While there’s still life in the Tensor G2 chip — the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet will both use it when it goes on sale this month — Google’s next-gen G3 could be a huge step forward, according to leaker Kamila Wojciechowska.
Writing for Android Authority and with information from an “internal Google source,” Wojciechowska highlights a number of ways the Tensor G3 chip is set to be a big improvement for Google’s smartphones when the Pixel 8 arrives later this year. year.
This is primarily in terms of cores, where “the entire CPU block has been redesigned to use ARMv9 cores”. The layout has also changed, with Google set to adopt a 1+4+4 layout to replace the 2+2+4 configuration of previous generations.
The large core will reportedly be a Cortex-X3 running at 3.0GHz, with four Cortex-A715s clocked at 2.45GHz supporting it. The small cores will be four Cortex-A510 cores running at 2.15GHz. All of this is much more modern than what’s gone before and should bring a tangible boost to both performance and efficiency.
Tensor G3: A big graphics boost
Graphics output will also apparently get a boost, with the Tensor G3 apparently adopting Arm’s Mali-G715. That’s a big improvement over what powers the Pixel 7 Pro, and while Wojciechowska’s source “couldn’t give the exact number of cores,” other evidence points to a ten-core configuration. “This would make the GPU the ‘Immortalis’ variant of the G715, complete with ray-tracing capabilities,” she writes.
In addition to raw performance, the Tensor G3 will have other big advantages over what’s come before, according to Wojciechowska. Not only will the update enable the chip to use the faster UFS 4.0 storage seen on flagship Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11, but it should provide a security boost with Memory Tagging Extensions that help prevent attacks memory based.
It will also improve the series’ use of AI. Google has made neural processing a big deal with recent Pixels, starting with the TPU built into the Tensor G1. This was said to be 60% faster for camera and voice tasks in the G2, and it’s getting a 100MHz speed boost for the G3 edition, codenamed Rio. “While I don’t currently have specific data on its performance, ‘Rio’ should still be a sizable upgrade,” Wojciechowska writes.
A video jump
Finally, the G3 will apparently receive a substantial upgrade to video encoding and decoding, with the MFC block now offering support for 8K30, although it’s far from a given that the Pixel 8 family will actually use it.
“It is important to note that, at this time, a special in-house version of the Google Camera used to test the Pixel 8 series does not support 8K video recording and, in my opinion, is unlikely ever to,” says Wojciechowska. “Pixels already struggle with thermals when recording 4K, not to mention how quickly they would fill up the storage space.”
Interestingly, the chip also adds AV1 encoding up to 4K30, which would make Google the “first smartphone brand to ship an AV1 encoder in a mobile device.”
All of these changes look extremely promising, but we have to wait a while for real-world benchmarks to arrive. The Pixel 8 isn’t expected until October/November if past launches are anything to go by. But the event might be worth the wait: Along with the new smartphones, there’s a good chance we’ll also see a much improved Pixel Watch 2.
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