Google Surprises Pixel Users with a Major Performance Upgrade

Smartphone makers are always pushing for users to upgrade to the latest models, but Google just gave older Pixel phones a surprising performance boost. Reports indicate that Android 16 delivers significant improvements, particularly in GPU performance for older devices.

A recent Reddit post sparked attention when a user, Educational_Leg8005, tested Android 16 beta on their Pixel 7a. Running benchmarks through Geekbench, they discovered that Vulkan GPU scores nearly doubled, while OpenCL scores surged by over 75%. This unexpected enhancement suggests that Google has fine-tuned its software to extract more power from existing hardware.

While this upgrade doesn’t completely bridge the gap between older Pixel models and the latest Pixel 9, it gets surprisingly close. However, CPU performance remains unchanged, indicating that the improvements are mostly limited to graphics processing. This means that while everyday tasks won’t see a dramatic speed increase, gaming performance could see noticeable gains, allowing for smoother gameplay and potentially higher settings.

Currently, Android 16 is still in beta, with Google planning a full release by June. For those eager to experience the upgrade, installing the beta might be tempting, but waiting for the public release is a safer option to avoid any potential software instability. Either way, this unexpected boost ensures that older Pixel phones stay relevant for longer, making it an exciting development for users holding onto their devices.