3nm Pixel 8 Tensor SoC is possibly being fabricated by Samsung

While we’re firmly in Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro mode just weeks away from the full unveiling of Google’s upcoming flagship phones, in the tech world, we’re always talking about the next big thing. Whether its folding phones, AR/VR, or a new take on mobile tech, we continue waiting for what’s next even when those things are quite a ways away.

That’s the case with the latest news out of Business Korea, claiming that Google is already at work on the next-gen Tensor SoC. According to their report, the chip will be fabricated by Samsung on the company’s latest 3nm process that was just unveiled a few months ago.

Compared to 5nm process, the first-generation 3nm process can reduce power consumption by up to 45%, improve performance by 23% and reduce area by 16% compared to 5nm, while the second-generation 3nm process is to reduce power consumption by up to 50%, improve performance by 30% and reduce area by 35%.

Samsung News Room – June 30, 2022

In laymen’s terms, that simply means better battery life, more efficient operations, a smaller footprint, and better overall performance. All sounds good, right? It most definitely is, and if this report is accurate, it could mean we’ll see some pretty significant upgrades in the Pixel 8 (and presumably the Pixel 8 Pro) when they likely arrive next fall.

Utilizing Samsung as the Tensor’s foundry isn’t odd as Google did the same with both the Tensor in the Pixel 6 and the upcoming Tensor 2 in the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Again, if this report is to be believed, it appears that Google is taking aim at the most-powerful processors in the world with Tensor. We’ve yet to see any ARM-based 3nm SoCs from any company at this point in an actual phone, but we’ll likely see it soon.

With this move to a 3nm process, Google is clearly wanting to stay on the cutting edge of processor tech, and I love to see it. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro made big waves for Google in 2021 and 2022, but they can’t sit back and stop innovating. Instead, they need to push the barriers, maximize performance, battery, and AI for future phones if they want to keep up this growth momentum in the hardware segment. With this 3rd-gen Tensor, it sounds like they are doing just that.