Report: Samsung was shocked by Google’s switch to TSMC for future Tensor chips | Infinium-tech
The Samsung Foundries built the first four Google tenser chips – G1 was used through G1 through the Pixel 9 series in Pixel 6. Now internal sources are saying that Google has replaced the alliance and the next five generations, Tensor G5 via G9, will be fub by TSMC – they will be used in Pixel 14 series in Pixel 10 (this year) in Pixel 14 series.
It was reportedly come to Samsung as a blow to the authorities, now holding meetings to analyze for charts to be wrong and to chart possible routes for recovery.
In addition to Samsung’s Exinance Division, Google was particularly the last major chipset client using Samsung Founders. Qualcomm still uses them for topical snapdragon, but it is the choice of Snapdragon 4 gene 2 and 6 genes – everything else, especially flagship chips, has gone to TSMC.
Other companies like NVIDIA used Samsung for GPU, but moved to TSMC many years ago – a major exception Nintendo switch 2’s Tegra T239 chip, but it has been fabbed to an old 8Nm node.
so what next? Google will get 3Nm Tensor G5 chips for the Pixel 10 models coming later this year. Samsung feels that the modem business for MediaTek is also lost – Pixel 10 phones will allegedly use the MediaTek T900 modem (although some rumors still indicate an exynos modem). For GPU, it will come from imagination.
Tensor G5 will focus on improving efficiency rather than bringing more performance – this work will be left to Tensor G6. Google is also working on a tensor chip for smartwatch, although it is not clear that that foundry will be used for that one.
For Samsung, the founders are reportedly watching better yields from 2Nm GAA (“Gate Around”) node. This is good news for Exynos 2600, which will be reportedly portrayed in the Galaxy S26 series – if that chip performs well, it can be a performance of what Samsung’s founders can do, which when the company tries to remove old customers from TSMC.
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