels.

What Google has planned will be revealed at next Tuesday's Pixel Fall Launch event. Until then, please visit our Google Pixel 6 page for the latest leaks and rumors.