The Pixel 11 could be one of the most secure phones thanks to a new chip

Smartphone security is getting more and more important in this modern day and age. And Google knows it. The company debuted a dedicated security coprocessor in its Pixel 3 smartphone back in 2018—the first Titan M chip.

The company followed up with the Titan M2 in the first-generation Tensor silicon, and now, as we're approaching the next version of the Tensor chipset, we're about to get another security update.

As reported by Mystic Leaks on Telegram, Google is gearing up to introduce the next version of its Titan chip in the Tensor G6. The codename of the Titan M3 silicon is believed to be “Google Epic,” and according to the report, it runs firmware called “longjing.” It's an evolution of the Titan chip design and will most likely take smartphone security to the next level.

What does a Titan chip do inside a Pixel phone?

The Titan M and M2 security chips (and the upcoming Titan M3 as well) act as a dedicated, hardware-based security module inside the Tensor chipset. This hardware module protects sensitive data, ensures boot-up integrity, and manages encryption keys.

The Titan chip ensures the Android system is clean and secure every time it boots up. It also takes care of passwords, PINs, and other sensitive data by encrypting it at the hardware level, making it resistant to attacks.

All payment transactions are also secured by the Titan chip using the Android Strongbox Keymaster feature that takes care of Google Pay operations.

All these could be done using just software, but it makes a huge difference having dedicated hardware to take care of the security. It's much more robust and not prone to software attacks, and it's a tamper-resistant processor (based on RISC-V)—basically creating a separate "environment" for critical security tasks, isolated from the main processor or the operating system.

The Tensor G6 will use state-of-the-art TSMC production technology

The Tensor G6 we expect inside the Pixel 11 will also mark another cornerstone for smartphones and Pixels specifically. Google switched manufacturing from Samsung's foundries to TSMC with the Tensor G5, and now we expect the next generation to take advantage of TSMC's state-of-the-art 2nm manufacturing process.

The Pixel 11 could be one of the first phones to have a chip made using a 2nm node, alongside the upcoming Galaxy S26 series phones. This will not only make the chip smaller but also help with efficiency and thermal performance.

Early reports suggested that TSMC might not be ready to use 2nm for the Tensor G6 and would instead manufacture the chip on the 3nm+ node, but the latest reports point toward the 2nm process. So, expect great things for the next Pixel 11. Speaking of which, let's see what the next generation Pixel phone has in store for us.

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