Google’s Pixel smartphones have used its own Tensor SoC since 2021, but some design elements weren’t fully in-house. That’s set to change with the upcoming Tensor G5, earmarked for the Pixel 10 series.
With supply chain sources confirming the chip entering the Tape-Out phase, the report made by Taiwanese media ‘工商時報’ revealed that TSMC’s advanced 3nm process is a game-changer in helping Google produce its first fully self-designed smartphone SoC.
Due to previous Tensor chips being legally bound to Samsung’s manufacturing exclusivity because they are essentially modified Exynos SoCs, the switch Google to fully control its design and what sort of fabrication partners/processes they desire, and it may pave the way for more innovative hardware and software integration.
Samsung’s Exynos chips hadn’t wowed the market in recent years, especially when they tried the “dual SoC strategy” where they ship its Galaxy smartphones in certain regions with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and Exynos for the others (and people did complain about not getting the Snapdragon version, sadly enough), but Google has gained valuable chip design experience over the past few years.
Now, with AI technologies rapidly advancing, Google is poised to leverage this knowledge and compete with industry giants like Apple.
The big question remains: can Google make the Pixel 10 stand out in the crowded Android market? Only time will tell if they have any tricks up their sleeve to set their flagship apart.
