New evidence points to Google and TSMC joining forces for the Pixel 10

The G5 will be Google's first Tensor chip made by TSMC

Summary

• Newly uncovered evidence from a shipping manifest suggests that a TSMC-made Tensor G5 chip will debut with the Pixel 10 next year.
• Meanwhile, Google will launch three Pixel 9 phones this fall featuring the Tensor G4 chip produced by Samsung Foundry.
• Don't expect major upgrades with the Tensor G4 on the Pixel 9 series this year, with the emphasis likely being on AI features.

The Google Pixel 9 series is still a few months away from its debut. If recent leaks are anything to go by, three Pixel 9 devices, including a new Pro XL model, could hit the markets this year. However, we learned pretty early on that the Tensor G4 chip powering the upcoming Pixel 9 series would come from Samsung Foundry and not TSMC as previously believed. It was also reported at the time that Google's first fully custom Tensor chip, developed in partnership with TSMC, would be released only by 2025. Newly uncovered evidence now shows that things are in motion for the TSMC-made Tensor G5 chip to debut with the Pixel 10 next year.

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The folks at Android Authority stumbled upon a shipping manifest from India detailing a package that has all the markings of an under-development version of the Tensor G5 chipset. To help us make sense of the details hidden within the manifest, the site broke down all the key terms (second image below).

This shipping manifest mentions TSMC's InFO POP tech, in addition to Google's codename for the Tensor G5 — LGA (Laguna Beach). It also reveals support for at least 16GB of RAM produced by SEC (Samsung). The package detailed here comes from an India-based company called Tessolve Semiconductor, which reportedly tests semiconductors. Android Authority speculates that Tessolve Semiconductor is doing some of the work that was previously carried out by Samsung. The rest of the details are expectedly unavailable right now.

We know a fair bit about Tensor G4 already

Source: Google

Based on what we know about the Tensor G4 (Zuma Pro) so far, it won't bring major upgrades compared to the Tensor G3 (Zuma) that powers the Pixel 8 series and the recently launched Pixel 8a. So don't expect the SoC to break any benchmark records when the Pixel 9 trio is announced later this year.

One of the main draws of the Google Pixel 8 series was its hardware and software combination, with an emphasis on AI elements for photos and videos. We expect the Pixel 9 to take that a step further, even though current evidence doesn't point to major upgrades in terms of camera hardware. The Tensor G4 is also expected to power the Pixel Fold 2, a significant jump from the first-gen Pixel Fold's Tensor G2 chip.