TL;DR
- Rumors dating back to last fall have suggested that Google could move from Samsung to MediaTek for the Tensor G6’s modem.
- Earlier today, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s certification paperwork was published by the FCC.
- A reference to MediaTek algorithms in an RF component test seems to add credence to the idea of the Tensor G6 making just that switch.
Pixel phones are unique for quite a few reasons, and right up there at the top of that list, next to being first in line to get Google’s latest software updates, has to be their Tensor processors. We’ve had pretty high expectations for these Google-designed chips over the years, and even as we keep being disappointed, the hope that Google manages to turn things around for the next generation always seems to persist. Earlier today, we saw what appears to be the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s paperwork pass through the FCC, and buried in those documents we might have found a little clue about one of this year’s big Tensor changes.
While Tensor chips are Google’s babies, Google’s not building these 100% from the ground up, and has relied on IP from other firms for various purposes — two of the big ones being the GPU and the chip’s modem. So far, every Tensor has used a Samsung Exynos modem, but last year we heard that Google could be switching over to a MediaTek modem for the Tensor G6 that will power the Pixel 11 series.
Specifically, sources have pointed to a MediaTek M90 component, and we’re hopeful that a move like this might help reduce power consumption compared to the return of an Exynos modem.
Paging through today’s FCC document dump, we notice the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s SAR test report. This is designed to measure how much RF energy someone using the phone could expect to be exposed to — so, obviously, the phone’s modem and radio hardware are going to play a big part here.
For pages and pages, it’s just dense spreadsheets of specs and measurements. And then, on page 30, we see it: MediaTek.
Samsung’s sure not going to be using MediaTek algorithms on an Exynos modem, so it doesn’t take a huge leap to read that as confirmation of Google moving to MediaTek, just like we’ve heard for months.
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