Pixel 10 Prototype’s Tensor G5 SoC Has The ‘SEC’ Label Marked On It, Leaked Image Indicates That At Some Point, Google Was Testing Out Its Silicon Using Samsung’s Technology

Google will introduce the Pixel 10 series along with the Tensor G5 later this year, and it will be the first time the company switches from Samsung to TSMC to mass produce its top-end chipset. Given that the Korean foundry was struggling to improve its 3nm GAA yields, it was only a matter of time before Google sought an alternative, but that was not always the case, because a tipster has shared an image, showing the Tensor G5 with markings and labels that indicate that Samsung was at least prototyping the SoC.

Samsung’s 3nm GAA technology has been a nightmare for its customers, which ultimately led to Google switching to TSMC for its Pixel 10’s Tensor G5

An anonymous individual sent the tipster @Jukanlosreve an image showing the Pixel 10 prototype’s Tensor G5, which has apparently been made by Samsung. The ‘SEC’ markings indicate that the silicon did not come out of a TSMC facility, with the ‘G5’ label on the left side hinting that it is Google’s upcoming silicon for its flagship smartphones. An individual on the thread pointed out another label ‘K3KL4L4,’ which might be a giveaway that the component in the picture is the DRAM instead of the Tensor G5, so we will have to await confirmation.

We reported in the past that Samsung was intensively analyzing when Google decided not to place Tensor G5 orders on the company’s 3nm GAA technology, highlighting that the two firms were at least in talks about mass producing the chip. Instead, the Mountain View behemoth’s executives recently visited Taiwan to secure a deal with TSMC that could last for up to five years, meaning that the Pixel 14 series could exclusively feature silicon made by a single foundry partner. The Tensor G5 is expected to be fabricated on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, with the Tensor G6 possibly shifting to the 2nm node to compete with rivals.

Samsung might have lost another customer, but it is showing promise with its first-generation 2nm GAA technology, and it has commenced a strategy where it intends to boost its yields to 70 percent in six months to make mass production commercially and financially viable. Also, it is not like Google has completely abandoned its former foundry partner because the Pixel 10 family will arrive with Samsung’s Exynos 5G modems, and if the company makes sufficient progress with its cutting-edge lithography, perhaps Google will consider it for future orders.

News Source: @Jukanlosreve

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