Google Tensor
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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.
Expand Expanding CloseIn 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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel has been growing over the years, but it seems things might be stalling a bit, as smartphone shipments from Google reportedly shrunk between the end of 2023 and Q1 2024.
Expand Expanding CloseAccording 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.
Expand Expanding CloseAccording 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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel is coming off of its best-selling year to date, but according to one report, Google shipped fewer Tensor chips in Q4 2023.
Expand Expanding CloseBack 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.
Expand Expanding CloseWhile Google’s switch to Tensor chips in Pixels has brought a lot of good, Samsung’s manufacturing process has certainly held Pixel phones back when it comes to efficiency. It’s been previously reported that Google Tensor will move over to TSMC in the future, and new details show progress on that effort.
Expand Expanding CloseOne of the biggest selling points of a Pixel device is the (usual) cadence at which Google releases new software updates and, apparently, Tensor-powered Pixels are about to get a rare software update that updates the kernel used behind the scenes.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’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.
Expand Expanding CloseThe 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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle 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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle 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.
Expand Expanding CloseWhile we know Google is working on a big fully custom Tensor chip for 2025, a new report sheds a bit of light on the stopgap that is Tensor G4, the chipset to show up in 2024’s Pixel 9 series.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle 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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle 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.
Expand Expanding CloseAccording to a new report today, Google is indeed working to replace Samsung with TSMC for Tensor G5 development.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle 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?
Expand Expanding CloseWhile 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.
Expand Expanding CloseAs 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.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s first Tensor-powered smartphones had an unfortunate downside in their modem, which often made cellular connections unreliable or slower than on other phones. With the Pixel 7 series and Tensor G2, though, Google made big improvements to the modem, as is proven by the Pixel 7 Pro outranking the iPhone 14 Pro in a speed test report.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter two generations of the internally developed Tensor processor, just where does Google go from here? Let’s examine just what we would like to see and what this might mean for the wider smartphone space.
Expand Expanding CloseAs part of December’s Pixel Feature Drop, Google’s excellent Recorder app gained Speaker Labels that can identify multiple people. As with previous editions, the team behind it is out with an explanation of how the feature came to be.
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