Home
News
You are here

Google's in-house chip can bring the 5G Pixel 6 line closer to the iPhone with this feature

1comment

By Alan Friedman

Published: Jul 12, 2021, 1:18 AM

Google's in-house chip can bring the 5G Pixel 6 line closer to the iPhone with this feature

Google is planning to use its own chipset for the first time to power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Last year's Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G were both equipped with the mid-range Snapdragon 765/G SoC. But this year, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are bringing the Pixel name back to the flagship playing field after taking a step backward with the Pixel 5.

The new Whitechapel chip (AKA GS101), as Google's first homemade chipset is called, is manufactured by Samsung Foundry using its 5nm LPE process node. According to Wffctech, Google expects the chip to bring flagship performance to the 2021 Pixels even though the chip itself isn't designed to compete with the Snapdragon 888, Snapdragon 888+, and the rumored next-gen Snapdragon 895.

Production Validation Test (PVT) units running the Whitechapel chip reveal that the component's performance is closer to the Snapdragon 870 than Snapdragon 888. But one rumor says that Google is focusing on AI and machine learning. The same rumor states that the ARM Mali-G78 GPU performs well on the chip without the throttling it is known for. Google's in-house chip features two Cortex-A78 cores, two Cortex-A76 cores, and three Cortex-A55 cores.

Google's in-house Whitechapel trip is expected to bring certain optimizations to the new Pixel 6 series

There is already speculation about a possible successor to the Whitechapel. The sequel to the latter is expected to use AMD's GPU instead of ARM's Mali component.

Using a Google-designed chip on a Google-designed phone is bound to lead to optimizations that will enhance the capabilities of the Pixels powered by the SoC. For example, there is some talk that Google is planning on offering five years of Android updates for the new Pixels. Considering that Apple supports its phones for seven years from the time a model was last sold and it designs both the chip and the phone, we can probably give credit to the Whitechapel chip if this rumor is true.

Additionally, the Whitechapel SoC might contain a new security chip called Dauntless that replaces the Titan-M chips used in the previous generation of Pixel handsets.

$349

$799

$450 off (56%)

Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$524

$999

$475 off (48%)

Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$499

$1199

$700 off (58%)

The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$1399

$1799

$400 off (22%)

The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

Read the latest from Alan Friedman