Google may change a small but crucial chip inside the Pixel 10

The Google Pixel 10 series may break from the Pixel 9 series and use a different, but crucial, new component compared to the previous models. The next Google Pixel phones will use a MediaTek modem rather than the Samsung Exynos modem, according to an anonymous source speaking to Android Authority.

MediaTek makes various 5G capable modems, suited for use in smartphones and other mobile devices, along with modems suitable for home networking. During Mobile World Congress in early 2024 it announced the T300 5G platform, which brings 5G to “power constrained” devices like wearables, proving it’s expertise in the area. For the Pixel 10, Google has apparently selected an as-yet unreleased MediaTek platform called the T900, which will use an also unreleased modem with the name M85.

The departure from Samsung’s modem is interesting. The Tensor G4 processor used for the Pixel 9 is a collaboration between Samsung and Google, and it used a new Samsung modem — the Exynos 5400 — to improve connectivity and bring new features like satellite communication to the phone. For the Tensor G5 Google is expected to switch manufacturing from Samsung to TSMC, a move which would give it the opportunity — either willingly or not — to try a different manufacturer for the modem at the same time.

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While it may sound like a small internal component change, the modem is obviously crucial to making your phone work, and if it doesn’t do so in a effective and efficient way, it can quickly cause battery life problems. Unlucky owners of the Google Pixel 8 series will know this already, as some complained about excessive battery drain caused the Samsung Exynos 5300 modem used inside it with the Tensor G3 processor.

Google will be keen to avoid a repeat of this situation, especially after the Exynos 5400 modem has proven more reliable, but its choice for an alternative is limited. Aside from Samsung, Qualcomm and MediaTek are the most likely alternatives, outside of making its own. Apple is expected to launch its own modem in 2025, shifting away from its reliance on Qualcomm for modems inside the iPhone.

Digital Trends has contacted MediaTek for comment on the link between it and Google, and will update when we hear back.