We’re still a few months away from the release of Google’s Pixel 9 phones with the new Tensor G4 chip. However, there are already excited whispers regarding Google’s next-generation Tensor system-on-a-chip (SoC). A new report claims Google has completed the design work on the Tensor G5 chip, which will be its first truly custom design.
The report from Taiwan claims that Google has completed design work on Tensor G5, known as tape out. That’s the final step before chip manufacturing can commence. We do not expect Google to begin producing its chips in large quantities until next year, and when it does, that will happen at TSMC. The chip will appear in next year’s Pixel 10 family, not the Pixel 9.
All the Tensor chips Google has designed thus far are only partially custom. They’ve been based on Samsung’s Exynos chips and manufactured in Samsung’s semiconductor fab. For the upcoming Tensor G4, Google reportedly used the Exynos 2400 as a blueprint. These SoCs have worked well enough, but Samsung’s designs just can’t keep up with the best from Qualcomm and Apple. Google reportedly hopes that Tensor G5 will compete better with those firms.
The switch to TSMC will give Google access to more advanced packaging and manufacturing controls. The report claims Tensor G5 will be produced on TSMC’s latest process node, but it doesn’t specify the version. Currently, the most advanced node from the foundry is a 3nm design, with two options designated as N3E and N3P—the N3E process is slightly newer and more efficient, so we’d put our money on that one.
Credit: Ryan Whitwam
The report from Ctee doesn’t include any specifics on the core design. The current and upcoming Tensor chips borrow their unusual designs from Exynos. The upcoming Tensor G4 is expected to have a single Cortex X4 prime core, three A720 cores, and four A520 cores. This is a departure from Tensor G3, which had an extra mid-tier CPU for a total of nine cores.
Previous Tensor chips have given Google better control over its product supply chain. The company’s budget phones now run the same SoC as its flagship phones, mirroring how Apple has boosted its cheaper smartphones for years. However, Tensor chips have been plagued by lagging performance compared with other chips and excessive heat generation. A fully redesigned Tensor with TSMC’s technology could finally make Tensor worthy of Google’s class-leading software experience.