Google teams with TSMC for next-gen Tensor G5 for new Pixel 10 smartphones

Google's custom Tensor processor was developed in collaboration with Samsung's silicon division, but now we're hearing Google has teamed with TSMC for its next-gen Tensor G5 processor for the next-generation Pixel 10 smartphones.

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In a new report from Android Authority, the site says that Google will have TSMC manufacture its next-gen Tensor G5, which would be the first time Google has moved away from Samsung Foundry for one of its custom processors. Android Authority has some new information regarding the Tensor G5, which you can see in the photo above.

A shipping manifest has listed the Tensor G5 sample chip, something that can be found in publicly available databases. Android Authority breaks this all down, explaining: "First of all, how do we even know this is the chip we think it is? It's simple: "LGA" is the abbreviated codename of the Tensor G5, "Laguna Beach," which has been known for a while now. Similarly, Google used to abbreviate "Whitechapel" (first-generation Tensor) as "WHI" and "Zuma Pro" (Tensor G4) as "ZPR.""

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It looks like Google's new Tensor G5 processor will also have 16GB of on-package RAM manufactured by SEC (Samsung Electronics Co.). This is a similar move to Intel, which will be using on-package RAM (also made by Samsung) on its next-gen Lunar Lake CPUs. NVIDIA's rumored Arm-based AI PC processor also reportedly features on-package memory.

Note: on-package memory sits next to the CPU cores on the processor, which means there's no physical sticks of memory, it's all on the single package (CPU + GPU + NPU + RAM).

Keep in mind, Google is still yet to launch its next-gen Pixel 9 smartphone let alone the future-gen Pixel 10 smartphone. But, Google switching from Samsung Foundry to TSMC means the search giant needs more time getting the new platform up and running. Getting test samples of the new Tensor G5 chip as soon as possible, makes sense, given that the Pixel 10 will be fighting Apple's next-gen iPhone in the years to come.