Google is preparing to launch its next-generation Tensor G5 processor with the upcoming Pixel 10 series. While the Tensor G5 marks a significant departure from past models by being fabricated by TSMC instead of Samsung Foundry, the relationship between Google and Samsung is far from over. In fact, the new chip and the Pixel 10 hardware as a whole still carries the unmistakable fingerprints of Samsung, despite headlines suggesting a full break.
The End of One Era: Google Switches to TSMC
Since 2021, Google’s custom Tensor chips have been co-developed and manufactured by Samsung using its foundry and IP. However, Google has reportedly decided to move production to TSMC, the world’s leading chip fabricator, starting with the Tensor G5. This move is seen as a strategic shift one possibly motivated by Samsung Foundry’s past struggles with yields and thermal efficiency.
TSMC’s cutting-edge fabrication nodes are known for their power efficiency and performance, and Google appears eager to leverage these strengths. The Tensor G5 will likely be produced on a 3nm or advanced 4nm process, positioning it more competitively against Qualcomm’s and Apple’s latest SoCs.
Still a Samsung Inside: Exynos 5G Modem Lives On
Despite the change in fabrication, the Tensor G5 will still rely on a Samsung component critical to mobile performance its modem. Leaks suggest that the Pixel 10 Pro, powered by Tensor G5, will use Samsung’s Exynos 5400 5G modem, the same hardware used in earlier Tensor chips and in Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 platform found in the Galaxy S24 series.
The Exynos 5400 is no slouch. Built on a 4nm node, it supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G, delivering theoretical download speeds of up to 14.79Gbps when combining FR1 and FR2 bandwidths, and up to 11.2Gbps using 1024 QAM on FR1 alone. It also supports NB-IoT and NR NTN, enabling satellite-based communication a feature that’s quickly becoming standard in premium phones for emergency connectivity.
Leaked Specs Paint a Promising Picture
The leak from the Mystic Leaks Telegram channel has revealed a fairly detailed look at the Tensor G5’s CPU architecture. It reportedly features:
- 1x Cortex-X4 (prime core)
- 5x Cortex-X725 (divided into performance and efficiency clusters)
- 2x Cortex-A520 (efficiency cores)
This configuration is more ambitious than previous Tensor chips, and aligns with next-gen ARM reference designs. Combined with TSMC’s efficient fabrication and Samsung’s proven modem, this should allow the Pixel 10 Pro to compete with industry flagships on both speed and efficiency.
Samsung’s involvement in the Pixel 10 series goes beyond the modem. According to the same leak, Google is also sourcing other key hardware components from Samsung:
- DRAM modules are said to be provided by Samsung Electronics, known for their high-speed LPDDR5X memory.
- UFS storage for the device also reportedly comes from Samsung, ensuring fast read/write performance.
- There’s speculation that Samsung Display may once again supply the OLED panels for the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro something it has done for multiple past Pixel models.
This suggests that while Google may have shifted chip manufacturing to TSMC, it continues to rely on Samsung for essential smartphone components.
An earlier report hinted that Google might use a MediaTek modem in the Tensor G5, possibly to further sever ties with Samsung. However, this claim seems to have been debunked by recent leaks, which clearly identify the Exynos 5400 modem within the Pixel 10 Pro’s configuration.
This continued use of Samsung modem technology could be due to a well-integrated software stack, cost efficiency, or simply because no alternative met Google’s technical requirements within the project timeline.
Though the switch to TSMC is expected to last at least four years, Google’s hardware strategy appears to be evolving slowly. Rather than a clean break from Samsung, Google seems to be pursuing a hybrid approach diversifying suppliers while maintaining continuity in proven areas like modem technology and memory.
This hybrid model also allows Google to better control costs, component supply chains, and performance consistency, especially as it scales up Tensor development.
The Tensor G5 marks an exciting new chapter for Google’s custom silicon journey. Fabricated by TSMC, it has the potential to overcome the performance and efficiency limitations of its predecessors. But calling it a Samsung-free chip would be misleading. From modem to memory, and possibly display, Samsung remains a key partner in Google’s flagship hardware.
As the Pixel 10 series approaches its official debut, one thing is clear: while fabrication may have moved to Taiwan, a lot of Pixel DNA is still made in Korea.
