Google is testing a MediaTek modem within the Pixel 10 collection

Over the previous month, we’ve seen plenty of details about the long run, totally in-house designed Google Tensor chips leak, together with full specs of the Tensor G5 and Tensor G6, a listing of options they could allow, and extra. We went from figuring out mainly nothing to having a good suggestion of what the long run Tensor chips and the Pixel handset they’ll energy must provide.

One vital unanswered query, nonetheless, is what modem can be used sooner or later Pixels. All of the gadgets utilizing Tensor chips designed in collaboration with Samsung used Exynos modems, presumably as a result of they have been the simplest to combine, however with Google going totally impartial, it doesn’t essentially have a motive to proceed that observe.

We lastly bought a solution to this query and it’s not what anyone anticipated. Because of a supply inside Google, Android Authority has discovered Google’s plans relating to the modem it intends to make use of within the upcoming Pixel 10 collection.

There are presently solely three corporations with trendy, 5G-capable modems: Samsung (S.LSI), Qualcomm, and MediaTek. Google didn’t have an excessive amount of alternative there, except it wished to construct its personal answer, which even with a premade 5G IP block, like Ceva’s PentaG2, can be dangerous and rather more costly.

Earlier than making its determination, Google evaluated all of the accessible choices, together with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem, which is similar one utilized in Apple’s iPhone 16 collection. Talking of Apple, it plans to maneuver away from Qualcomm to its inhouse modems within the coming years as nicely. Lastly, although, for one motive or one other, Google determined to go along with MediaTek’s (not but launched) T900 modem.

Sadly, we all know mainly nothing about this new modem, besides that it’s primarily based on MediaTek’s “M85” era modem IP. For reference, “M70” supported 3GPP Launch 15 5G specification, “M80” upgraded to Launch 16, so it’s protected to imagine “M85” will assist Launch 17 and even newer.

Sadly, we don’t even actually know that a lot about MediaTek’s earlier era T800 modem to make assumptions. Whereas we do have a specs sheet, it doesn’t inform us a lot (e.g., if it’s manufactured on a Samsung or TSMC’s course of node). So far as I can inform no machine has truly used it both.

We are able to’t actually know the way good the T900 will probably be, however I’d cautiously assume that it will likely be no less than okay. In any case, Google is nicely conscious that thermals and battery life are a number of the largest points with Tensor-based Pixels, largely attributable to their modems, and I doubt they’d let the catastrophe that was the Pixel 6 occur once more.

A MediaTek modem is unquestionably not what most anticipated — or wished. Loads of you’ll most likely even criticize this transfer after studying this text and declare the Pixel 10 a dead-on-arrival product, however I feel it’s means too early to say something like that. We mainly don’t know something particular about this modem and neither do we all know a lot about how Qualcomm’s exterior modems carry out, as the one gadgets utilizing them are iPhones. To not point out that even Samsung, closely criticized by many, managed to launch a comparatively respectable modem — the Exynos Modem 5400 — and because of that, the Pixel 9 collection has a reasonably stable battery life.

Finally, we’ll have to attend and see how issues look when Google releases the Pixel 10 collection, however I doubt it will likely be anyplace close to dangerous. Google makes the alternatives it does for a motive, even when it generally doesn’t appear to be it, and this positively isn’t an exception.