Google Might Use Samsung’s FO-WLP – The Google Pixel 8 series, which includes the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, is slated to go official on October 4 during the ‘Made by Google’ event. Google is likely to include the Tensor G3 SoC in the Pixel 8 lineup as an update over the Tensor G2 SoC found in the Pixel 7 series. The company has yet to reveal information about its in-house chip, but a new leak claims that it will have improved thermal management features. The Tensor G3 could use Samsung Foundry’s FO-WLP (Fan-out Wafer-level packaging). This is supposed to reduce heat generation and boost the Pixel 8 series’ power efficiency.
The Tensor G3, which is expected to power the next Pixel 8 series handsets, will be among the first Samsung Foundry smartphone chips to use the FO-WLP packaging technology, according to tipster Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) on X (previously Twitter). The Tensor G3 SoC is predicted to benefit from this technology by reducing heat generation and increasing power efficiency. If this is accurate, it would address the current Pixel phones’ overheating issues.
The FO-WLP technology has been employed by Qualcomm and MediaTek, and it could be a game changer for Google’s Pixel series of phones. The Tensor G3 single-chip system is projected to be more productive than the first and second-generation platforms. The Tensor G3 will purportedly have nine CPU cores with a 1+4+4 architecture. Tensor G2 had a 4+2+2 core configuration last year.
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The new CPU will apparently include a single Cortex-X3 core running at 3.00GHz, four Cortex-A715 cores running at 2.45GHz, and four Cortex-A510 cores running at 2.15GHz. It could include an ARM Mali-G715 GPU with 10 cores and an 890MHz clock. Furthermore, the Tensor G3 SoC is supposed to support AV1 encoding. The Samsung Multi-Function Codec (MFC) would thereafter be able to support 8K30 video decoding and encoding in H.264 and HEVC.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be unveiled on October 4 at the Made by Google launch event in New York. In addition to the smartphones, the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Buds Pro will be unveiled at the event. The handsets will be available for pre-order on Flipkart in India beginning October 5.
Both Pixel 8 smartphones are expected to launch with Android 14 and 120Hz refresh rate displays. The Pixel 8 Pro is rumored to ship with a 4,950mAh battery that supports 27W wired fast charging. Meanwhile, the Pixel 8 could be powered by a 4,485mAh battery that supports 24W cable charging and 12W wireless charging.
