Google has finally announced the Pixel 6 lineup. This is the first Google device that is coming with Google’s in-house SoC, the Google Tensor.

Google has been coy on the specs of the Google Tensor but don’t worry about it. I have got you covered.

What Google has further elaborated on is the AI and machine learning capability of the Tensor SoC as well as its new Titan security chip. So let’s dive into the details.

CPU/GPU cores

The Tensor has an Octa-core 2+2+4 DynamIQ setup. The prime cores are 2 Cortex X1 cores (2.8GHz). The big cores are 2 Cortex A76 cores (2.25GHz) and the remaining 4 cores are the small Cortex A55 cores (1.8GHz).

This is the first time I am seeing two Cortex X1 CPU cores on a smartphone SoC so you can tell that there is some serious computing power here. Google says that this new SoC is 80% faster than the one on the Pixel 5.

The GPU is an ARM Mali G78 MP20 GPU. Having a GPU with 20 cores is no joke.

Memory

The Google Tensor has Samsung LPDDR5 RAM on board for multitasking and supports UFS 3.1 memory.

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Multimedia

With smartphones now doubling as full-blown multimedia machines, the Tensor is not found wanting in any sense.

The ISP on board is the Pixel Neural Core which has been upgraded. For photography, it is going to be paired with Google’s computational photography (GCam) for stunning photos. In the video department, the Tensor supports up to 4K HDR resolution videos at 60 frames per second.

For displays, the Tensor has support for up to WQHD+ displays.

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Connectivity

For mobile networks/internet connectivity, the Tensor supports 5G networks (Qualcomm X60) as well as 4G. It also has Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6 support as well. All are at the bleeding edge of tech respectively.

Artificial intelligence/Machine learning

Google has touted massive AI and ML updates for this SoC. Google has always been at the forefront of AI/ML but the new features on this SOC are amazing. Features such as Live translate for audio, video, and text messages, improved text-to-speech (voice typing), better voice recognition, a more powerful Google Assistant AI, etc.

Security

To secure this SoC as well as the device overall, Google has installed a new Titan M2 security chip on the Google Tensor. If that is not enough, there is also a Tensor Security Core as well as a Trust Zone OS, all of which are dedicated towards security.

Battery management/consumption

This SoC is built on a 5nm process. Whilst this is cutting edge in itself, the industry is already moving on to 3nm and 1nm processes.

The 5nm setup, however, should ensure that this SoC maximizes battery consumption. To augment this, Google has also included an Ultra Low Power engine.

Conclusion

It will be interesting to see how the Google Tensor SoC performs against other giants of the industry such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, the Samsung Exynos 2100, and their successors. My takeaway is that this SoC promises a lot of good things. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and see how it goes.

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