Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s on-device AI demands the question of why Google Tensor exists

Ben Schoon | Oct 29 2023 - 9:00 am PT

Google Tensor has always pitched itself on AI, and when it launched in 2021, it blew away the competition. But, now, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is showing off truly incredible on-device AI capabilities, and it really demands the question of if Google Tensor should still exist.

This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google’s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early!

In the Pixel 6 series, Google Tensor made its debut and, as we explained at the time, it was all about bringing “AI breakthroughs directly to Pixel.” And that’s absolutely something the chip did. Since the first Tensor chip, we’ve seen Google really double down on AI features for Pixel phones, especially with Tensor G3 and the Pixel 8 series.

However, all of those AI features came under fire since the Pixel 8’s launch as some have been noting that most of the AI features that Google touted with the Pixel 8 don’t actually run on device. Magic Editor, AI wallpapers, and others all depend on an internet connection, with the former offloading the job to the cloud as it requires a full backup of the photo to Google Photos.

Some are trying to turn that into a whole debacle, but it’s really important to remember that Google never explicitly said these features were running on-device. The Pixel 8 has these AI features, and it will have a lot of new on-device AI features coming too, most of which are coming in an update later this year.

However, Tensor G3’s seeming inability to run (or Google’s choice to skip) some of these AI tasks on-device was really put to shame by this week’s reveal of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Android’s new flagship chip puts out quite the show just on raw performance, but Qualcomm clearly had a heavy focus on AI with this new chip. Demos shown off included a new “Photo Expansion” feature which could literally generate more to the image, all on-device and in seconds.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has 1+5+2 core config, on-device gen AI, & ‘Seamless’ continuity

The Pixel 8 series can’t even generate abstract AI wallpapers without an internet connection, and even then it takes quite a lot longer than expected.

So, why does Tensor still exist? Honestly, it’s hard to think of valid reasons. Tensor ranks drastically lower when you compare raw power, and not just on benchmarks, as you can feel the difference in real-life applications quite easily. Plus, issues with thermals still persist, though thankfully to a much lesser extent on Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 series, and Google’s chip is considerably less power efficient to boot.

There are still some arguments for Tensor. With Google having control over the chip, it allows the company to focus in specifically on the AI applications that it wants to ship on Pixels. But, if Qualcomm has all this power in AI, and Google keeps offloading tasks away from Tensor anyway, that point feels more than a little bit undermined.

The strongest argument for Google Tensor, at least for now, is the support timeline. There’s no doubt that Google’s increased control over the chip process played a big role in expanding the number of years the company can provide updates for its phones, with Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro beating every single Qualcomm-powered device by a considerable margin in this area. And that’s nothing to ignore. Longer support is a big deal, and if that alone is a reason for Google to stick with Tensor, I’m all for it.

But, it’s rather clear that Google’s main pitch for Tensor is AI and, after seeing Qualcomm’s demos this week, it’s harder than ever to accept that pitch.

This Week’s Top Stories

Qualcomm showed off more chips beyond the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was the “big deal” of Qualcomm’s big event this week, but also launched were new chips for headphones as well as for laptops. The Qualcomm S7 series aims to improve wireless audio by relying, not on Bluetooth, but on Wi-Fi.

Meanwhile, the Snapdragon X Elite is a new laptop chip built for platforms such as Windows. While Qualcomm has played this game before, the company claims that this new chip can beat the Apple M2 chip found in the latest Macbooks (which is being replaced next week by M3 chips).

Google Fiber will roll out 20 Gig internet

Top comment by Arthur

Liked by 65 people

It's a very valid argument on the face of it. But as the article says, Google having full control of the AI tasks it wants to focus on rather than going through a middleman like Qualcomm means they can real dial the areas they want and the methods they choose to achieve it.

Of course the software update argument is also one that shouldn't be downplayed with Google offering an unprecedented commitment to the Pixel 8 phones.

My inkling tells me that offloading of AI tasks to the cloud is a stepgap untill possibly the Pixel 10 where Google will finally be ready with the raw power requirements needed to handle everything on-device. In another 2 years and Google continuing to further focus on AI and ML, Magic Eraser and Editor will likely feel like child's play. Bard will likely be fully baked in the OS by then and the ambient computing future that Google has always wanted will be much closer to a reality.

View all comments

By the end of 2023, Google says that it will launch 20 gigabit internet via Google Fiber. The rollout can be done without replacing existing fiber lines using a new 25G PON technology from Nokia and also requires a Wi-Fi 7 router.