Is Tensor G5 the reason to skip Pixel 9 and wait for Pixel 10?

While I’m of the opinion that you should buy technology when you need it, Google’s expected switch to TSMC for the Tensor G5 casts a shadow over the Pixel 9.

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the undisputed leader in the space, with Apple and Qualcomm using their services. This shift would see Google leave Samsung (Foundry) after four generations. The switch was originally rumored for 2024, but development was delayed to 2025 due to missed deadlines.

If a TSMC Tensor (G4) arrived this year, that would have made the Pixel 9 — coupled with its new design language — an even bigger moment for Google hardware. 

What will presumably be known as the “Tensor G5” is said to be based on TSMC’s 3-nanometer manufacturing process and use Integrated Fan-Out to reduce thickness and increase power efficiency. More battery life is always appreciated, while a cooler device and making Tensor a contender on performance would address the historic complaints that could be levied at Google’s custom silicon push prioritizing AI over everything else. 

Assuming Google gets everything about the Pixel 9 right, my asterisk will be that you can get all that and what should be a more advanced and future-proofed chip that’s closer to the bleeding edge by waiting a year. This is an especially important consideration for those that only buy a phone every few years. 

Come fall, Pixel 6 owners will get their last major update with Android 15. Security patches will continue for two more years, but I — as a tech enthusiast — would personally be anxious to upgrade once I start missing out on the software enhancements and new features that are introduced with QPRs. The Pixel 9 would offer meaningful camera and software upgrades, but it seems to me that waiting a year might also deliver significant performance improvements.

For those on newer devices (Pixel 7 and up), it becomes easier to wait until the Tensor G5 if you’re itching for an upgrade.

While the average consumer hasn’t had to care about smartphone performance in quite some time, the presumed gains by being on the latest silicon would make Tensor a more competitive and less compromised offering. Maybe it also gets Google to more consistently talk about the specs and technical capabilities of its chips, like Apple and Qualcomm.

The Apple Silicon transition comes to mind. With rumors of what eventually became the M1 neared, the universal recommendation was to not buy an Intel-powered Mac until at least seeing what the next generation would offer. Those that waited were greatly rewarded from performance to battery life.

There will always be better technology if you wait, with today’s Pixel phones more than capable, but the promise of a TSMC-built Tensor G5 seems to be one of those moments where a meaningful upgrade is in the not too distant future. It’s at the very least something to factor.