Google is reportedly in talks to sign a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) that could potentially enhance the performance of future Pixel smartphones. According to reports from DigiTimes, Google recently visited TSMC to discuss the production of its custom Tensor chips, a task that has been exclusively handled by Samsung up to the Pixel 9 series.

While Samsung has been the primary manufacturer of Google’s custom chips, TSMC is known for producing more efficient and high-performance System on Chips (SoCs).

Rumors Surrounding Pixel 10 Chip

Speculations suggest that the upcoming Google Pixel 10 may be powered by a TSMC-produced Tensor G5 chip, indicating a significant performance upgrade for Google’s next flagship generation. Earlier reports in May hinted at Google’s plans to adopt a fully in-house design utilizing TSMC’s 3nm process and a new Imagination Technologies DXT GPU to replace the current Arm Mali GPU.

According to recent information, Google’s partnership with TSMC could extend for a period of three to five years, potentially covering the production of chips for the Pixel 14 series.

Challenges Faced by Samsung’s Chip Business

Samsung’s chip manufacturing division has encountered significant challenges in recent times. Reports surfaced earlier this month revealing that the company’s inability to produce the Exynos 2500 chip at scale led to a $400 million loss during the Samsung Galaxy S25 launch.

Even when Samsung manages to produce its Exynos chips in sufficient quantities, the global distribution of Galaxy phones often results in a split chip offering, with devices in the US and China utilizing off-the-shelf Qualcomm chips. This has led to disparities in performance, with Qualcomm-powered Samsung devices outperforming their Exynos-powered counterparts in speed and efficiency.