Google recently announced the new Tensor SoC that will power
its upcoming Pixel smartphones. This is the first high-end mobile processor
that the company has designed for use in its own smartphones. Google Pixel
phones previously relied on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. The company
hasn’t revealed a lot of information about the Tensor SoC at this point in
time. It has been hyping up the artificial intelligence of this chip, creating
an impression that Tensor will be in a league on its own. Be that is it may,
some new information has surfaced which suggests that Tensor is actually a
previously rumored Samsung Exynos chip.
There have already been reports over the past few months
that Google has co-developed its mobile processor with Samsung. While it hasn’t
confirmed the technical details about the CPU, GPU and 5G modem, it’s likely
that there’s going to be a greater level of involvement from Samsung. Reports
also indicate that it’s Samsung that’s producing Tensor on its 5nm LPE
fabrication process.
It was first reported last year that Samsung is working on
two new high-end Exynos chipsets one of which features an AMD GPU – the Exynos
9855 and Exynos 9925. GalaxyClub reports that the Exynos 9855 has the codename
Whitechapel which has already been associated with Tensor. Google’s Tensor SoC
is thus the unreleased Exynos 9855.
So where does the Exynos 9855 fit in the grand scheme of
things? The Galaxy S21’s Exynos 2100 had Exynos 9840 as its internal model
number. The Exynos 9925 will feature AMD graphics and will debut as the Exynos
2200 with the Galaxy S22 series next year. Going by the model numbers, Tensor
is going to be much closer in performance to the Galaxy S21’s Exynos 2100
compared to Samsung’s flagship chipset for next year.This goes to show that
Tensor will deliver flagship-level performance. That coupled with the AI
advancement that Google is hyping up could end up increasing competition in the
high-end Android smartphone segment. Nothing that the best Samsung phones can’t
handle.
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