TL; DR
- The upcoming Google Pixel 6 could include a Samsung 5G cellular modem.
- This would be a huge achievement for Qualcomm, the dominant force in the cellular modem market.
- It’s just a rumor, but it has to do with the fact that Samsung is heavily involved in the Pixel 6 chipset.
We already know that Google’s upcoming flagship pixels will have a new custom chipset. The Google Tensor CPU is a co-creation with Samsung but was developed by Google.
Now a rumor suggests that even the chipset’s modem could be named Samsung (via Reuters). For Qualcomm, the leading manufacturer of cellular modems for smartphones, that would be a huge loss.
Related: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Series History
Since we already know that Samsung is heavily involved in the development of Tensor, we tend to believe this rumor. However, it is only speculation for the time being.
Outside of Qualcomm, Samsung and MediaTek are the only companies currently making cellular modems. Qualcomm dominates the other two by far, so Google, which is relying on Samsung for the Pixel 6, is a significant achievement for Qualcomm’s status.
One of Qualcomm’s largest cellular modem customers – Apple – is also currently working hard to develop its own cellular modems. Once Apple hits the platter, the entire market could shift, with Qualcomm being the big loser.
We expect the Google Pixel 6 modem to support both mmWave and Sub6-5G connections. How good these connections will be compared to Qualcomm modems remains to be seen, however.
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