The Tensor chipset in Google Pixel phones, while often referred to as an in-house chip, has always been designed and manufactured in collaboration with Samsung. However, according to recent reports, that could change by next year.

According to Taiwan's Economic Daily, Google will be able to produce a sample version of its fully in-house developed Tensor G5 chip at King Yuan Electronics Co. which provides chip testing services. The testing will likely take place in mid-2024, which is the same year that Google announced last year that it was planning to launch the Tensor G5 chip in 2025. This coincides with news we heard last year that the Google Pixel 10, scheduled for release in 2025, will be the first Pixel to feature Google-designed silicon.

Google is looking to have chip fabricator TSMC manufacture the Tensor G5 using the 3-nanometer processing node in the iPhone 15 Pro's A17 Pro chip, nicknamed "Laguna. The Tensor G5, nicknamed "Laguna," will use advanced packaging technology and is likely to be thinner and more power efficient than previous Tensors.

Google is pursuing custom chips for cell phones for good reason. Apple has proven its advantages with its own A-series chips for mobile devices, and the A-series silicon, thanks to its superior integration between the chip and other components, has set the iPhone far apart from its rivals in terms of performance, while also giving Apple a more manageable supply chain and manufacturing process.

However, there is no guarantee that future Google chips will be better than those currently used by the Pixel. For example, Samsung's Exynos chips tend to be considered lackluster compared to third-party Snapdragon chips, even though they are made almost exclusively for Galaxy devices. Also, designing a custom chip requires a large investment, and since the Pixel series has never been a big hit, at least not on the scale of the iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy, it could be a risky investment.

While the future of the Google Pixel 10 seems uncertain, this year's Google Pixel 9 is expected to use the Exynos-based Tensor G4 chip. This is likely to be an upgrade over the Pixel 8's Tensor G3 chip, but the Pixel 9 will need to bring something different to compete with Samsung's AI-enabled Galaxy S24 series, and the upcoming iPhone 16 series.