Exclusive: How Google built the Pixel 10’s Tensor G5 without Samsung’s help

The Tensor G5 won't be all that different from the previous generations.

Mar 18, 2025 - 15:14

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Google picked a mix of in-house designed and off-the-shelf IP for the upcoming Tensor G5.
Many parts of the chip are built by other companies, including Arm, Imagination Technologies, VeriSillicon, and Synopsys.
Google dropped its custom “BigWave” AV1 video codec in favor of an off-the-shelf solution.

It is no secret that the upcoming Google Tensor G5 inside the Pixel 10 series will be special — unlike all the current chips in the series, it will be built without Samsung’s help. We know that the chip will be built using TSMC’s 3nm-class process node and have had a good look at its core specs, but not much more than that. Building an entire SoC from scratch is a monumental task, which raises a question: how did Google, a relatively new company in the chip business, do it?

Thanks to a source inside Google, Android Authority has learned previously unknown Tensor G5 specs, giving us a unique insight into how it was created.