Pixel 10 Lagging To 5-Year-Old iPhone 12: Who’s Slowing Down?

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Google recently unveiled the new Pixel 10 lineup. Despite a similar design to last year’s models, this year brings significant advancements in artificial intelligence features, all thanks to the new TSMC-made Tensor G5 chip. While the performance is notable compared to previous Pixel phones, it still lags behind the latest iPhone from Apple. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has recently appeared on Geekbench, and the results are concerning.

According to recent benchmarks, Google’s new flagship phone struggles to match the five-year-old iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Pixel 10 Pro XL scored 1,948 in single-core and 5,087 in multi-core performance, while Apple’s A14 Bionic chip scored 2,204 in single-core and 5,187 in multi-core tests. This suggests that even after five years, the older iPhone model outperforms Google’s newest Tensor G5.

However, these benchmarks are not comprehensive, and real-world performance can vary significantly. In practical use, most Pixel 10 Pro XL users will not notice major slowdowns while browsing, scrolling through social media, or watching content. The performance difference becomes more noticeable in gaming, video editing, and demanding AI tasks. Nonetheless, Google has optimized Android 16 with such precision that its own Gemini platform runs smoothly without any stutter.

The only area where the iPhone excels is raw power, thanks to Apple’s tight integration between hardware and software. Even older models age gracefully due to this optimization.

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October 8, 2025

However, Google should be concerned about future performance as Apple is set to release new A-series chips for the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup. We expect these chips to offer significant improvements in both computational and graphical performance. Additionally, the efficiency of the new chips will be significantly enhanced compared to current models.

While early Geekbench results may seem unfavorable, real-world performance and tests will likely show a different picture. Stay tuned for more details on upcoming comparisons and tests.