According to the leakers, the Pixel 8 should welcome a welcome new feature to finally resolve the well-known overheating problem with Tensor processors. The next version of the chip should in fact be equipped with the FO-WLP system, a packaging technique specifically designed to avoid temperature leaks.
If Google’s Tensor chips are generally praised for their performance, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, all while guaranteeing a reasonable price for Pixels compared to the competition, they are not free from defects. And there is one, in particular, which is regularly singled out by users: its tendency to overheat. Whether it is the first Tensor of the name or the Tensor G2, the problem is the same. However, it could be that the Pixel 8 finally resolves the problem.
According to leaker @Tech_Reve, particularly prolific recently, the Tensor G3, which will power Google’s next smartphone, will integrate Fan-out Wafer-level Packaging technology, or FO-WLP. As its name suggests, this is a new method of packaging wafers (semiconductor wafers) which improves the thermal and energy performance of chips. To put it simply, it involves reducing the size of the packaging around the wafers while maintaining the number of contacts.
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Google will finally make efforts on the overheating of its smartphones
Although FO-WLP is not a new technology in itself, this is the first time that Google has decided to use it on its chips. However, it is difficult not to note the “slight” delay on the competition: TSMC has been using it since 2016 and was quickly imitated by Qualcomm and Mediatek. For now, it is still early to predict the real benefits of FO-WLP on the performance of the Pixel 8, but there is no doubt that with better heat management, the smartphones will be faster than their predecessor.
In addition, Google really seems to have put all the chances on its side to make its next chip a real challenger to the big names on the market. Its new 10-core Arm Immortalis G715 GPU will improve gaming performance, while its new layout with 4 Cortex-A510s, 4Cortex-A715s, and a Cortex-X3.
The Tensor G3 is the first among Samsung Foundry’s smartphone chips to incorporate FO-WLP packaging, which is expected to reduce heat generation and increase power efficiency for the Tensor G3.
— Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) September 11, 2023