The Pixel 9 series is definitely a success for Google, even if you don’t know the sales numbers. That’s mainly because it feels like a complete package with significant improvements over previous models, solving some of the issues that remained with older Pixel phones. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t already looking at the future of Google’s Pixel series, as rumors of major improvements to its Tensor chips could see the company enter new smartphone territory. We’re talking about them starting a dialogue with Apple on an end-to-end level.
A new report only further strengthens that idea, suggesting that the custom Tensor chip that’s expected to power the Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 will match the latest chip that will power Apple’s new iPhone 16 Pro.
As you may recall, Google is rumored to have switched chipset manufacturing from Samsung Foundry to TSMC. Before we move on to the next part, this is a huge question because TSMC is the king of chip manufacturing. The best example to support this idea is a quick look back at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is made by Samsung, and early devices struggled mightily. Qualcomm later switched to TSMC to offer Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, with dramatically improved efficiency, power, and heat generation. We were all waiting for Google to do the same. It should arrive next year with Tensor G5 and Pixel 10 series, followed by Tensor G6 and Pixel 11.
According to Android permissionsthe Tensor G5 (codenamed “laguna”) will be manufactured on TSMC’s 3nm N3E node, which appears to be the same process node as the A18 Pro chip that Apple just announced for the iPhone 16 Pro. They call it “the best process node currently available” and say it should be a notable upgrade over the 4nm node of Samsung’s Tensor G4.
In addition to that bit of news, the Tensor G6 (codenamed “malibu”) will be manufactured on TSMC’s unreleased 3nm N3P node, which is rumored for Apple’s A19 chip. In other words, this is the next chip Google will introduce, and it should be the latest best in class Apple-approved chip type. Apple’s chips actually lead the industry almost every year, so this would be a huge problem if Google were to join. The other thing to note is that it’s still 3nm, not 2nm as previously rumored.
To summarize, this is pretty boring to talk about, so just know that Google’s Tensor games are about to jump several levels in terms of performance and efficiency. Even when we talk about how great the Pixel 9 is, we have to keep this in mind. Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 can be monsters.
// Android permissions
