MediaTek's modem is said to bring faster network speeds and better energy efficiency on the Pixel 11.
Google switched from Samsung Foundry to TSMC for the SoC on the Pixel 10 series
Google has long been rumoured to make a switch from Samsung Foundry to MediaTek for the modem in its flagship Pixel series. The recently introduced Pixel 10 series was expected to come with the new networking chip, but that did not happen, and the tech giant stuck to Samsung's modem. However, a recent leak indicates that Google is conducting an early internal testing of a MediaTek modem, part of the Tensor G6 processor, for the Pixel 11 series.
According to user Mystic Leaks' post on Telegram, the Tensor G6 chipset for the Pixel 11 series is codenamed Malibu. It is said to bring several upgrades over the current Tensor G5, which is produced by TSMC. One of them is with regard to the modem. As per the post, a new modem is currently undergoing “early internal testing” for the handset.
This is likely to be the MediaTek M90 modem, which was introduced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 earlier this year. It is said to be “significantly faster” yet more energy efficient than the Exynos 5400 modem used in the Pixel 10 series.
The user claimed that if this MediaTek modem makes its way to the Pixel 11 series, it could put an end to the battery life issues that have plagued the Pixel 10 lineup and previous Pixel iterations in recent years.
As per the post, the M90 modem will also bring “top-of-the-class features” and “record-breaking network speeds”. However, it is unknown if the same will also translate into the real-world experience. The Tensor G6 chip itself is said to be based on TSMC's N3P process.
In terms of specifications, the MediaTek M90 modem conforms to the 3GPP Release-17 standard. It also aligns with the forthcoming R18 5G‑Advanced specifications. The modem promises a downlink performance of up to 12Gbps, in addition to boosting uplink performance by up to 20 percent.
It supports both sub-6GHz (FR1 with up to 6CC-CA) and mmWave (FR2 with up to 10CC-CA) connectivity, along with dual 5G SIM dual-active support and dual data capabilities. MediaTek also claims a 19 percent reduction in power usage with its M90 modem.
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