Google Pixel 10, Pixel 11 With Tensor G5 and Tensor G6 Chips to Offer Improved Efficiency: Report

Google Tensor G5 and Tensor G6 will reportedly be built on TSMC's 3nm N3E process that is also used to produce the A18 Pro chip on the iPhone 16 Pro.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 24 October 2024 11:56 IST

Highlights

Google Pixel 10 could be equipped with the first TSMC-made Tensor chip
The Pixel 11 will reportedly feature a more efficient Tensor G6 chip
Google has yet to announce plans for upgraded Tensor chips

Google Pixel 9 Pro (pictured) is equipped with what could be the last Tensor chip made by Samsung

Google Pixel 10 — the purported successor to this year's Pixel 9 — isn't expected to arrive until the second half of 2025, but a new leak has shed some light on the chipset that is likely to power the smartphone. The company will reportedly equip the Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 with Google Tensor G5 and Tensor G6 chips, respectively, and both these processors are expected to offer improved efficiency in comparison to the Tensor G4 that powers the current-generation Pixel 9 series.

Google Pixel 10 to Feature Improved Tensor G5 Chip

Documents from Google's purported G-Chips division viewed by Android Authority reveal that the company plans to use its own chip designs for the Tensor G5 (codenamed Laguna) and Tensor G6 (codenamed Malibu) — the firm's latest Tensor G4 chipset and previous models were designed by Samsung. Google's upcoming smartphone processors will also be fabricated by TSMC instead of Samsung, according to the report.

TSMC's 3nm N3E process technology will reportedly be used to produce the Tensor G5, and this is the same manufacturing process used by Apple for the A18 Pro chip. As a result, the Pixel 10 could offer far better efficiency compared to the Pixel 9, which features a Tensor G4 processor that is built using Samsung's 4nm process.

Google Pixel 9a Might Use the Same Main Camera as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

In a separate report citing the leaked documents, the publication states that the Tensor G5 chip inside the Pixel 10 will comprise an Arm Cortex-X4 prime core, five Cortex-A725 performance cores, and two Cortex A520 efficiency cores. The prime and efficiency cores are the same as the Tensor G4 on the Pixel 9 (it has a 1+3+4 core configuration), but it will reportedly have an upgraded version of the Cortex-A740 performance cores on that chip.

Google Pixel 11 Could Also Feature a 3nm Chip Produced by TSMC

The purported Tensor G6 chip on the Pixel 11, which is likely to debut in 2026, will reportedly be produced using the same 3nm N3E process technology from TSMC. It is said to offer additional improvements to efficiency over the Tensor G5 processor that is likely to debut on the Pixel 10 series next year.

While the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 introduced several improvements in terms of efficiency and thermal management, the switch to Google's own chip design and TSMC's 3nm process could result in even better results on the company's upcoming Pixel generations. With Google's track record of leaks, it's likely that more information about these processors will surface online in the coming months.