Google Pixel 6 Pro is Google’s first Pixel phone with its self-developed Tensor chip. The previously released Pixel digital series all use Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. Today, PCMag conducted a signal test on Google Pixel 6 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 (Snapdragon Edition), and found that the Samsung 5G baseband 5123b used by Google Pixel 6 Pro and the 5G baseband Snapdragon X60 used by Galaxy S21 Ultra have an obvious gap.
From the actual measurement results, the Snapdragon X60 baseband used in the Galaxy S21 Ultra can always receive better 4G signals. Except for a very few scenes, the Snapdragon X60 performs better than the Samsung 5123b. In terms of network speed, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also has an advantage. Especially on mmWave 5G, the speed of Google Pixel 6 Pro is only about 1Gbps, while the speed of Galaxy S21 Ultra exceeds 2Gbps.
Furthermore, there are reports that the Google Pixel 6 Pro disconnects for 30-60 seconds when switching from 4G LTE to 5G network. It appears that the signal of the Google Pixel 6 Pro is not impressive.
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Signal or Speed, Qualcomm wins
Qualcomm’s modem beats Samsung’s both in terms of 5G signal as well as speed. In the U.S., Samsung’s smartphone uses either MediaTek or Qualcomm processors and modems. Since Apple’s iPhones also use Qualcomm’s 5G modems, the Pixel 6 Pro brings a “new modem” to U.S. users.
These tests seek to check which of these devices has the best connectivity in terms of signal and speed. PCMag measured thousands of signal samples so as to draw a line between both devices. Of course, the result has its error limits because the modem does not solely determine the network performance, Other components like antennas, power amplifiers, and software play a good role.
The tests use Net Monitor and the Ookla Speedtest consumer app. Using the Net Monitor app, the signal strength of the Google Pixel 6 Pro ranges between -53dBm and -125dBm. However, for the Galaxy S21, the signal strength range between 2-5dBm
Ookla speed tests show that in some cases, the Pixel 6 Pro speed struggles to exceed 1Gbps. However, in many cases, the Galaxy S21 speed approaches or exceeds 2Gbps. From the test, it can be seen that the Galaxy S21 has more head-to-head wins than the Pixel 6 Pro. However, the Pixel 6 Pro has an advantage as it maintains its connection even in rural woody areas. The Galaxy S21 completely fails in this regard.
From the test results, Pixel 6 Pro’s modem-RF system is not up to the standards of the latest Qualcomm products.
