Pixel 10 leak shows Google will stick with Samsung modem

Every year, we find ourselves excited at the prospect of a new Pixel phone, eager to learn about the improvements Google has chosen to prioritize for its latest generation. With the upcoming Pixel 10 series, the bulk of our interest has centered around what Google’s doing with the silicon powering the handset as it introduces the Tensor G5 and shifts fabrication over to TSMC. Ahead of the anticipated August launch, this week a leak revealed photos of a purported Pixel 10 Pro prototype, and the details in this imagery have us reconsidering some earlier finds.

We’ve been investigating Google’s work towards developing the Pixel 10 series going back a year now, and that’s included some exclusive reports on the chips these phones will run. Back in December, we learned from a source that Google was considering using MediaTek modems in the Pixel 10.

Our newly leaked handset labels itself as a Design Verification Test (DVT) 1.0  prototype. We see the phone running the DevCheck Pro app and reporting on its hardware configuration. We were initially mainly focused on the screen offering details on the Tensor chip (and wondering why it indicated a 5nm process instead of the expected 3nm), but some eagle eyes have noticed another clue about the chips in this phone, pointing out the presence of that “g5400” in the baseband string displayed in the second of the images above (via 9to5Google).

That sure seems to suggest the presence of Samsung’s Exynos 5400 modem, just like we have currently present across the Pixel 9 series. And if this is indeed how the Pixel 10 is coming together, that would indicate that Google is not embracing MediaTek modems this generation, after all.

So what actually happened here? It still appears that Google is actively working on software to support MediaTek modems for Pixel hardware, but contrary to what we reported last year, it now seems that the device in question may not be the Pixel 10.

Instead, it’s possible that Google intends to work with MediaTek modems in a device like the Pixel 10a, or even the Pixel 11. At least, that’s our best present understanding of how internal development is progressing, but we may need to revise that assessment yet again as further new information comes to light.