Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro Tensor Gen 2 chip to be made by Samsung

After last year’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google is looking at Samsung once again to build the core chip –Tensor— behind the next batch, aka Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Pixel 7 series was officially announced at Google I/O 2022 and has been confirmed to launch this fall with a second-generation Tensor chip. The chipmaker hasn’t been specified, though. Now, a new report suggests that Tensor Gen 2, too, will be made by Samsung.

As per the report (via Naver), Samsung Electronics foundries will manufacture the second gen Tensor SoC on a seemingly more efficient 4nm process (the first gen was 5nm-based). Mass production is said to begin as soon as this month, itself. Another crucial bit of information coming out is the technology that Samsung is apparently using to make the new chip. The new chip, the reports says, will be made using panel level package technology. In PLP, chips cut from a wafer are placed on a rectangular panel minimising discarded edges which helps reduce cost and improve all-round productivity.

While Google has shown off some of the design elements of the upcoming Pixel 7 series phones and confirmed the underlying chip, it hasn’t revealed any technical bits about the Tensor Gen 2, yet. We can assume the new chip would allow the new phones to churn AI and machine learning tech and data, more seamlessly. Factors like power and efficiency would be expected to get better naturally.

The first gen Tensor is an 8-core chip—which is based on a 5nm manufacturing process—with two high-performance Cortex-X1 cores, two mid cores, and four high-efficiency cores. This is paired with a 20-core GPU. Google has claimed it has been four years in the making which means, work on it started soon after the launch of the first Pixel in 2016. It would be interesting to see how things pan out for Gen 2.

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Originally appeared on: TheSpuzz