According to the report, Google’s upcoming Pixel smartphone models could offer increased performance compared to the company’s existing phones. After using Samsung’s Tensor G3 chips for years, recent reports suggest that Google plans to switch from Samsung to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) for its future processor requirements. Although news of the switch has been reported several times, the upcoming Pixel 9 series is expected to feature Samsung’s Tensor G4 processor, which reportedly uses a different packaging method to offer notable improvements over last year’s Tensor G3 chip. A new report suggests that next year’s Tensor G5 processor could use TSMC’s 3nm process.
A report from Business Korea claims that Samsung’s foundry has been struggling with the performance and energy efficiency of its 3nm technology for some time, concluding that the firm will eventually lose customers to TSMC’s 3nm process. Among these customers are such well-known companies as Nvidia, Intel, Qualcomm, Google, etc. Citing an industry source, the report claims that Google will choose TSMC’s 3nm technology.
The detailed report adds that Samsung will continue to supply processors to Google until the fourth generation of Tensor processors, but will switch to TSMC for the fifth generation, which may be called Tensor G5, provided that Google continues to use the same moniker for its processor.
Google also seems to be looking to boost its processor efficiency and will reportedly use TSMC’s 3nm technology for its Tensor G5 processor. This could finally bring its processor and phones on par with Apple’s iPhone, which currently uses an industry-leading 3nm process.
In 2022, Samsung was the first in the industry to release a first-generation 3nm node, but is still struggling to deliver the required level of power efficiency and thermal management. TSMC technology provides better energy efficiency compared to Samsung technology, so most manufacturers will choose it in the future.
The process node has proven useful for thermal management, which has significant implications not only for smartphones but also for servers. The addition of AI features is said to further increase the overall load, making heat and efficiency issues more critical.
Meanwhile, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that Samsung is unlikely to use its Exynos processor for the Galaxy S25 series. If this happens, it will mean that Samsung will return to Qualcomm processors in its flagship Galaxy smartphone series after switching to its own Exynos processors for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in select markets (including India) this year.
