So who is physically building this chip?
The Google TPUs were made at TSMC, I wouldn't be surprised if the phone Tensor chip is fabbed there too.
Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
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Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#22I imagine I'm in the minority but I'd rather have a phone a fraction of a millimeter thicker that has a flush back. At this point it's getting out of hand.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#23From the Verge article it seems the CPU in SoC would be some licensed spec based on Exynos, so I am guessing we aren't going to see CPU performance close to A series processors, but it does seem like a promising start. Google has an incentive to go all in on CPU design as that helps their data centers and GCP both, so we might see significant gains over time.
I had to buy a new phone and I am really happy that Pixel 6 looks promising, otherwise iPhone would have been the only choice. I really wish Samsung would get its act together on software and updates, as they have really compelling hardware. For now, at least from the preview of Verge it looks like I will probably pick up a Pixel 6.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#24> Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone**. > **Based on a count of independent hardware security subsystems and components. That does not seem like a meaningful measure for security.
From experience with x86: adding more security layers does not inherently make a better design.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#25So who is physically building this chip?
Never mind "physically building". The whole section about the CPU is pretty evasive about who designed it to begin with. They kind of, sort of, imply it's their own design — "our first custom built SoC", "The team that designed our silicon" — but neither statement actually says that it's their own design.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#26Yikes. I'm not a fan of the design because I like my phone to be able to sit flat on surfaces.
At least this can sit flat on one axis and should stay put when you tap anywhere on the screen, unlike phones with camera bumps in the corner that rock back and forth diagonally
And if I'm looking at it correctly, the lenses will be a bit further (fractions of a millimeter) from the surface when laying like that. I always worry a little bit when laying my current phone down on its back with tiny lens pop-up, how the lens is basically in contact with whatever I set it on.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#27Unrelated to this article specifically, but the biggest thing I'm looking forward to with the Pixel 6 is the improved updates timeline, as Google has said they will provide updates for at least 5 years, which puts them more in-line with Apple. Previous Pixels worked great but then inexplicably lost OS updates after only a few years.
This is a great benefit and likely a direct result of them having more (total?) control over the hardware and related drivers.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#28I read the entire blog post and I don't understand the fanfare, it's a custom SoC, presumably to rival Apple's M1. I don't see anything innovative about this, besides heralding "begun, the neural net wars have". What is the benefit of having all of the ML bits on device? Can models leverage them post training?
> Can models leverage them post training?
Yes. The whole point is that you have a slow process train the model offline on very large volumes of sample data, then use that trained model to make actual inferences based on data you find in the field. As those models become bigger and more complex, it takes progressively more computing power to run inference on those models. These ML accelerators are effectively the new GPUs — highly specialised processors designed to more efficiently handle highly specialised workloads.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#29> Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone**. > **Based on a count of independent hardware security subsystems and components. That does not seem like a meaningful measure for security.
Definitely a bit of marketing language to try and make the complexities of security understandable. I think of it as similar to a door with multiple, independent, locking mechanisms.
Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
#30Unrelated to this article specifically, but the biggest thing I'm looking forward to with the Pixel 6 is the improved updates timeline, as Google has said they will provide updates for at least 5 years, which puts them more in-line with Apple. Previous Pixels worked great but then inexplicably lost OS updates after only a few years.
Amortized cost on the update cycle of Pixel was pretty similar to iPhone(at least in some parts of the world). But I am glad that they are doing longer updates.
I just wish batteries become replaceable again, my phone is 3.5 years old and the only thing that is noticeably worse is battery life. If we are gunning for longer update cycles, batteries should ideally be replaceable. I sincerely hope some big country takes up this as an environmentally friendly/right to repair thing and forces all manufacturers to do this.