TL; PhD
- The upcoming Google Pixel 6 may be equipped with a Samsung 5G cellular modem.
- This will be a huge blow to Qualcomm, the dominant force in the cellular modem market.
- This is just a rumor, but it coincides with the fact that Samsung is actively participating in the Pixel 6 chipset.
We already know that Google’s upcoming Pixel flagship product will be equipped with a new custom chipset. Google Tensor CPU was co-created with Samsung, but designed by Google.
Now, there are rumors that even modems with chipsets can carry the Samsung name (via Reuters). This will be a huge loss for Qualcomm, which is a leading manufacturer of cellular modems for smartphones.
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Considering that we already know that Samsung is actively involved in the creation of Tensor, we tend to believe this rumor is true. However, this is only current speculation.
Outside of Qualcomm, Samsung and MediaTek are currently the only companies that manufacture cellular modems. Qualcomm is far ahead of the other two, so Google’s reliance on Samsung on Pixel 6 is a major blow to Qualcomm’s position.
One of Qualcomm’s largest customers of cellular modems-Apple-is also currently working to create its own cellular modems. Once Apple takes action, the entire market may change, and Qualcomm will become the biggest loser.
We hope that the Google Pixel 6 modem supports millimeter wave and Sub6 5G connections. However, it remains to be seen how good these connections will be compared to Qualcomm modems.