Google Said to Tap Samsung 5G Modem Tech for Next Pixel Flagship

Google will faucet Samsung to provide the 5G modem for its subsequent flagship Pixel good telephone, sources accustomed to the matter informed 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 can 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 informed Reuters Samsung can even provide the 5G modem know-how.

Samsung’s transfer to offer Pixel’s modem know-how is vital as a result of the Korean agency is one in all solely three firms on the planet 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 broadly makes use of its Exynos modem know-how in its personal flagship smartphones in Asia and Europe. But it has lengthy relied on Qualcomm to offer modems for US variations.

That is partly as a result of Qualcomm has a know-how lead in a variant of 5G networking referred to as millimetre wave, which gives the quickest speeds accessible with the brand new networks. To date, all good telephones launched within the United States – together with Apple’s iPhone – have used Qualcomm chips to faucet millimetre wave networks.

Samsung informed Reuters its new modem know-how was able to millimetre 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 massive probability to point out off its chipmaking expertise to the broader telephone business, which has lengthy been cautious of shopping for a key element 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 know-how to an outdoor firm.

Qualcomm in an announcement stated it retained its know-how lead as a result of its millimetre wave know-how relied on different chips along with the modem. “A modem is not enough to support millimetre wave in phones,” Qualcomm stated.

© Thomson Reuters 2021


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