Tensor G6 Performance, HiLight LED, and Everything We Know About the Pixel 11 Pro XL Right Now

Against flagship rivals, the disparity is stark. Tom's Guide reports the Tensor G6 is roughly 96% slower in multi-core than the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (which scores around 10,212) and significantly behind the iPhone 17 Pro Max (roughly 8,562) .

It is worth noting that early Geekbench listings can be spoofed or reflect pre-production firmware, so retail performance may differ .

Core Configuration & Specs

The Geekbench listing reveals a unique 7-core CPU cluster and other key specifications :

The 7-core configuration, which has fewer performance cores than the 8-core Tensor G5, may partly explain the lower multi-core score.

GPU: The Real Story is Nearly 80% Improvement

Where the Tensor G6 genuinely shines is graphics. In a Geekbench 6.7.1 Compute (OpenCL) test, the Pixel 11 Pro XL scored 7,757 points using its PowerVR CXTP-48-1536 GPU .

This represents roughly an 80% improvement over the Tensor G5's PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU, which scored around 4,315 points in the same test . This is a significant leap for gaming, image processing, and AI workloads.

New HiLight Feature: A Functional Notification LED

Google is officially branding the new RGB notification light as HiLight . Integrated into the rear camera bar, it can glow in different colors for discreet notifications — calls, messages, alarms, and charging status — even when the phone is face-down .

Leaker Roland Quandt confirmed the name through official marketing images, which also describe the feature as illuminating when "your favorite contacts call you or when you chat with Gemini" . On the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the HiLight module appears as an elongated pill-shaped LED within the camera module .

Color Options From Hands-On Leaks

Hands-on images, sourced from carrier demo units heading to US stores, reveal at least three color options :

• Matte Black — shown in real-world images
• Coral / Coral Pink — seen in packaging
• Dune (a sandy/desert beige) — visible on a retail box

What Else to Expect at Today's Made by Google Event

The event begins at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT from New York, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, with appearances from Alex Cooper, Stephen Curry, Shubman Gill, and Ayami Nakajo .

Beyond the Pixel 11 Pro XL, the full Pixel 11 lineup is expected to include the base Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold . Other likely announcements include :

• Pixel Watch 5 — Google's next-generation Wear OS smartwatch
• Pixel Tag — the company's first Bluetooth tracker, similar to Apple's AirTag
• Deep Gemini AI integrations across the new hardware
• Pre-orders opening the same day