Google to launch own processor for upcoming Pixel phones

Google will use processors designed in-house for its Pixel phones launching later this fall, in a shift away from Qualcomm Inc’s (QCOM.O) technology that has powered the search giant’s Android devices for more than 15 years.

The processor, called Tensor, will power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones, Google said in a blog post, with the company set to disclose more details closer to the release.

AI is the future of our innovation work, but the problem is we’ve run into computing limitations that prevented us from fully pursuing our mission. So we set about building a technology platform built for mobile that enabled us to bring our most innovative AI and machine learning (ML) to our Pixel users. We set out to make our own System on a Chip (SoC) to power Pixel 6. And now, years later, it’s almost here. 

Tensor is our first custom-built SoC specifically for Pixel phones, and it will power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro later this fall.

Shares of Qualcomm, the world’s largest maker of wireless chips for smartphones, were down marginally in afternoon trading.

Google said the next Pixel phone, 5a, would still have a Qualcomm processor.