Google has decided to abandon the chips produced by Samsung Foundry, which it has been using for Pixel phones for a long time. The company will switch to TSMC for higher quality and efficiency. The Tensor G5 chips of the next-generation Pixel 10 series will be manufactured with TSMC’s advanced 3nm process.

Google is parting ways with Samsung: Pixel phones will use TSMC chips!

With the first Tensor chip, Google entrusted the chip production of Pixel phones to Samsung Foundry. However, this will change as of next year. Google has decided to switch to TSMC to achieve more reliable quality and efficiency. With this transition, the Tensor G5 chips to be used in the Pixel 10 series will be produced with TSMC’s 3nm process.

Pixel 10 will have the first chip produced with TSMC’s 3nm process

The Pixel 9 series will use Samsung Foundry’s Tensor G4 chips produced with the 4nm process, while the Pixel 10 series will use TSMC’s Tensor G5 chips produced with the 3nm process. According to Chinese publication CTEE, Google’s first 3nm chip, the Tensor G5, has been made ready for production by TSMC.

This means that Google has finalized the Tensor G5 design and no major changes are expected. Tensor G5 stands out as the first chip designed entirely by Google. Previous chips were designed in partnership with Samsung’s System LSI arm.

What will be the impact of the transition from Samsung to TSMC?

Thanks to TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, the Tensor G5 will offer major improvements in performance and energy efficiency. It is not yet clear whether Google has chosen TSMC’s N3E (second generation 3nm) or N3P (third generation 3nm) process. But which process it chooses will be an important step compared to the 4nm process Samsung Foundry is currently using for the Pixel 9 series.

With major chip customers Google, Nvidia and Qualcomm slowly switching from Samsung Foundry to TSMC, it’s a sad situation for the South Korean giant.

Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, is ahead of Samsung Foundry. This reinforces TSMC’s leadership in the industry. What do you think? Please do not forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.