A week after Google announced the highly anticipated Pixel 10 series, eager fans are finally receiving their devices. However, the initial hands-on benchmarks of the Tensor G5 processor are stirring up quite the buzz – and not all of it is flattering.

In the absence of Geekbench results, one user decided to share their findings from AnTuTu tests conducted on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. The flagship model achieved a score of 1,173,221, placing it in the same performance tier as the Honor 200 Pro and Motorola Edge 60 Pro, both of which utilize the powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and Dimensity 8350 chipsets.

When it comes to CPU performance, the Pixel 10 Pro XL scored 415,848 – a figure that matches top contenders like the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and Dimensity 9300+. While this represents a 15% improvement over the Pixel 9 Pro XL, it still falls into the realm of last-gen flagship performance. And with both Qualcomm and MediaTek gearing up to launch their next-gen processors soon, this could be a fleeting triumph.

But the real kicker comes from the GPU performance. The PowerVR IMG DXT-48-1536 found in the Pixel 10 Pro XL scored a troubling 367,206, which is even lower than its predecessor, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, boasting a robust Mali-G715 MC7 GPU that exceeded 440,000 points. This alarming decline indicates a roughly 20% drop in GPU performance between generations, placing the Tensor G5's graphics capabilities on par with the aging Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

While it’s not entirely clear what’s causing these disappointing GPU benchmarks, the results raise concerns. The Vulkan and OpenCL scores for the Pixel 10 Pro XL are similarly underwhelming, and its 3DMark WildLife Extreme score of 3,202 barely keeps pace with devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

In a fast-evolving smartphone landscape, the early numbers for the Pixel 10 Pro XL pose questions about its competitive edge. Will Google be able to turn this ship around with software updates, or are users in for a long wait for a boost in performance?