Google will make mobile “chips” to compete with Qualcomm

Google has made significant progress in developing its own chips or processors to power future smartphones, smartphones, Pixels, and will probably rival Qualcomm if it is accepted by the market.

Google processors will debut on their newest phones early next year, according to a new report from Axios, quoted Friday.

Google appears to be working with Samsung, which provides design and manufacturing support for the project, codenamed “Whitechapel.”

The report says the Google SoC is an eight-core ARM processor with hardware “optimized for Google’s machine learning technology” and the always-on capability of the Google Assistant.

The chip will be manufactured at Samsung’s factory in the upcoming 5nm process, and, apart from being aimed at Pixel, the report says that a “next version” of the chip could be used in Chromebooks.

Google is also reported to have hired chip designers from Intel and Qualcomm to develop the device.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Google parent Alphabet Inc is slowing hiring for the rest of the year, the web search giant’s most drastic move since the Covid-19 pandemic began destroying its advertising business a few weeks ago.

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai notified staff of the decision in an email on Wednesday.

He also highlighted other areas of cost-cutting, saying the company would “recalibrate our focus and investment moves in areas such as data centers and machines, and non-business-critical marketing and travel.”

At the end of 2019, Alphabet employed 118,899 full-time workers.

The announcement shows how the economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus is affecting even some of the wealthiest tech businesses.