The 2nm Tensor G6 rumor was wrong all along

Google has confirmed the Tensor G6, the chip powering all four new Pixel 11 models, is built on TSMC's N3P process, a refined 3nm node. Google's Vice President of Hardware, Peng Yu-chun, confirmed the detail to CNA at the Pixel launch event in Taiwan.

The confirmation closes out weeks of speculation that began in mid-July, when Economic Daily News reported TSMC would manufacture the Tensor G6 on its 2nm process. Had that been true, the Pixel 11 series would have been the first smartphone lineup to reach the market on 2nm, ahead of Apple's typical September release. A jump to 2nm would have been costly given Google's comparatively low Pixel shipment volumes relative to other smartphone SoC vendors.

Peng also addressed industry-wide DRAM price increases when asked by CNA. He said rising memory prices are a sector wide phenomenon affecting not just pricing but also supply and demand. Rather than absorbing the cost hikes directly, Peng said Google is responding through UI and system level optimization, more efficient DRAM usage, and broader hardware and software architecture work across its team.

The Taipei event also marked 20 years of Google's hardware engineering operations in Taiwan. The company describes the site as its largest hardware and AI infrastructure R&D center outside the United States, and Peng said the Taiwan team played a direct role in co-designing the Tensor G6 alongside TSMC.