Next Pixel Phones Might Come With Custom SoCs Thanks to Google’s Latest Hiring of Apple’s Chip Architect

Omar Sohail
Pixel custom SoCs

Very few phone manufacturers are engaged in making their own hardware, out of which includes none other than Apple. While releasing its stock Android handsets, Google and its partners have always had to rely on other manufacturers such as Qualcomm, but according to the latest hiring, it looks like the tech giant will not have to maintain dependence on them any longer.

Google Hires Apple’s Chip Architect - Possibly in the Hopes to Provide Them the Means to Make Dedicated Hardware for Future Pixel Smartphones

Manu Gulati, or as his LinkedIn profile suggests, is now working at Google as the lead SoC architect. According to this profile, his responsibilities are as follows:

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  • Chip-lead for high performance SoC's, targeted at networking and security applications.
  • Microprocessor Design
  • Multithreading

On the surface, this could mean several things, but according to Variety, the individual could provide the stepping stones for Google to make its own chipsets for the Pixel lineup, which are going to be announced during the later months of 2017. For now, rumors are pointing towards the incorporation of a Snapdragon 835, or Snapdragon 836 in the new Pixel phones, but with the latest hiring, a dramatic change could take place in the near future.

With Google making its own hardware for smartphones, there are two advantages that will serve for the company. First off, the giant will not have to rely on firms like Qualcomm, and the second advantage will serve as being directly related to the first one; support for software and security updates could become extended. In the end, this will not require users to frequently upgrade their handsets and they will still continue to receive the latest and greatest updates for their devices.

Initially, designing chips was not a core focus for Google, but it looks like the company might have changed its stance on a few things. For example, processor-intensive tasks such as VR and AR can work more fluidly with the introduction of custom-made SoCs, among other benefits.

Do you think this is a good step that Google is taking? Tell us your thoughts down in the comments right away.

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