Pixel 9 Owners Cannot Install Geekbench, PCMark Or 3DMark Benchmarking Apps From The Play Store, Indicating The Flagship Lineup’s Poor Performance

Google is in the midst of releasing the Pixel 9 models to various markets, and during the embargo period, the company has sent out review units to various media outlets, content creators, journalists, and others to provide their impartial thoughts on the latest flagship series. However, when attempting to run some benchmark applications on any one of the devices, some users reported that they were unable to download the programs from the Play Store. This obstacle hints Google might be blocking access to these apps to prevent any flood of information on the internet that downplays the Tensor G4’s capabilities.

Sideloading the benchmark applications does not seem to fix the problem on the Pixel 9 family either

Currently, there are three popular benchmarking apps on the Google Play Store; Geekbench 6, PCMark 10, and 3DMark, with each program testing a different aspect of the Pixel 9. While we have seen through various leaks that the Tensor G4 is significantly slower than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Dimensity 9300+, and the A17 Pro, Google is adamant about not letting that information pour through. However, it would be best if you were reminded that this is not the first time the Mountain View firm has attempted this, as before the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launch, Google was not allowing any benchmarking applications to be run during the embargo period.

Related Story Tensor G4 Running In The Pixel 9 Series Was Not Designed ‘To Beat Some Specific Benchmark,’ Says Google Executive, But Improve User Experience

Thankfully, at the time, those possessing the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro could simply sideload their benchmark app of choice, and they would be off to the races. Now, Google has blocked this alternative route too, with @Cartidise showing evidence on X that even sideloading Geekbench AI introduced a compatibility error. While others seem to be experiencing the same issue, we have noticed a wave of performance statistics and comparisons written by leading publications, so the