Google is already working on the chipset for the Pixel 8
As we patiently await the full release of the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which will include the updated Tensor 2 chipset, we now have information regarding the Tensor 3 CPU that will likely power the Pixel 8 when it is released next year. According to GalaxyClub (via 9to5Google), Samsung and Google have been beta-testing an improved version of the Tensor chipset, which one may reasonably assume to be called Tensor 3. The third-generation chip is being tested on a developer board dubbed Ripcurrent, and it appears to be an S5P9865.
That sets it apart from the rumored Tensor 2 (model number: S5P9855) (which is being tested on a board codenamed Cloudripper). Similarly, the first Tensor chipset was designated with model number S5P9845. We don’t know much about the Tensor 2 at the moment, other than it will be the CPU in the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and we don’t have any indication of how much more powerful the Tensor 3 CPU is expected to be.
It’s interesting to note that Google is still working with Samsung on these components as the Pixel line evolves. We can expect both performance improvements and increased AI processing power. It’s speculated that Samsung’s Exynos technology forms the basis for the Tensor processors. According to GalaxyClub, Exynos is also working on a successor to the Exynos 1280, which can be found in some mid-range Samsung phones today. This chip is likely to be called the Exynos 1380. (like the Samsung Galaxy A53).
The original Tensor chipset has a number of advantages, but it cannot compete with current smartphone processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the A15 Bionic CPU found in the iPhone 13. It will be intriguing to watch how the new chip does in benchmarks, even if they aren’t the essential indicator of a mobile processor’s performance. Google will want a flagship that can stay up with its competition.