Google will faucet Samsung to produce the 5G modem for its subsequent flagship Pixel sensible telephone, sources accustomed to the matter instructed Reuters, signaling the primary win for the Korean agency in a US market dominated by Qualcomm Inc.
Earlier this month, Google disclosed that it has designed its personal processor chip to energy its new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro high-end telephones, ending its full reliance on Qualcomm, which is able to nonetheless provide chips for the lower-priced Pixel 5A.
Nikkei Asia earlier reported Samsung will manufacture the processor for Google, a unit of Alphabet. Two sources accustomed to the matter instructed Reuters Samsung may also provide the 5G modem expertise.
Samsung’s transfer to offer Pixel’s modem expertise is essential as a result of the Korean agency is one in every of solely three firms on the earth able to making 5G modems that join units to wi-fi knowledge networks. The others are Qualcomm, the market chief by a large margin, and Taiwan’s MediaTek.
Samsung extensively makes use of its Exynos modem expertise in its personal flagship smartphones in Asia and Europe. But it has lengthy relied on Qualcomm to offer modems for US variations.
That is partially as a result of Qualcomm has a expertise lead in a variant of 5G networking referred to as millimeter wave, which gives the quickest speeds out there with the brand new networks. To date, all sensible telephones launched within the United States – together with Apple’s iPhone – have used Qualcomm chips to faucet millimeter wave networks.
Samsung instructed Reuters its new modem expertise was able to millimeter wave networking, and Google stated its new telephones will help millimeter wave networks as earlier variations did, although neither firm would remark straight on whether or not they’re working collectively on the brand new Pixel.
Winning Google’s Pixel enterprise provides Samsung its first huge likelihood to indicate off its chipmaking expertise to the broader telephone business, which has lengthy been cautious of shopping for a key part from a fierce rival, stated Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at TIRIAS Research. The Korean agency has by no means earlier than offered its 5G modem chip expertise to an outdoor firm.
Qualcomm in an announcement stated it retained its expertise lead as a result of its millimeter wave expertise relied on different chips along with the modem. “A modem is not enough to support millimeter wave in phones,” Qualcomm stated.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
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