Google appears to revert to old Tensor G4 chip with Pixel 10a
Google has unleashed its latest Tensor G5 chip on the world with the new Pixel 10 series. A powerful chip baked by TSMC on 3nm, just like the competition including Apple and Qualcomm. But for the Pixel 10a, Google seems to go back to the Tensor G4 chip. But why?
The Google Pixel 10ais still some time away from us at the time of writing. The entry-level phone is not expected in the first quarter of 2026 at the earliest. One thing Google is not improving on the successor to the Pixel 9a is its processor. That remains stuck at the Tensor G4, according to new rumors. But that's not as bad as it first appears.
After all, Google's Tensor chip doesn't have to rely on pure processing power or graphics performance anyway. In comparisons between a Tensor and Snapdragon, the Google chip loses every time. Google mainly focuses on the NPU for AI functions and making software and hardware work well together. An immense performance difference between the Tensor G4 and G5 is therefore not there, and that makes it less of a problem for the entry-level 10a.
But probably not for you
Moreover, it's a strategy we see more often; Apple also often applies year-old chipsets in new phones. For example, the iPhone 14 got the same chip as the year before. This will certainly reduce the price for the Pixel 10a but it is not obvious that this price reduction will be passed on to the customer.
The same source thinks that for the Pixel 10a, Google is also applying UFS 3.1 storage with a dual camera and a 2000 nits screen panel. Whether Google also omits some AI features as it more often does with Pixel A models will be seen next year when the device is announced.
(via)
