Google’s smartphone division made a strong comeback with Pixel 6 in 2021, offering excellent imaging performance and the Tensor G1 chip enabling new AI features. However, the phone was riddled with heating issues and connectivity issues. With thePixel 7in 2022, the company made the necessary refinements missing from the previous generation. TheTensor G2also focused on efficiency instead of outright performance, though that only helped to a certain extent. Unsurprisingly then, all Pixel 6 and 7 owners frequently complain of their device overheating or getting too warm under normal use. It appears Google has made some low-level optimizations inAndroid 14to address this problem.
It’s no secret that Google’s Tensor chips tend to run hot. The Tensor G1 and G2 are fabricated on Samsung’s 5nm node, which is a generation older and less efficient than what TSMC offers. Plus, both SoCs use older CPU cores, which consume much more power. Qualcomm fabricates its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and Gen 2 chips on TSMC’s 4nm node, which is why the best Android phones using them run a lot cooler. But hardware is just one part of the equation.
There have been several occasions when underlying bugs in Android or Google apps havecaused high idle battery drain and overheating issues on Pixel phones. With Android 14, Google seems to have made under-the-hood optimizations to the OS to ensure its Pixel phones run cooler. Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 owners onReddit(2,3), are reporting that their phone is not heating up as before and running a lot smoother on the latest Android release. The battery life also seems to have increased seemingly due to the CPU not working as hard.
Google has not specifically mentioned any changes in Android 14 to address the overheating issues on its Pixels. It’s possible the company has tweaked the CPU scheduler to reduce the usage of the big CPU cores. This can have a direct impact on battery life and the amount of heat the chip generates. Whatever the case, this is a welcome change, as it will deliver a better user experience for existing Pixel 6 and 7 users. These improvements should also be noticeable toPixel Foldusers after installing Android 14.
Typically, there are complaints from Pixel users after a major update aboutoverheating and excessive idle battery drain. So, for once, it is nice to see that a major new Android release has instead done the opposite.
Don’t expect Android 14 to magically solve all heating issues with your Pixel though. Since Tensor SoCs are power-hungry, your phone is still likely to get warm or too hot to touch when used heavily under direct sunlight or gaming.
