Google Pixel 10 series

joesph

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my pixelstand2 and xiaomi 80w wireless chargers both cannot charge p10pxl, don't know how they placement the coil, going buy pixelstand3 and case-mate hard case, the original google case rubbery can't go easily into my pocket and when you hold it, it's slippery, and got funny feel
 

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my pixelstand2 and xiaomi 80w wireless chargers both cannot charge p10pxl, don't know how they placement the coil, going buy pixelstand3 and case-mate hard case, the original google case rubbery can't go easily into my pocket and when you hold it, it's slippery, and got funny feel
Isn't it weird they got the grip totally backwards? They designed a case that grips dust and lint but has no grip in hand.

Typical google. :s22:
 

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When switching to any new technology, there’s always a subset of techies curious about how things work—myself included. One of the biggest changes in the Pixel 10 series is the Tensor G5 processor’s new PowerVR GPU, built by Imagination Technologies.

Browsing through the graphics chip’s specs, a few things stand out. The core can support ray-tracing, but Google seems to have left this unimplemented. The peak GPU clock is reported at 1.1GHz; however, corners of the web suggest that the core is significantly downclocked to just 400MHz. Some have even suggested that driver issues could be to blame for its less-than-stellar benchmark results. Others point out that it could just be an app reporting issue. Naturally, I felt compelled to investigate.

To test, I grabbed my Pixel 10 Pro XL, made sure I was running the latest updates (I’m on build BD3A.250721.001.E1, if you’re curious), and ran system tracing to profile the SoC and see what the GPU was doing during a round of COD Mobile’s Battle Royale (with the 90Hz high refresh rate setting enabled).

Tensor G5 GPU Clock Speed Test


In this just over four-minute snippet of the round, we can see a few interesting things. First, the GPU clock spent a lot of time at 396MHz — just like the reports suggest. I imagine this corresponds to areas with little rendering activity, such as running around in the open. Importantly, performance felt rock solid at all times.

Towards the end of the test, with more buildings and action on screen, the GPU hits its peak of 1.1 GHz far more often. However, the activity is clearly burst-like. There’s no gradual ramp-up from 400 MHz to 1.1 GHz; the GPU scheduling seems designed to stay near its baseline clock and only boost when necessary.
Tensor G5 Fine GPU Clocks


Looking more closely at finer time frames, the GPU briefly clocks at 512 MHz, 576 MHz, and 633 MHz, but these frequencies are sustained for only fractions of a second. Essentially, the Tensor G5 GPU operates in two modes: 396 MHz or 1.1 GHz — a textbook “race-to-idle” approach.

The Pixel 10's GPU runs at 396 MHz with a 1.1 GHz boost — a textbook race-to-idle approach.

This raises the question: Is the Tensor G5 leaving potential graphics performance on the table? In theory, yes; in practice, no. The most obvious reason for such aggressive clock gating is thermal and power management for a smartphone form factor. Burst graphics workloads can often be handled efficiently this way, whereas keeping the GPU at a constant 1.1 GHz or even 800MHz would burn through power for minimal practical performance gain.

Tensor G5 GPU Freq vs Power


The software trace shows that peak GPU power draw nearly doubles, from around 275 mW to 480 mW, during sustained high clock periods — and that doesn’t even include CPU or memory power. Locking the GPU to 1.1 GHz for longer stretches would drastically increase power consumption and heat. In other words, these bursts are an active strategy to manage temperatures and energy.

Anecdotally, the Pixel 10 Pro XL became noticeably warm after about 10 minutes of gaming. This illustrates why constant 1.1 GHz operation isn’t feasible on a mobile device — at least not with this GPU.

Underclock vs burst speeds​

Google Pixel Tensor G5 phone in hand


Burst clock speeds and the “race-to-idle” approach are now common in CPUs, GPUs, and other processor components, particularly in mobile devices where battery life and thermal constraints are critical. The same principle is applied in many laptops as well: completing tasks quickly and returning to a low-power state can be more efficient than running at a constant mid-level frequency.

Clock speed gating is a delicate balance between performance, thermals, and power.

The PowerVR GPU behavior observed in our tests reinforces this principle. Sustained peak performance is rarely necessary, and energy-aware burst operation often delivers the best overall experience. Spending long periods at a low clock speed doesn’t indicate a performance deficit — it simply saves power, allowing the device to operate longer and cooler.

For the Tensor G5, this strategy appears to strike a careful balance between performance, thermals, and power. How it compares in practice to alternatives like Qualcomm’s Adreno or ARM’s Mali, particularly in terms of delivering the performance and battery life that are important to mobile gamers, will require further investigation. But the good news is, the Pixel 10’s GPU isn’t underclocked.
 

sashi.r

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Wah I tnink yesterday was my last straw ; took my p10pro out of the pixel stand at 7am; had some errands to run and suddenly felt my phone was warm at 10am. Took it out and the batt dropped to 80% with 15 mins SOT. And I've had the phone for 2 weeks now. :(
 

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Wah I tnink yesterday was my last straw ; took my p10pro out of the pixel stand at 7am; had some errands to run and suddenly felt my phone was warm at 10am. Took it out and the batt dropped to 80% with 15 mins SOT.
Iphone 17 thread also got users say they experienced battery drain of 20% doing nothing.

New phone syndrome? How long have you been using your set?
 

sashi.r

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Iphone 17 thread also got users say they experienced battery drain of 20% doing nothing.

New phone syndrome? How long have you been using your set?
2 weeks now ; thing is I've had several pixel phones previously but for some reason it feels different with the p10 battery and overall software optimization.
 

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2 weeks now ; thing is I've had several pixel phones previously but for some reason it feels different with the p10 battery and overall software optimization.
2 weeks should be long enough for the software to settle down.. you need to CSI your app battery usage to identify the rouge app or system app.
 

sashi.r

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I noticed it's always the meta apps - Instagram Whatsapp and Facebook that take up loads of background activity even with my app background activity function switched off
 

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I noticed it's always the meta apps - Instagram Whatsapp and Facebook that take up loads of background activity even with my app background activity function switched off
Your system which process consume the most battery? Is it the mobile network?
 
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