from Hacker News

Google Tensor SoC debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

by mdwrigh2 on 8/2/21, 4:28 PM with 104 comments

  • by 2bitencryption on 8/2/21, 5:50 PM

    > The improved sensors and lenses are now too big to fit into the traditional square

    ah yes, the age-old traditional camera square, first pioneered in the year of 2018. truly a bygone era

  • by peq on 8/2/21, 5:30 PM

    > Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone**.

    > **Based on a count of independent hardware security subsystems and components.

    That does not seem like a meaningful measure for security.

  • by actuator on 8/2/21, 5:35 PM

    From the Verge article it seems the CPU in SoC would be some licensed spec based on Exynos, so I am guessing we aren't going to see CPU performance close to A series processors, but it does seem like a promising start. Google has an incentive to go all in on CPU design as that helps their data centers and GCP both, so we might see significant gains over time.

    I had to buy a new phone and I am really happy that Pixel 6 looks promising, otherwise iPhone would have been the only choice. I really wish Samsung would get its act together on software and updates, as they have really compelling hardware. For now, at least from the preview of Verge it looks like I will probably pick up a Pixel 6.

  • by 63 on 8/2/21, 5:34 PM

    I imagine I'm in the minority but I'd rather have a phone a fraction of a millimeter thicker that has a flush back. At this point it's getting out of hand.

  • by screye on 8/2/21, 5:54 PM

    I am hoping to splurge on a phone in 2021, and it's between the Pixel 6 pro and the Fold 3 for me.

    As phones they couldn't be more different. The Fold3 aims to completely change the way we experience phones, while compromising on standard phones essentials (camera).

    On the other hand, the Pixel6pro looks to be a final evolution of the classical smartphone, maximizing for battery, camera, software-smoothness and hitting all the essentials correctly.

  • by one_off_comment on 8/2/21, 5:19 PM

    Yikes. I'm not a fan of the design because I like my phone to be able to sit flat on surfaces.

  • by dont__panic on 8/2/21, 8:29 PM

    Other sources seem to be reporting 6.4" and 6.7" diagonal screens. So I guess even the smaller Pixel is now as large as the iPhone Max?

    Guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up for a surge of small phones spurred by the iPhone 12 Mini. Which is a real shame, since I'm way overdue for an upgrade but 99% of phones are way too large.

  • by dheera on 8/2/21, 5:52 PM

    "Tensor"? Google makes some great stuff but I really wish their product naming conventions weren't so confusing.

    First they have the Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and then ... Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, ... oh wait they aren't versions, they are number of inches ... -____-

    And then they have Google Hangouts, Google Hangouts Meet, google Meet, Google Chat, Google Hangouts Dialer, Google Duo, Google Uno, uh ....

    And then now TensorFlow and then Tensor ... is that like TensorFlow without the flow?

  • by Scene_Cast2 on 8/2/21, 5:32 PM

    I wonder about the baseband (radio - wifi & cell) component. Are they using Qualcomm / Intel standalone chips? Or did they buy an IP core to integrate onto the SoC? I somehow doubt that they did it in-house, as it's a massive effort to match current state of the art.

  • by hn_throwaway_99 on 8/2/21, 5:34 PM

    Unrelated to this article specifically, but the biggest thing I'm looking forward to with the Pixel 6 is the improved updates timeline, as Google has said they will provide updates for at least 5 years, which puts them more in-line with Apple.

    Previous Pixels worked great but then inexplicably lost OS updates after only a few years.

  • by evdkush on 8/2/21, 11:42 PM

    Please, some manufacturer:

    - slate form factor < 6"; the phone should fit in my damn pocket - no hole punch or notch for the camera on the front (how was this even acceptable to consumers, it looks like shit) - no otherwise irregular protrusions for the back camera or whatever

    Is this just impossible now?

    Think Galaxy S9, but just with upgraded hardware and maybe smaller bottom bezels.

  • by sto_hristo on 8/2/21, 6:14 PM

    How about a phone that is not a phone anymore, but computer in a phone form factor. Because that hardware is that capable for some time. It's so infuriating watching all this effort going into "experience" features that all boil down to shooting selfies and liking posts on facebook.

  • by jadbox on 8/2/21, 5:29 PM

    Was there no demos to show off the chip?

  • by gerash on 8/3/21, 7:29 PM

    There are some points mentioned in https://youtu.be/l9SHUSP_LJ8 to tame everyone's expectations for this SOC.

  • by riffraff on 8/2/21, 5:18 PM

    So who is physically building this chip?

  • by postalrat on 8/2/21, 5:20 PM

    They should see if all their AI can help them produce this phone for $300 or under.

  • by aitchnyu on 8/3/21, 7:13 AM

    Did they publish battery capacity?

  • by candiddevmike on 8/2/21, 5:24 PM

    I read the entire blog post and I don't understand the fanfare, it's a custom SoC, presumably to rival Apple's M1. I don't see anything innovative about this, besides heralding "begun, the neural net wars have".

    What is the benefit of having all of the ML bits on device? Can models leverage them post training?