For months now, leaks about the Google Pixel 10 chip have suggested that TSMC will manufacture it. This would be one of the biggest recent movements in the smartphone industry. Now, new findings practically confirm the move to the Taiwanese giant’s factories.
Everything arises from a finding by Android Authority in publicly available trade database listings. These listings include fundamental data for the product export/import process. After being analyzed carefully, the entries can reveal key details about future releases. The source indicates that it found the listing corresponding to the Tensor G5.
Everything indicates that TSMC will manufacture the Pixel 10’s chip
Although there is no explicit mention of the chipset’s commercial name, there are several clues that confirm its identity. There’s “LGA,” an abbreviation of “Laguna Beach,” the G5’s leaked codename. Google creates abbreviations for the codenames of its Tensor chips. For example, the first-gen Tensor had the code name “Whitechapel,” abbreviated as “WHI.” Also, the leaked codename for the next Tensor G4 is “Zuma Pro,” and its abbreviation is “ZPR.”
The listing explicitly mentions TSMC in an entry, in addition to “InFO POP,” a packaging technology exclusive to the Taiwanese company. So, it is practically confirmed that Google will move the manufacturing of the Pixel 10 series chip from Samsung to TSMC. Another interesting thing is that Google appears to have partnered with chip testing company Tessolve Semiconductor. Tessolve would take care of part of the work that Samsung provided before.
The advantages of switching to TSMC
The Tensor chips released so far offer decent performance. However, they have inherited some problems from Samsung wafers. Mainly problems related to thermal control and energy efficiency. These types of issues are also widely reported on Exynos chips. On the other hand, chips manufactured by TSMC have always been highly rated for their combination of performance/efficiency.
Fortunately for fans of Samsung devices, the company finally managed to resolve the temperature issues on its latest Exynos 2400 chip. However, it seems that Google has been preparing for a long time to move to other factories. That said, Samsung’s wafer improvements will likely benefit the Tensor G4, the Pixel 9 series chipset arriving this year.
Pixel 10 Pro reportedly to bring up to 16 GB of RAM
The report also includes an interesting detail about the future Pixel 10 Pro. Previous leaks suggested that it would have more RAM than previous models. The Pixel G5 listing mentions that it is mounted on a hardware platform with 16 GB of RAM. So, it’s quite likely that we’ll see a Pixel 10 Pro model not only with a chip made by TSMC, but with more memory than ever.
The post TSMC Takes the Reins: Leaked Listings All But Confirm Pixel 10 Chip Switch appeared first on Android Headlines.