Google Tensor

Google Tensor G5 reportedly nearing design finalization at TSMC ahead of Pixel 10

Ben Schoon | Jul 3 2024 - 7:35 am PT

According to a new report, Google’s work on moving Tensor G5 production to TSMC is nearing finalization for the design in a major step towards production.

Google’s Tensor chips have, so far, been produced through Samsung. Google built on an Exynos foundation for its first few chips, with mixed results. Tensor G3 has been the first release that’s held up well over time, but it was reported last year that Google had plans to introduce its own fully custom chip in the future. That chip would be produced by TSMC and used in the Pixel 10 series in 2025.

Since that initial report, Google has reportedly worked out testing for the chip and evidence of the company’s plans showed up publicly too. It was also reported last month that, unsurprisingly, the chip would be produced on TSMC’s 3nm process.

Now, a new report out of Taiwan from Commerical Times says that Google has reached the “tapeout” stage of development on Tensor G5 at TSMC. This stage is a major step towards production, and considered a tipping point for the design. As Wevolver explains, the “tapeout” stage marks the point at which the design is finalized and the chip moves from development to production. It’s a critical phase for any chip, and is really the decision-maker for whether or not a chip will be made.

While Google isn’t expected to ship anything with Tensor G5 for over a year, the timeline here makes perfect sense. Chip design is a long process, and having things moving towards finalization a year ahead of time means Google is probably right on schedule.

This latest report came out at the end of June, but there haven’t been any updates just yet on how this last step has progressed (though the publication reiterated the status in another post yesterday).

Meanwhile, Google is set to launch the Pixel 9 series very early, with the company hosting a launch event on August 13.