- A leak in Google's gChips division has revealed the giant is working on a Tensor chip for Pixel Watch.
- The chip could be featured in Pixel Watch 5 which may launch in 2026.
- It will be based on 3nm manufacturing node and come equipped with 1 x Cortex-A78 core with 2 x Cortex-A55 cores.
From Tensor G1 in Pixel 6 to the upcoming TSMC-based Tensor G5, Google’s Tensor chips have come a long way. Last year, the chipset made its way to the Pixel tablet, and reports now suggest the next device to get a custom Tensor chip will be the Pixel Watch.
According to Android Authority, a leak in Google’s gChips division suggests that Google might move to Tensor starting with the Pixel Watch 5 in 2026. The documents contain a codename for a new chip NPT which could be an acronym for “Newport Beach” just like other Tensor SoC codenames.
This custom Tensor chip could feature 1 x Cortex-A78 and 2 x Cortex-A55 cores. The document doesn’t contain any info on the manufacturing node. We already know that Tensor G5 would be based on a 3nm process. So, we can expect the Tensor for Pixel Watch to also be based on a 3nm process for better efficiency. The only 3nm chip for wearables right now is the Exynos W1000 in the Galaxy Watch 7 series.
For those unaware, the Pixel Watch 1 featured Samsung’s Exynos 9110 Wear chipset. This was then replaced by Qualcomm’s W5 Gen 1 chip on the Pixel Watch 2 and 3.
Even though the W5 Gen 1 offered better efficiency, battery life has always remained one of the major concerns with Pixel smartwatches. Launching a larger Pixel Watch 3 with a bigger battery seems to have calmed the problem a little. However, the maximum battery you could get out of a modern Wear OS watch is not more than two days.
What are your thoughts on the new Tensor SoC for Pixels? What other improvements would you like to see the SoC bring to the table? Let us know in the comments.
