Pixel 8 series could keep its cool thanks to a new Tensor G3 improvement

Google’s Tensor chips have always been a pain point for Pixel phones. Not only do they lag behind the competition, but they are also notorious for overheating issues. Heating problems plagued both the first-generation Tensor and the Tensor G2s, but the Tensor G3 could carry an improvement which should cool things down.

Expected to debut on the Pixel 8 series, the Tensor G3 is reportedly among the first Samsung-made smartphone chips to incorporate Fan-out Wafer-level Packaging or FO-WLP. The technology improves the thermal and electrical performance of a chip. Just to clarify, FO-WLP is in no way a brand-new technology. Chip makers like TSMC have been using it since 2016, and we’ve been seeing it in action on popular chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek since many years.

We don’t know just how much of a difference FO-WLP packaging could make on the Tensor G3 compared to previous Tensor chips, but any news of better heat management is good news for the upcoming Pixels.

Other Tensor G3 upgrades

Besides possible thermal performance improvements, the Tensor G3 is also expected to bring significant upgrades over the Tensor G2. We previously reported exclusive details about the processor, revealing that it will likely get a restructured nine-core layout,t including four little Cortex-A510s, four Cortex-A715s, and a single Cortex-X3. This could significantly improve the performance of the Tensor G3 and push it closer to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

We also expect a boost in gaming performance thanks to a ten-core Arm Immortalis G715 GPU compared to the Tensor G2’s Arm Mali-G710 seven-core setup.

That said, the Tensor G3 is still expected to be manufactured on Samsung’s 4nm production line, which was responsible for overheating issues on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. We’ll have to wait and see if the leak about the revamped packaging tech pans out and we finally get a Tensor chip that doesn’t run too hot.