Google’s Pixel phones used to represent the best of Android – clean software, intelligent features, and cameras that consistently punched above their weight. But with the recently released Pixel 10 series and its new Tensor G5 chip, it’s becoming clear that Google has fundamentally lost direction with both its hardware strategy and Android’s future.
Tensor G5 performance disaster
Let’s start with the most glaring issue: gaming performance that’s borderline embarrassing for a 2025 flagship. Recent testing reveals just how badly the Tensor G5 handles demanding games, with Fortnite being practically unplayable.
The numbers are damning. The Pixel 10 Pro XL struggles to maintain 25 FPS in Fortnite, with constant stuttering and frame drops that make the experience genuinely awful. While it can handle lighter games like PUBG Mobile and Valorant at 60 FPS, push it to anything demanding and the cracks show immediately – Genshin Impact averages just 29 FPS, and Wuthering Waves hits 44 FPS on maximum settings.
Here’s what makes this even more frustrating: Google moved production from Samsung to TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm process specifically to improve performance and efficiency. The result? GPU performance that benchmarks show trailing competitors by 6-7x in some tests. Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite and even Samsung’s Exynos chips are in a real arms race for performance leadership.
Sure, the Tensor G5 runs cooler than previous generations – a genuine improvement that fixes years of overheating complaints. But when your “most significant upgrade since Tensor’s debut” still can’t handle basic gaming in 2025, something is fundamentally wrong with your chip design philosophy.
Screen glitches – The hardware problems continue
As if poor gaming performance wasn’t enough, Pixel 10 owners are already reporting display issues just days after launch. Users on Reddit are sharing videos of their brand-new devices exhibiting “colorful snow” effects on screen, with glitches appearing randomly during normal use.
Google Pixel Support has acknowledged the issue, with one Reddit user claiming that “dozens” of other Pixel 10 owners are experiencing similar problems. While some cases seem to resolve themselves (suggesting software issues), the fact that Google’s flagships are launching with display glitches again raises serious questions about quality control.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Every single Pixel generation has launched with significant hardware or software problems, from the Pixel 6’s connectivity issues to various display and charging problems across the lineup. At what point do customers stop giving Google the benefit of the doubt?
The value proposition has VANISHED
Pixel phones were never the cheapest option, but you could justify the premium for the camera experience and guaranteed software updates. That equation no longer adds up.
The Pixel 10 starts at $799, matching last year’s pricing while offering hardware that struggles to compete with phones hundreds of dollars cheaper. When OnePlus, Samsung, and even Motorola are delivering superior performance at similar or lower prices, what exactly are you paying for?
The cameras, once Google’s ace in the hole, are no longer significantly ahead of the competition. Meanwhile, many of the software features that made Pixels special like Call Screen and Live Translate, now launch exclusively on the newest models, fragmenting even Google’s own ecosystem.
Android’s openness under attack
Google’s hardware problems would be concerning enough on their own, but the company’s broader Android strategy is equally troubling. Starting in September 2026, Google will require all developers to verify their identity with Google before their apps can be installed on “certified” Android devices – which includes virtually every mainstream Android phone.
While this isn’t technically banning sideloading, it’s Google positioning itself as the gatekeeper for all Android apps, even those distributed outside the Play Store. Developers who want to remain anonymous (think emulator developers, privacy-focused apps, or those creating politically sensitive software) will be shut out entirely.
This represents a fundamental shift away from Android’s core promise of openness. Alternative app stores like F-Droid, which serves the open-source community, and specialized stores like the Epic Games Store could be severely impacted. If you can’t sideload apps without Google’s permission, what’s really left to differentiate Android from iOS?
The rollout timeline tells the story: testing begins October 2025, developer verification becomes available March 2026, and enforcement starts in select countries by September 2026. Google is methodically closing off Android’s escape hatches.
Should you Pixel anymore?
This is the question Google needs to answer urgently. The software advantages that once justified the Pixel premium are eroding. The hardware can’t compete on performance and launches with quality issues. The long-term Android strategy seems designed to eliminate the platform’s key differentiators.
Google appears to be betting everything on AI features – the Tensor G5 can run on-device AI queries marginally faster than competitors. But when your phone can’t run Fortnite smoothly or maintain display stability, who cares about AI processing speeds?
Meanwhile, the Android ecosystem is more competitive than ever. Samsung continues refining its Galaxy lineup with superior hardware, OnePlus delivers flagship performance at better prices, and even budget manufacturers are closing the gap on camera quality.
The broader Android problem
The Pixel strategy reflects Google’s broader confusion about Android’s identity. Is it an open platform that empowers users and developers? Or is it becoming another walled garden designed to maximize Google’s control over the mobile ecosystem?
By requiring developer verification for sideloaded apps while simultaneously shipping underwhelming hardware, Google risks alienating both power users who value Android’s flexibility and mainstream consumers who expect reliable flagship performance.
The company seems to be prioritizing AI buzzwords and theoretical future capabilities over solving basic problems like “can this phone play games” and “will the screen work properly.”
Time to choose
Google needs to decide what it wants to be. If Pixel phones are going to cost flagship prices, they need flagship performance – not just for AI workloads, but for gaming, media, and everything else users expect from a premium device.
If Android is going to remain meaningfully different from iOS, Google needs to preserve the openness and customizability that made it compelling in the first place, not gradually transform it into iOS with Google services.
Without significant course correction, the Pixel line risks becoming an expensive curiosity in a market that’s rapidly moving beyond what Google is willing to deliver.