Summary
- Google is reportedly testing its Pixel Fold 2 with a Tensor G4 chip, indicating a potential upgrade from the previously rumored Tensor G3.
- The Pixel Fold 2 may not be announced at Google I/O 2024, as it’s said to still be in the Engineering Validation Test phase, suggesting a potential late summer or fall release.
- The Tensor G4 is expected to be Google’s last partially-custom chip made in collaboration with Samsung. 2025’s Tensor G5 is expected to go full-custom, with fabrication handled by TSMC.
These days, it’s not uncommon for smartphone makers to try their hand at manufacturing their own chips. By keeping device components in-house, OEMs maintain more control over their products — and that affords them the ability to do things like guaranteeing seven years of software support. Google has already been going this route, developing its own Tensor chip with a focus on neural processing for AI tasks, as seen in Pixel devices. When the Pixel Fold debuted in 2023, it featured a Tensor G2 chip. Now that the company is working on a second iteration of the foldable, rumors suggest that it may not be the Tensor G3 powering the device.
An anonymous source has reached out to Android Authority, claiming that Google has been testing its Pixel Fold 2, code-named “zumapro,” with a Tensor G4 chip. In fact, the phone has undergone testing for months up to this point. While it was originally being piloted with the Tensor G3 and the code name “zuma,” the source says that Google has pivoted to the Tensor G4.
The upcoming Pixel Fold 2 is supposedly still far from being launched, to the point that it may not be announced at the I/O 2024 event this spring. Rumors claim that the device is still in the Engineering Validation Test phase, which is several steps removed from the Mass Production phase. The report went on to add that, if Google is able to launch the device at I/O, it could still ship with a Tensor G3 — but if a late summer or fall release is in the cards, Tensor G4 would be more likely.
Regardless of when it launches, the Pixel Fold 2 is still expected to be a strong competitor in the growing foldables market. Samsung has set the tone for the segment with its Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip devices. With its foldable and flip designs, the tech giant has capitalized on nostalgia and helped create hype along the way. If the Pixel Fold 2 gets a new sibling with a clamshell design, it could rival Samsung’s next Galaxy Z Flip phone.
Google Pixel Fold 2: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window
What’s next for Google’s latest addition to the Pixel lineup?
If the Pixel Fold 2 does feature the Tensor G4, however, it may not be without help from Samsung. Rumors claim that Google has tapped its competitor to help with the chip as it continues gearing up for a fully-custom Tensor chip built by TSMC, which is now expected with the Tensor G5 in 2025. In the end, the G4 is predicted to have Cortex-X4 CPU, the Immortalis-G715 GPU, and Cortex-A720 and Cortex-A520 CPU cores. The company would also use the SF4P process that has been used for previous Samsung phones. All of this being said, none of these rumors have been confirmed by either company — it may just be in your best interest to wait before deciding to go with any foldable or flip phone for the time being.
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