Google Teases “Game-Changing” Tensor G4 in Pixel 9, No Details Revealed

Google will introduce the Tensor G4 this year to power its flagship Pixel 9 series. Although previous Tensor G series chips have lagged behind competitors in performance and efficiency, Google has taken a different approach, focusing on adding new features tailored to meet the design requirements of its systems and devices, specifically to optimize the Pixel experience.

According to Wccftech, leaked marketing materials for the Pixel 9 series reveal that Google claims the Tensor G4 will be a “Game-Changing”, though no specific benchmark comparisons or detailed descriptions of the SoC’s design and features were provided.

Last month, a Pixel 9 series device equipped with the Tensor G4 appeared in a benchmark database, showing an AnTuTu score of 1,176,410, which is approximately 33% higher than the Pixel 8’s score of 877,443, indicating a notable performance improvement over the Tensor G3. This device, identified as the “Pixel 9 Pro XL,” features a “1+3+4” tri-cluster CPU architecture. However, with its late release, the Tensor G4 will soon face competition from Qualcomm’s fourth-generation Snapdragon 8 and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400, meaning that even if Google’s new SoC performs well, the performance gap may quickly widen again.

Reports suggest that both the Google Tensor G4 and the Samsung Exynos 2400 will adopt fan-out wafer-level packaging (FoWLP). Compared to traditional packaging, this new technology occupies less space, allows for more contact points without increasing chip size, and results in thinner chips with improved thermal management, enhancing multi-core performance.

The Tensor G4 is expected to be the last Tensor chip manufactured by Samsung, utilizing a 4nm process. Next year’s Tensor G5 will shift to TSMC for manufacturing, with rumors indicating it has already entered the tape-out stage. Mass production is expected next year, using TSMC’s 3nm process for the Pixel 10 series. To many, the Tensor G4 appears to be a “stopgap measure” from Google, while the Tensor G5 is anticipated to bring meaningful improvements and is worth the wait.