We have already met the new members of the Google Pixel Family: The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are the ninth generation with many new features in the software field such as Pixel Screenshots. Gemini has been presented as one of the claims of the new mobile phones of the Mountain View firm, including its version on the device Gemini Nano.
To do this, Google had to develop a chip that, even if it does not stand out for its raw power, does so in other areas where it is solvent. In fact, as we read in Financial Express, the American company itself has provided details on its manufacturing process.
A Tensor G4 focused on what’s really important to Google
The aforementioned media outlet collects the exclusive on the chip that integrates the new Pixel 9. According to the words of Soniya Jobanputra, member of the Pixel product team, the Tensor G4 has been manufactured with a focus on the effectiveness of real cases
He also rules out benchmarks: “When we design the chip, we don’t design it for speeds and exploits. We don’t design it to beat a specific benchmark that exists. We design it to meet our use case.”
Neither benchmarks nor raw power: Google was looking for an efficient processor with superpowers for AI
What does Google mean by these “use cases”? Mainly the user experience derived from small details such as the speed of opening applications. Additionally, Jobanputra comments that they had issues with launching the apps and from that point on, they decided to focus only on the hands-on experience.
Ignoring details like the manufacturing node, the truth is that the Tensor G4 stands out from other processors because of its clear AI bias. There is the demonstration of Gemini Nanowhich does not depend on network servers: this model gives the Pixel 9 the ability to process text, images and audio.
The increase in RAM is also due to artificial intelligence: it was not in vain that Google left the Pixel 8 aside a few months ago, although it later rectified it. On this occasion, the Pixel 9 will not have to live this bad experience, since they start from 12 GB of RAM.
“We took the same approach for our TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). We worked with the DeepMind team to look at long-term predictions of where the models are going to be and what kind of models we want to run on the device. How big is it? How fast do we need to process it? What other things on the chip are going to prevent it from running faster, like memory bandwidth, really come into play when we’re designing for these use cases that are using these Gemini device models. So we take all of that into account when we build and design our chips,” Jobanputra said.
Respect for partners and the future of their chips
As Google battles the high-end with its phones, it has to keep its distance from major partners like Samsung. To that end, it is committed to ensuring that the best of its technology is available for all android users: “You see it from the outside. It’s a difficult balance, for sure. But I think our priority as we move forward is Android first and foremost.”
That’s why we’ve seen AI features like “Circle to Search” or Gemini itself on the rest of Android devices. In fact, the first function mentioned, the one that allows us to use our finger to analyze the screen, debuted in the Korean manufacturer’s Galaxy S24 family.
Despite the advances of the Tensor G4 in the aspects we examined, Google looks to the future and more specifically to future iterations of its chips. The company employee did not share specific details about future developments, but stressed the importance of a continuous improvement cycle: “We don’t have any forward-looking information to share, but we think it’s very important that we build the right chip for the experiments that we’re trying to run every year.”
Fortunately, and thanks to authoritative voices in the sector, we recently learned that the Pixel 10 would mark a turning point. According to what has been said in media such as Business Korea, Samsung will stop manufacturing Google’s semiconductors, and these will pass into the hands of the famous company. TSMCThe search engine company wants a more efficient and advanced processor that generates less heat.
By | Financial Express
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