GS101: Hoping for the best, expecting the worst

 

Since June 20th of 2020 we've heard rumors of a google-made chipset for a Pixel phone and/or Chromebook. Now, added details have arrived, and they've really made me adjust my expectations for this new chipset. My main point still stands, GS101 and Google silicon in general is a huge deal for Android but it might not be the Snapdragon killer I was hoping for. Let's take a look at the GS101: what might be the first Google chipset. Quick Note: this entire article is based on leaks and reports so please take all information with a grain of salt and not as solid fact.  

 
 

So, according to the rumors, the GS101 is coming in with a 3-core design. The specific cores themselves are a bit more confusing with contradicting rumors leaving not exactly sure of which ones will be used. In this case I'll layout the two most likely scenarios and maybe come back later to see if I was right. The first scenario is the usual tri-cluster of a Cortex-X1, A78's, and A55's. This isn't exactly new since both the Exynos 2100 and Snapdragon 888 share this architecture, but it is the least likely of the two scenarios. 

Image Credit: 9To5Google

When you consider the global chip shortage and the Pixel's success in the midrange market (although I wouldn't exactly call the Pixel 5 a success...) it really wouldn't make much sense to suddenly head to flagship level. 

 Our second scenario is a duo of Coretex-A78 cores, dual Cortex-A76 cores, and four Cortex-A55 cores. This second scenario comes from some of the earliest leaks that came out when we first found out about the google silicon project; most phones don't mix and match cores, but this design has some promise to it. Having both the flagship and mid-range performance cores along with your usual Cortex-A55's brings a solid balance for most without the price that would come with a Cortex-X1.  

Image Credit: Android Authority 

Something I wouldn't normally consider but is now becoming more important to the modern day SoC is the integrated GPU. According to some documentation viewed by 9to5Google the GS101 will supposedly use a GPU based on the "Valhall" architecture. This is an ARM-made architecture that has only been seen in two GPU's: The Mali-G78, Mali-G77, and Mali-G68. The G77 and G78 are high-end chipsets that might be found in the latest Kirin 9000(G78) and the MediaTek Dimensity 1000(G77). Whilst the G68 is found in more mainstream budget chipsets.  

These are proven GPU's that aren't exactly blowing past Qualcomm's Adreno GPU's, to say nothing about custom Apple cores in the iPhone, but they are on par with competition and provide enough for power users. Out of this Trio I unfortunately must predict that the G68 will be used solely based on Google's current mid-range strategy, but I also feel that a G77 might also make sense under the right circumstances.  

Honestly, the GPU doesn't affect a phone nearly as much as some might think and I don't feel like GPU is a make-or-break category for the GS101. 

However, what might matter is whether or not we see the return of the Pixel Neural core in some form. For context, the Pixel Neural core was an image signal processor that was dedicated to handling photo-video processing and machine learning. The rumor has it that not the GS101 will be equipped with a Pixel Visual Core (ancestor to Neural core) and a NPU (Neural Processing Unit). This boils down to the possibility that the earlier Neural core would simply be baked into the chipset rather than be a separate module; something that would quicken any tasks given to this unit.  

Image Credit: Android Authority 

We also have a report from XDA detailing a chip called "Dauntless" that seems to be a security chip in the style of the Titan M chip found on the current Pixel 5. Again, big gains come from these modules being included on the GS101 instead of being separate. 

Having both modules and maybe something extra being baked right into GS101 might be a great idea that starts to rival Apple's nature of doing the same on their A-series SoCs. One last tidbit to cover is that the GS101 has a mysteriously unknown modem that seems to be same used in several Exynos SoCs codenamed "Shannon". We still don't know of its capabilities or if it has 5G, so we'll have to wait and see.  

What we're seeing with the GS101 is not an A-14 killer nor an 888 competitor.

Image Credit: iFixit

 The GS101 is a specialized SoC that isn't a gaming performance monster nor a generalist budget chipset barely able to climb up the endless app list. The GS101 seems to have just enough power to handle normal use with ease while giving an acceptable if not above average gaming experience. 

The real strength comes from an integrated Pixel Neural Core and Titan M chip; usually you would need to buy high-end SoC's to get better image/video processing minus dedicated security. The biggest strength of the GS101 is that it's a chip used on just one type of phone (at least we think so) it's not concerned with possible use in gaming phones, and it's not bothered by possible soaring prices that would come with cutbacks found in mid-range chips. It's the perfect balance for a Pixel with the hardware to run smooth enough to not be a burden while keeping the custom silicon that enhances the Pixel's most unique features while hopefully staying at a realistic price-point. Let hope for the best when the GS101 finally arrives.

  

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