Google has caused quite a stir by revealing several pieces of information about its upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones. The most important of these was the announcement of Google's Tensor system-on-chip design. Neither Pixel phone will use Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon silicon, as previous models have.

Instead, Google is giving the hardware more control, similar to the A-series Bionic chips that Apple uses in its iPhones and iPads. In fact, Tensor will help make the Pixel 6 a true competitor to the iPhone 13.

Back when we were still calling Tensor a Whitechapel, we heard rumors that Google was working closely with Samsung on the chip's design and development. This means that Tensor has a lot of DNA from Exynos (Samsung's homegrown chip line). However, some research by a site called GalaxyClub (in Dutch) showed what could be an official designation for Tensor in Samsung's portfolio.

Hardcore Samsung fans may remember news of the Exynos 9855, which never saw the light of day in consumer devices; the 9855 probably sits just below the Exynos 9925 and will be included in international models of the Galaxy S22 as Exynos 2200 Possibly. This is the one that may have an AMD GPU based on the company's RDNA2 architecture.

GalaxyClub claims that the Exynos 9855 also had another codename, Whitechapel. This unannounced chip may be Tensor itself. And if so, we have some idea where it would be positioned in Samsung's portfolio: Exynos 9855 is theoretically between the Exynos 9840 (aka Exynos 2100) in some international models of the Galaxy S21 and the upcoming Exynos 2200. It is positioned in the middle.

It is a bit of a leap to assume that the Pixel 6 will have comparable performance to the non-Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S21, but thanks to GalaxyClub's research, it is possible. However, thanks to GalaxyClub's research, it's now a possibility; we'll have to see how the Pixel 6 performs in person, but this research done by GalaxyClub further confirms the leaks we heard earlier this year.

Could Tensor be the beginning of more Exynos (or Exynos-based) chips in the US? We can't say for sure yet, but it would be great to see Qualcomm face stiff competition from one of its biggest buyers; as for the Pixel 6 itself, Tensor holds a lot of promise in terms of AI and machine learning capabilities. But if Tensor is indeed the supposed Exynos 9855, it could be a powerful chip in its own right.