Report: Google’s first fully custom Pixel chip, Tensor G5, coming 2025 from TSMC

Abner Li | Jul 6 2023 - 8:53 am PT

According to a new report today, Google is indeed working to replace Samsung with TSMC for Tensor G5 development.

The Information details how the plan was originally to unveil its “first fully customized chip” for Pixel phones in 2024. Instead, “Redondo” missed the trial production deadline last year after already cutting features, with a handoff to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company only occurring “earlier this year.” Today’s report says “it won’t be ready in time for mass production by 2024,” with Redondo now being used as a test chip ahead of the next generation.

Laguna, with these chips having a beach motif, is targeted for 2025 and likely be branded as the Tensor G5. According to today’s sources, Tensor G5 will be based on TSMC’s 3-nanometer manufacturing process and Integrated Fan-Out for reduced thickness and increased power efficiency.

Google is sticking with Samsung for next year’s Tensor chip design and manufacturing, but has been replacing more and more Samsung components (“everything from communications and audio to image and graphics processing”) with its own IP every generation.

Meanwhile, “multiple Tensor chips” have been canceled over the past two years. That comes as a Tensor-powered Pixelbook was rumored but canceled last year. Notably:

Google’s delay in getting fully custom Tensors to market partly stems from challenges dividing and coordinating work between the U.S. and India, where the majority of its Tensor silicon engineers are based, along with high turnover inside the group, according to a former Google chip executive with direct knowledge of the effort.

Meanwhile, that former executive also told The Information that they were bearish on how much Google is spending on custom chips given that Pixel is not yet selling in volume.