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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

#31

Post by ChuckNorris89 »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #19

Unrelated 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.

>Previous Pixels worked great but then inexplicably lost OS updates after only a few years.

AFAIK it's not inexplicabile, it's just Quallcomm stopping driver support for newer Android versions a few short years down the road, since they're in the business of selling as many chips as possible and can't monetize the users keeping their phone longer like Apple and Google can with their software and services.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#32

Post by ThaDood »

63 wrote: post #22

I 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.

Probably not the minority. I know I would appreciate a flush back but lets be real consumers really don't have a ton of influence on a design choice like this.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#33

Post by xnx »

63 wrote: post #22

I 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.

I'm the opposite. I'm happy to have a camera bulge if that means better optics and images. I think the idea is that this phone will have the same thickness for most people who use a case.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#34

Post by aix1 »

actuator wrote: post #23

From 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…

> 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.

It seems that CPU design for phones and for data centres are quite different problems, or do you see them as facets of the same problem?

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#35

Post by xnx »

candiddevmike wrote: post #6

I 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?

To consumers they have to promote the magic/wondrous chip, but they greatest benefit to Google is controlling more of the hardware stack themselves.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#36

Post by not2b »

pdpi wrote: post #25
riffraff wrote: post #2

So 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.

It's their own design, codenamed "Whitechapel". Evidently they got help from Samsung. As for who will physically make it, either Samsung or TSMC, no one else can fab this 5nm design.

Looks like getting Qualcomm out of the picture is one motivation.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#37

Post by paxys »

63 wrote: post #22

I 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.

The current generation of smartphones is designed with the expectation that people will use a case. Pixel 6 cases will no doubt account for the camera shape, like all the rest.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#39

Post by Teknoman117 »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #31
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #19

Unrelated 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.

>Previous Pixels worked great but then inexplicably lost OS updates after only a few years. AFAIK it's not inexplicabile, it's just Quallcomm stopping driver support for newer Android versions a few short years down the road, since they're in the business of selling as many chips as possible and can't monetize the users keeping their phone longer like Apple and Google can with their software and services.

Qualcomm will only ever ship one kernel version for a given SoC and never try to upstream support.

Google uses LTS Linux kernels for Android, and once upstream stops supporting a version, the phone usually stops getting support shortly after.

Re: Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

#40

Post by dheera »

"Tensor"? Google makes some great stuff but I really wish their product naming conventions weren't so confusing.

First they have the Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and then ... Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, ... oh wait they aren't versions, they are number of inches ... -____-

And then they have Google Hangouts, Google Hangouts Meet, google Meet, Google Chat, Google Hangouts Dialer, Google Duo, Google Uno, uh ....

And then now TensorFlow and then Tensor ... is that like TensorFlow without the flow?

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