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Because it is important: Google’s rumored “Whitechapel” SoC appears to be an attempt to emulate Apple and achieve greater integration between software and hardware. This could also affect Qualcomm’s near monopoly on smartphone processors and clear the way for further innovation in the mobile SoC market.
Current Pixel phones (and most Android smartphones in general) run on Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. It appears that Google may take Apple’s route and ditch Qualcomm in favor of its own custom-designed silicon according to an Axios report. This would give Google more integration between software and hardware.
This rumored Google-designed chip, codenamed Whitechapel, was designed in cooperation with Samsung, which also makes its own Exynos chips and makes Apple’s SoC for the iPhone. Supposedly Google has already received a working copy of the chip, although it is not expected to appear on any shipping hardware until next year.
As for the specs, not much is known except that it is being built on Samung’s 5nm process and features an 8-core ARM processor. Axios claims that part of the chip will be optimized for machine learning and will enhance the capabilities of the Google Assistant. This is not a surprise, as Google has made artificial intelligence and machine learning the cornerstones of its software strategy.
Google is definitely no stranger to custom silicon within its devices. In 2017, the company introduced the Pixel Visual Core, a custom-designed SoC built into the Pixel 2 to enhance the phone’s HDR + and imaging capabilities. Google later upgraded Visual Core to Neural Core on Pixel 4, which added powerful machine learning capabilities.
Increased efficiency and control is why Apple designs both its hardware and software. It allows Apple to strictly control the experience of each iOS device while ensuring security and reliability. Google likely wants this level of control over the Android experience, at least when it comes to the Pixel.
Google has yet to comment on the story’s claims.
