Google is hoping that the Pixel 10 series will be a big game-changer for the Pixel line. Prior to the Pixel, Google would team up with a phone manufacturer and release a Nexus phone every year. The Nexus One, a great-looking Android phone, was designed by HTC. Over the years other manufacturers involved in the Nexus phone program included LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Huawei. Google took care of the software and the manufacturing partner handled the hardware.
The first Pixel and Pixel XL models were released in 2016 and the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL included a facial recognition system that used 3D mapping imagery like Apple’s Face ID to make the technology secure. It also had a feature called Motion Sense that used radar to allow the user to use gestures above the screen to skip songs on a playlist, dismiss phone calls and alarms, and silence phone calls. The Pixel 5 was a huge shocker since there was only one mid-range model. Many thought that the Pixel was dead.
Google will customize the Tensor G5 application processor giving the Pixel 10 series exclusive capabilities
But Google redesigned the Pixel and the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were designed to be true iPhone challengers featuring an under-screen fingerprint scanner, AI features like the Magic Eraser, and a periscope lens on the Pro model. The phone was powered by the new Tensor application processor (AP) that used architecture from Samsung Exynos chipsets and Google made some “semi-customized” changes on top. The big change to the phone’s design was the new camera bar found on the back panel.
Google has made changes over the years but the big change this year with the Pixel 10 will be something that users won’t be able to see. For the first time, the Tensor G5 AP powering the Pixel 10 will be designed by Google using its in-house ARM-based chip architecture moving away from Samsung. Even the foundry making the component will be different as leading producer TSMC will use its 3nm process node to manufacture the AP instead of Samsung Foundry.
While overall leaving Samsung Foundry for TSMC might improve the Tensor G5, it leaves Google without the ability to use Samsung’s Image Signal Processor (ISP). The ISP takes the raw image collected by the phone’s camera and turns it into a high-quality viewable image. Google is developing its own ISP for the Tensor G5. Hopefully, with Google designing the ISP, the camera will work better in coordination with the Google-designed CPU, GPU, and AI to improve the capabilities of the camera.
We should see a Pixel 10 preview in May during Google I/O 2025
Some other new details were discovered in a series of notes written by a Google engineer within the Android Open Source Project code. This code is used by manufacturers to develop their own versions of Android. According to this engineer, when booting up a Pixel 10 model, loading time is reduced by 30% while the Pixel Fold’s loading time is cut by 25%. While not 100% clear, the engineer is probably discussing the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
With a new application processor custom-designed by Google and built by TSMC, a 3nm process node (instead of the 4nm Tensor G4), and a speedier load time, Pixel fans will be looking forward to May when Google will preview the new Pixel line during the Google I/O 2025 developers conference. Apple has already revealed the dates for WWDC 2025 which will be held June 9th to June 13th. With Google I/O taking place a month earlier, we should be hearing from Google sometime soon.
It will be interesting to see whether Google can design the Tensor G5 chipset to come up with some exclusive capabilities (AI or otherwise) that will help differentiate the Pixel 10 not only from other Android phones, but other Pixel handsets as well.
