The Google Pixel 6 Will Include Tensor Chip Designed In-House By Google
Google announced on Monday that their newest Pixel 6 flagship phone will include a brand new in-house designed Tensor chip. This is the first time Google has produced their own processor for their Pixel product line and it will pertain to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro models, both which are expected to launch in the fall of 2021.
A majority of Android phones on the market would normally use a third party SoC (System-on-Chip) which includes crucial features such as machine learning, edge computing, sensor processing, voice UI support, and integrated wireless connectivity, whether it may come from providers like Qualcomm, Samsung, or MediaTek. Qualcomm is known to be the larger provider of smartphone SoCs, and has been Google’s company of choice when it came to powering their mobile devices in the past.
This time around, Google has been building their own in-house chipset called the Tensor chip for their Google Pixel 6 phones. Although Google has built their own laptops and smartphones before, this isn’t absolutely their first rodeo as they have created processing chips for data centers since 2017. Designing their own processor can help increase computing power and customize and boost the effectiveness of the features for their new products, as well as benefit the photo and video processing on their phones.
“Part of the goal is to show the very best that Google can offer,” said Rick Osterloh, Senior VP of Google’s Hardware Division. “There is a big segment of the market that wants the latest, and we love building technology. So we’re going to try to appeal to that part of the market, too.”
The Tensor chip will also assist with the powering up of software such as improved voice-to-speech and translation. Tensor will also perform new duties, according to Google, such as real-time translation across languages and taking still photos even if the objects within are moving. While the Tensor chip will make use of Google’s cloud services, it will also allow the phone to process more data within the device rather than the cloud.
Prior to the Pixel 6, Google has not done so well in the market as they have faced criticism for the production and sales of their previous phone models. Google is not known to rank far up on the high-end phone market, but following the footsteps of Apple and Samsung and creating a proprietary SoC can definitely lead to some promising results. This upgrade in technology may help Google become known as a premium brand in the mobile phone industry.