Google Pixel 6 to come with Samsung’s 50MP GN1 sensor, Exynos 5123 modem according to Android 12 Beta 4 release

Analysis of some of the updated Google apps has revealed that the upcoming Google Pixel series might use a Samsung sensor and an Exynos modem.

It is possible that Google Pixel 6’s main camera may well use the Samsung 50MP GN1 sensor. (Google)

Android 12's fourth beta release has just been rolled out and this marks its Platform Stability milestone. And as XDADevelopers points out, the whole purpose of this release is to “provide developers a build with finalised APIs and app-facing behaviours so they can test and update their apps before the stable release”. Android 12's Beta 4 release comes with a host of changes and also has updated versions of many Google apps and analysis of these updated Google apps has possibly revealed the image sensor on the main shooter and the modem in the upcoming Pixel 6 series might come with.

First, let's talk about the sensor. It is possible that the Pixel 6's main camera might use the Samsung 50MP GN1 sensor. The Android 12 Beta 4 update brought in a new version of the Google Camera app preloaded on Pixel phones and within a library in the APK, GCam modder cstark27 discovered “a string titled ‘gn1_wide_p21', which suggests the main ‘wide-angle' camera of Google's 2021 Pixel phones will be Samsung's 50MP ISOCELL GN1 image sensor”.

Samsung's 50MP GN1 sensor was announced in the middle of 2020 and it supports Dual Pixel autofocus. Older leaks regarding the Pixel 6 series have suggested that the main wide-angle camera is going to come with a 50MP sensor and cstark27's discovery on the Google Camera app backs that. Google has used Sony's IMX363 image sensor on the older Pixel devices and the Samsung GN1 comes in as a significant upgrade in terms of specs. Google's Pixel devices are known for their camera software and that put together with a good image sensor should do wonders for the company this time around.

Cstark27 also discovered a reference to the “g5123b” modem within another system APK and this modem model was “mapped to multiple devices, though the strings identifying these devices are encrypted”. As XDADevelopers worked it out through some “clever spoofing and reverse engineering”, the same method they used to figure out that the Pixel 5 had the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, and decrypted the strings. That lead to cstark27 “determining” that the “g5123b” modem was mapped to five devices with the following code names - Oriole, Raven, Passport, Slider, and an unknown fifth one. Now, Oriole and Raven are code-names for the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro respectively, and Passport is the rumored code-name for Google's foldable Pixel. And Slider is the code-name for an unknown Google product.

The other modem model mappings in the system APK match previous devices and their Snapdragon processors so it is highly likely that the “g5123b” string refers to the modem that is within the Google Tensor chip. It has not been confirmed but it is possible that this modem could be based on Samsung's Exynos Modem 5123. This is the same 5G modem that's used in the Exynos version of the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20. This modem supports sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, but it's unclear at this point in time if Google plans to ship the Pixel 6 with this modem globally. While Samsung “typically” uses Qualcomm SoCs and modems for the flagships they sell in the US, there's no evidence suggesting Google is also going to do the same.

Google confirmed last week that the Pixel 6 series would ship with the in-house Google Tensor chip and rumours suggest that the chip has been designed in coordination with Samsung's SLSI division. A recent Nikkei report states that Samsung is going to handle the production of the Google Tensor using its 5nm process technology. A report from GalaxyClub states that the Google Tensor chip has the internal designation of “Exynos 9855” and slots it between the Exynos 9840 (Exynos 2100) and the Exynos 9925 (Exynos 2200). The Exynos 2100 was seen on the Galaxy S21 series and Exynos 2200 is expected to launch with the Galaxy S22 series.