What you need to know
- The third generation of Google's Tensor chip is rumored to be in early development by Samsung.
- The new chip is under the dev board "Ripcurrent."
- It's being speculated that the 3rd-gen Tensor could see a 2024 appearance with Google's Pixel 8 series.
The third generation Tensor chip from Google is rumored to be in development by Samsung.
The Tensor SoC is Google's product after the company relied on Qualcomm for phones before the Pixel 6 series. After partnering with Samsung LSI for the first-gen Tensor, Google has continued work on its next-gen chipset codenamed "Cloudripper," and rumor has it the two will continue the partnership. According to Galaxy Club, Samsung is early on in its development process with Google for the third generation of its Tensor chip.
The rumors speak about Google testing its new Tensor chip under the dev board name "Ripcurrent." Galaxy Club says the new chip is apparently tagged with model number S5P9865. Google seems to be keeping the model number in line with its original Tensor chip (S5P9845) and the second-gen Tensor chip, which is thought to be S5P9855.
The first Tensor is somewhat based on Samsung's Exynos chips, although there were still differences with the chips. The original Tensor utilized the older A76 cores, while Samsung's Exynos 2100 had the newer A78 cores. Tensor also sported two high-performance Cortex X2 cores as opposed to one.
It's unclear exactly what to expect from the second-gen Tensor chip, but GalaxyClub suggests it will be a minimal upgrade from its predecessor, which mirrors what we've seen regarding the Pixel 7 design. With any luck, the third-gen Tensor chip will receive a moderate boost in performance and efficiency when it arrives, likely alongside the Pixel 8 series.
Meanwhile, we have the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 making an appearance in a host of the best Android phones out there, giving Google plenty of competition. Qualcomm's new chip has taken some of the latest smartphones to new heights, including Samsung's latest line of Galaxy phones. We'll have to wait and see how the new Tensor chip compares to Qualcomm's, although there's still the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to consider later this year.
