While a prototype of Google’s upcoming flagship Pixel 7 has surfaced on eBay, many of its specs remain shrouded in mystery. The Korea Daily has revealed some processor details for this unannounced smartphone. The second-generation Tensor chipset, which the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7 are expected to run, will be manufactured on Samsung’s 4nm process node, which is used in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200.
Google likely had no choice but to partner with Samsung to produce the second generation Tensor processor. TSMC’s 4nm process is in high demand and likely running at peak power, especially since Qualcomm is using it in its new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 solution. On the other hand, since the debut of the first Tensor, Google has never set a goal of take top spots in benchmarks, and the Pixel 7 can make up for that in other ways.
Google Tensor had a unique architecture with two Cortex-X1 cores, two Cortex-A76 cores, and four Cortex-A55 cores. However, the successor may get a different layout, since the current generation Cortex-X2 core is notoriously power hungry and two such cores will negatively affect the battery life of the device. Chipsets made on Samsung’s 4nm process are prone to overheating, and it will be interesting to see how Google fixes this issue.
Google’s next generation of premium devices should debut this fall, and with it the next version of the Android operating system.