According to reports, the Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 is expected to be the inaugural smartphone SoC with AV1 encoding support
The eagerly awaited Pixel 8 series smartphones from Google are set to be unveiled in October of this year. These new smartphones will be powered by Google’s latest in-house system-on-a-chip (SoC) known as the Tensor G3, codenamed Zuma. While Google did not provide a preview of the Tensor G3 during its Google I/O keynote, recent leaks have revealed the specifications of this chipset. The Tensor G3 SoC is expected to feature a 1+4+4 CPU setup with ARMv9 cores. It is also likely to include an ARM Mali-G715 GPU with 10 cores operating at a frequency of 890MHz. Additionally, the chipset is rumored to offer support for AV1 encoding capabilities.
According to a report by Kamila Wojciechowska from Android Authority, the upcoming Tensor G3 SoC is expected to bring significant improvements. The report states that the Tensor G3 will feature a 1+4+4 CPU layout, offering a total of nine CPU cores. In comparison, the previous Tensor G2 had a 4+2+2 core layout. Google is said to have completely rearchitected the CPU block to utilize the ARMv9 core, which is a major update for this year.
As per the report, the new CPU configuration is anticipated to include a single Cortex-X3 core running at 3.00GHz, four Cortex-A715 cores operating at a default frequency of 2.45GHz, and four Cortex-A510 cores with a frequency of 2.15GHz. Additionally, it is rumored that the Tensor G3 could be equipped with an ARM Mali-G715 GPU boasting 10 cores and a frequency of 890MHz. This would be a significant improvement over the seven-core Mali-G710 GPU found in the Tensor G2.
According to reports, the Tensor G3 is said to be the inaugural smartphone SoC with AV1 encode capabilities. If true, this would enable Samsung Multi-Function Codec (MFC) to provide support for 8K30 video decoding and encoding in H.264 and HEVC formats.
In addition, it has been reported that the Tensor G3 will incorporate an upgraded version of the TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) with the codename “Rio” operating at 1.1GHz. This new iteration of the TPU is anticipated to deliver significant enhancements compared to the Tensor G2’s “Janeiro” TPU, which runs at 1.0GHz.
Furthermore, the Tensor G3 is expected to introduce a second-generation digital signal processor (DSP) or GXP referred to as “Callisto”. Additionally, there are speculations that it may include an updated version of Samsung’s UFS controller to support UFS 4.0 storage.
It is possible that Google will utilize the Exynos Modem 5300, which was used in the Tensor G2, in the new SoC. However, there might be a slightly different variant of the modem specifically for the Pixel 8 series.
As we are still several months away from the anticipated release of the Pixel 8, there is not much information available regarding its specifications. However, it is speculated that the Pixel 8 series could bear similarities to the Pixel 7 series and might support 12W wireless charging.
