You might’ve heard by now that Google is set to have their own custom system-on-chip powering the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. However, it turns out that the SoC isn’t the only piece of silicon from Qualcomm that Google is dropping from their devices.
According to a new report by Reuters, Google is set to also use Samsung’s 5G modem chips in the Pixel 6 lineup. It’s a pretty notable win for Samsung, as historically they couldn’t challenge Qualcomm in the US market. Qualcomm 5G modem chips are in all 5G smartphones in the US now, even Samsung’s own devices meant for the US.
Samsung however uses their own 5G modems in their devices meant for other regions. The only other company capable of making a 5G modem chip apart from Samsung and Qualcomm is the Taiwanese firm MediaTek. In fact, no one other than Samsung themselves has ever used a Samsung-made 5G modem chip technology.
This is mostly due to the fact that Qualcomm’s 5G modems are much better when dealing with millimeter wave (mmWave) signals, currently the fastest 5G network in the US. Samsung now say that they have new modems also capable of mmWave 5G. Google has also confirmed that their Pixel 6 devices would support mmWave.
On top of that, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will also feature a number of other Samsung parts. For starters, Google will be using a Samsung ISOCELL camera sensor for their 50MP shooters. Then there’s also the screen, which is a Samsung-made 6.4-inch AMOLED display.
It’s certainly and interesting development for Google. Their relationship with Samsung has only gotten a lot closer in recent months, with a partnership between the two giants to develop Wear OS on smartwatches the most notable. With Samsung reportedly also helping Google design and manufacture the Google Tensor, their relationship seems closer than ever before.
