Tensor G4 SoCs to Be Built by Samsung Foundry and Not TSMC: Tipster Reveals Potential Reason

The Samsung Foundry is competing with TSMC regarding chip production, and although Taiwan's chips are still very popular, a tipster believes that Samsung could be making Google's new chips. Specifically, the tipster believes that the Samsung Foundry will build the Tensor G4 SoC, which is expected to come out in 2024.

Tipster Suggests the Samsung Foundry, Not TSMC, Will Develop the Tensor G4 Chipsets

According to Phone Arena, the Tensor G4 chipset will be used in next year's Pixel 9 series. The Pixel series is Google's smartphone brand, which, so far, is doing well in the smartphone market.

According to tipster Revegnus (@Tech_Reve), the component would not be manufactured by TSMC but by the Samsung Foundry. This claim clashes with the initial rumor that TSMC would make the chips.

TSMC Reportedly Offered the Job but Declined Due to Low Volume

Revegnus reportedly shared how TSMC was offered the job by Google but declined due to its low volume. The Samsung Foundry, on the other hand, would be building the Tensor G4 after it also built the first three Google Tensor SoCs.

The tipster also provided more details regarding the Tensor G4, saying it would come with a Cortex-X4 prime core, Cortex-A520 efficiency CPU cores, Cortex-A715 performance CPU cores, and Arm's Immortalis-G715 GPU.

Tensor G4 Chipsets Would be Built on the 4LPP+ Process Node

Despite this, the tipster also acknowledged that he did not know the actual configuration but still said that it would be built on the 4LPP+ process node of Samsung's Foundry. That would mean the chips would be built on the same node as the ones used for the Exynos 2400.

It was also reported that should the Tensor G4 be built on the 4LPP+ process node, this would be a slight improvement compared to the node used for the Tensor G3, known as the 4LPP process node.

The Tensor G5 Chips Are Expected to Debut in 2025 with the Google Pixel 10 Series

While the tipster said that the Tensor G4 would be built by the Samsung Foundry, the Tensor G5 chip is also expected to be developed by TSMC. Last July, 9to5Google reported that the upcoming Tensor G5 chip would be the first chipset within the Pixel line that Google would fully customize.

So far, the Google Tensor chips are only partially customized and are based on the Exynos SoCs by Samsung. When it comes to the Tensor G5, it will reportedly be based on TSMC's 3-nanometer manufacturing process and Integrated Fan-Out for increased power efficiency.

The Tensor G5 chips are expected to debut in the Google Pixel 10 series in 2025 after missing last year's trial production deadline. It remains to be seen whether the rumors are true or if the tipster's information regarding the Samsung Foundry building the Tensor G4 chips is accurate.