Google Tensor

After a few generations with Samsung, Google is set to switch to TSMC for Tensor in 2025. Unsurprisingly, a new report also reveals that Google’s switch will also bring a 3nm process to Tensor G5 in Pixel devices.

In July of 2023, Google’s switch from Samsung to TSMC for the Tensor G5 was definitively reported, and additional confirmation today shows that work towards the Pixel 10 is continuing. 

According to a new report, Google’s upcoming Pixel hardware including the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Fold 2, and a 5G-connected Pixel Tablet will be getting a new cellular modem, an overdue upgrade.

According to a new report out of Korea, Google Tensor G4 will be adopting a newer packaging method from Samsung which may improve power efficiency and heat management.

Back in 2021, Google effectively rebooted its efforts with Pixel hardware with the arrival of the first Tensor processor. That’s led to some big changes but 2024 finally marks the year that the transition is entering its final stage.

Google’s Pixel phones, especially those powered by Tensor chips, aren’t known for their gaming performance, but there seems to be a considerable upgrade coming with the December 2023 update as a GPU upgrade behind the scenes should lead to better performance.

The Tensor G3 chipset in the Pixel 8 series is a considerable step up from past iterations of Google’s Samsung-made custom chip, and amid rumors that the company will eventually move to TSMC, a new report says that Tensor G4 will be once again produced by Samsung, but on an updated process.

Google Tensor has always pitched itself on AI, and when it launched in 2021, it blew away the competition. But, now, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is showing off truly incredible on-device AI capabilities, and it really demands the question of if Google Tensor should still exist.

Google this week debuted the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which, on paper, look fantastic. But as we mentioned in our hands-on coverage, it all depends on Tensor G3, which literally just needs to pass the bar of being not terrible.

Google Tensor has had a bit of a rough history, but things are looking brighter for the upcoming third-generation. Alongside improvements to Samsung’s manufacturing, a new rumor suggests that Tensor G3 will adopt a new packaging method to keep the chip from building up too much heat and running more efficiently overall.

Google Tensor has been a show of faith for the future of Pixel hardware, but it’s also been holding the lineup back. That’s set to change, hopefully, in a few years, but that wait is going to be rough on Pixel releases in the meantime.

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

Google’s latest A-Series smartphones have felt faster than ever thanks to an upgrade to the same Tensor chips as their more expensive siblings, but in the case of the Pixel 7a, it appears that the Tensor G2 processor inside is slightly different.

Google is preparing for the next round of its Tensor chipset, with some leaks pointing to big changes but also performance on Tensor G3 that won’t really put the Pixel 8 series outshining other Android phones. But really, does it even need to?

While we still have two more Tensor G2-based devices coming this month, Google’s next upgrade to Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 series will apparently bring some drastic upgrades to the chip’s specs.

As chips have pushed for better efficiency, the gap between Samsung and TSMC has become all the more clear. Now, it’s being reported that Samsung is seeing improvements to its 4nm process, which is apparently set to be used on Google’s Tensor G3 in future Pixel phones.