Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- An Android expert has uncovered codenames for Google’s Tensor G5 and Tensor G6 processors in AOSP code.
- The Tensor G5 is called Laguna while the Tensor G6 is apparently called Malibu.
- The Tensor G6 is expected to power the Pixel 11 series.
Google launched the Pixel 9 series a couple of months ago, and it offers a semi-custom Tensor G4 chipset. All signs point to the Pixel 10’s Tensor G5 processor being a significant upgrade for the company, and we’ve now got codenames for this chip and the Tensor G6.
Android Authority contributor Mishaal Rahman (and a Discord member) discovered the codenames for Google’s Tensor G5 and Tensor G6 processors. The codenames Laguna and Malibu, respectively, were spotted in newly updated Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code.
There isn’t much else to go on, but the Laguna name has appeared in previous Tensor G5 leaks. This chip is expected to be a major upgrade for Pixel phones as it’ll be the first Tensor processor manufactured by TSMC. All previous Tensor chips were manufactured by Samsung Foundry, which is thought to offer an inferior manufacturing process. This apparent inferiority has manifested itself in throttling and heating issues for Samsung-made chips in recent years, including Google’s first couple of Tensor processors. So switching to TSMC should make for Tensor chips with improved performance and reduced heating in theory.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the Pixel 11’s expected processor, either. Business Korea reported last month that Google was working with TSMC to build the Tensor G6 on a 2nm process. Either way, it looks like TSMC-made Google Tensor chips won’t be a once-off occurrence.
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