Pixel 8 hardware leaks suggest faster chip and altered screen aspect ratios
The Google Pixel lineup changes from year to year, but one area of consistency is the frequent leaks from the supply chain at every stage of the Pixel’s life. Just a few weeks after the Pixel 7 got into the hands of most people, a German website claims to have details on two Pixel-like devices being tested at Google.
WinFuture refers to devices codenamed “Shiba”and “Husky”, both running Android 14 “Upside Down Cake”and featuring the new Tensor G3 system-on-chip developed in conjunction with Samsung’s Exynos division. A WinFuture source suggests that the package, codenamed Zuma, will have the same 5G modem as the Tensor G2, but the processor will be based on Samsung’s 3nm Exynos 2300 with typical Google AI/ML improvements . is on the verge of being cancelled , but has recently resurfaced in Bluetooth certification documents.
The Exynos-2300-based 3nm Tensor processor matches what renowned Pixel hardware watcher Cuba Wojciechowski has seen in export databases and heard from sources.
Zuma will likely be built on Samsung’s 3nm GAAFET process node, which industry sources told me looks very good so far with an efficiency that should at least match TSMC’s 3nm process. although we’ll see how it turns out.
Our review of the Pixel 7 Pro noted that Google’s 5nm Tensor chips, unveiled because the company was allegedly held back for “years “by Qualcomm’s offerings, were actually slower than Qualcomm’s newest offerings. The change in manufacturing could help push the Pixel beyond the usual Android performance (but probably won’t even touch Apple’s significant lead).
The biggest change WinFuture is offering to these alleged prototypes is 12GB of storage in the 8 and 8 Pro models, making the standard 8 more visible among mid-range and higher-end competitors. The shape and aspect ratio of the screen may also change slightly: from 2400×1080 to 2268×1080 for the standard model and from 3120×1440 to 2822×1344 for the Pro.
All of this, WinFuture notes, is “pure speculation”and the devices may be “only testing platforms for Google’s hardware team.”Indeed, there are a number of Pixel platforms with hardware ideas, including what could become the Pixel 7a, the highly speculative Pixel Fold (perhaps delayed until 2023), and a test model of the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the “Pixel G10”. However, it’s easier to believe a Pixel product leak than any other flagship device.
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