Pixel 11a and Pixel Tablet 3 will get a less capable Tensor G6 chip: report

Google Pixel 11a could launch in 2027 as a mid-range phone in the company’s Pixel A series, and the device will reportedly be equipped with the Tensor G6 chip that is expected to debut in 2026 with the Pixel 11 series. This processor is also expected to power the Pixel Tablet 3, which is also expected to launch in 2027. A new report claims that the Pixel 11a and Pixel Tablet 3 will feature a less capable version of the Tensor G6 chip, to keep costs down. low.

Google Pixel 11a and Pixel Tablet 3 could arrive in 2027 with a less capable Tensor G6 chip

Citing leaked documents from Google’s G-Chips division, Android Authority reports that Google plans to launch four devices as part of the Pixel 11 series: “Base ’26”, “Premium ’26”, “Fold ’26” and an “Entry Phone ’27”. These could concern the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Pixel 11a respectively.

The figures mentioned above also suggest that the Pixel 11a could launch in mid-2027, in line with Google’s current practice of introducing a new midrange phone six months after the latest Pixel phones are unveiled.

The report states that while all four phones in the Pixel 11 series will be equipped with a Tensor G6 chip, the Pixel 11a and the Pixel Tablet 3 – also called “Tablet Pixel ’27” – will be equipped with a less powerful version of the chip.

While Google’s current Pixel A series phones feature Tensor chips with different packaging to keep costs down, the publication claims this won’t be possible once the company’s chips are produced by TSMC next year.

Instead, Google will reportedly “melt out defective parts of the TPU” allowing it to use these chips on the Pixel 11a and Pixel Tablet 3. As a result, these devices are unlikely to be as capable of performing AI tasks as the company’s devices. more expensive products.

Google’s Pixel Tablet 3 may offer more connectivity options

The publication too claims that the Tensor G6 chip on the Pixel Tablet 3 will be equipped with a second USB Type-C port controller. The company is expected to support more expandability options for its tablet, allowing power users to utilize the tablet for additional functionality.

Google’s first-generation Pixel Tablet comes equipped with a standard USB 2.0 Type-C port, but also offers USB 2.0 connectivity via the pogo interface used to dock the tablet. According to the report, the Pixel Tablet 3 will support a new USB 3.2 port that also supports DisplayPort output, which could also come in handy for advanced users.