On Monday, Google announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, both of which are set to make use of the search giant’s in-house chipsets in place of the typical Snapdragon SoC. The company has been known for Pixel Visual Core and Titan M security additions and its work in chips, this is the first time that Google has worked on a proper chipset and with it, the company is putting in a Tensor Processor Unit, which is the heart and soul of the new Tensor SoC. The key focus for this new chip is to enhance ML or machine learning and imaging functions, instead of just focusing on raw performance. This leads to some things that should have your attention, so, we will be discussing why the Tensor SoC is a bigger deal than you might have thought of it to be.
Here’s Why Google’s Tensor SoC Is Very Important
Before we delve deep into the chipset and why it is important, we need to discuss what it exactly is. For those of you unaware, it is a custom piece of silicon that has been designed by the folks at Google, with the key focus being efficiency. This, in theory, should lead to faster and better image processing, voice processing and other such ML capabilities, all, which should lead to a device that feels faster than the Pixel 5, the device that the Pixel 6 is set to succeed. Google has mentioned that it is working on the ability to make use of on-device real-time language translation, dubbed Live Translate and text-to-speech without having to make use of a working internet connection. The chipset should also lead to an improvement for the Google Lens application, which as of now is a wonderful tool to search certain products or know more about a specific thing. All of this should lead to a significant improvement over last year’s Pixel 5. Whilst some of you might be confused as to whether or not Google can do something good, it is worth noting that the core of what Google does is based on AI and Machine Learning, at which the company is miles ahead of the competition.
Is Google Acting Too Big For Its Britches
With this in mind, it seems Google chose to focus on this rather than raw performance, which, might irk certain users, however, until and unless we use the device, one cannot judge or make assumptions regarding the net performance. What might confuse you is why would Google go through all this trouble and break off from Snapdragon, but, by doing so, Google effectively gets more control over the chipset which can help fulfil what Google wants with its devices. Qualcomm, being a chip manufacturer at heart caters to multiple consumers and, given the rather stagnant sales for Pixels, it would have been odd for both the manufacturer and Google to spend tons of money on a specific chipset in collaboration with each other. To add to this, by moving to this method, Google will also be able to provide faster and more stable upgrades and possibly improve the support itself, something at which Apple seems to best Google, as of now. For those of you wondering, the company’s nearest Android competitor Samsung offers three years of OS updates and four years of security upgrades, similar to the search giant, so it should be interesting to see what Google can do with this new chip.
