Google’s Tensor G5: A Major Overhaul for the Pixel 10 Series

The upcoming Pixel 10 series will feature Google's fully custom Tensor G5 chipset, designed in-house and manufactured by TSMC instead of Samsung. This marks a significant shift, with the G5 being built on TSMC’s 3nm-class node and powered by Arm Cortex CPU cores.

Key upgrades include an Imagination Technologies IMG DXT GPU, replacing the Mali-G715 MP7, and a fully custom image signal processor (ISP) for improved camera performance. Google is also introducing a custom memory controller, system-level cache, and power modules.

Additionally, the G5 moves away from Samsung’s MFC video codec, opting for Chips&Media’s WAVE677DV for broader format support, including AV1, VP9, HEVC, and H.264. The chipset will also incorporate third-party USB, PCIe, and I3C components, along with external interfaces for display, storage, and memory.