When it involves chips for mobile devices, many of the foremost popular smartphones within the Android realm use chips from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon line is the commonest hardware on the market, running the gamut from entry-level to high-end hardware. However, a replacement report goes around claims Google is abandoning Qualcomm modem chipset for its coming Pixel 6 smartphone.
Rather than cramming Qualcomm Snapdragon hardware under the hood of the Android smartphone, Google is reportedly embracing Samsung. Consistent with the rumor, Google wants to use the Samsung Exynos 5123 5G modem inside the Pixel 6. This marks a big change for Google who has always used Qualcomm products in the past.
It also highlights that major tech companies within the US are looking to finish their dependence on Qualcomm for hardware inside their devices. The Exynos 5123 modem supports 6GHz and up to 256-QAM Millimeter Wave for both uplink and downlink. By making this alteration, assuming the rumors are true, the Pixel 6 will be the primary device within the US that doesn’t use a Qualcomm modem.
Interestingly, Samsung has used its own Exynos hardware in its Galaxy line of smartphones outside the US but hasn’t used its modem hardware stateside. Smartphone manufacturers within the States have relied on Qualcomm modems exclusively because there was no 5G modem technology available from other manufacturers.
That appears to be changing with the Exynos 5123. Whether or not this rumor is accurate remains to be seen. There has to be a minimum of some possibility that Google is making this move not because it wants to but due partially to the worldwide chip shortage. Certainly, it’s possible that since Samsung’s products are less popular, they’re more readily available. It’s also worth noting that rumors have suggested thus far the Pixel 6 also will use Samsung hardware for the display, camera, and processor. To be clear, the SoC itself was designed by Google but is made by Samsung.
