See below re Googles Tensor 2 chip. Forgive my lack of technical know how but it is a 4nm chip.My understanding is that Akida doesn't scale down to 4nm? Happy to be corrected.
Google is hitting the custom silicon game hard! 🔥
www.androidpolice.com
Google Tensor G2 specifications
For those that want a table, here you go:
| Dev board code name | Cloudripper |
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| Model number | GS201, Tensor G2 |
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| Cores | 2x super-big ARM Cortex-X1, 2x big A78, 4x small Cortex-A55 |
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| GPU | Mali-G710 |
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| Manufacturing node | 4nm Samsung PLP |
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| Modem | Samsung Exynos 5300 5G |
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The Tensor G2 is made by Samsung on its 4nm node using panel-level packaging. This is a complicated way of saying the chips are carved out of a square wafer rather than a round one, reducing waste. This likely doesn't have much impact on the chip's performance in actual devices, but it's nifty and might reduce costs. Plus, it's potentially useful when we're still in the middle of a chip shortage.
The Tensor G2 keeps the 2+2+4 core cluster configuration that the original Tensor GS101 used, with two "super-big" cores, two more typical big cores, and four small cores. One thing that changes across generations is the frequency and one small tweak to the big clusters. The A76 cluster is replaced by an A78 cluster that's 100MHz faster at 2.35GHz. The other components remain the same, though. The X1 cluster has been bumped up by 50MHz, which gives it a frequency of 2.85GHz. This translates to a 10% to 15% better result in Geekbench, though you will be hard-pressed to notice much of this difference in real life.
Google has significantly upgraded the GPU, though. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are switching to the Mali-G710 GPU rather than the G78. That provides about 20% better performance and efficiency. The new GPU also helps the onboard machine-learning-focused TPU, giving it an up to 35% boost in applicable processes. The TPU is also seeing an upgrade.
The G2 is again paired with a Samsung-made modem, this time around, the Exynos S5300 5G. Mobile connectivity was poor on the Pixel 6 series and one of the biggest gripes many owners had with it. Based on initial reports from Pixel 7 owners, the situation is greatly improved with the new modem.
Overall, this small upgrade compared to the first-gen Tensor might be disappointing on paper, but it could make a lot of sense in the performance-to-power usage ratio. Newer processors are found to improve performance at the cost of energy consumption, so sticking with the older generation might leave more room for better efficiency. It also helps that Google has experience with this setup for a whole generation, making it simpler to optimize the system further. This is somewhat reminiscent of the company sticking with the same camera for multiple generations of Pixel phones, improving how the software interacts with the hardware with each iteration.
