The Google Pixel 8 series was launched last October. There are two models available in this lineup namely Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. And the phones use Tensor G3 chip. A secret feature of this chip has been revealed, which is in-built support for the AV1 codec. So it is considered to be the first smartphone processor capable of handling AV1 video. It can encode video at four-K (4K) resolution and 60 frames per second (FPS).
Google Tensor G3 is the first mobile platform with 4K 60fps AV1 encoding support
First of all, AV1 is a new video compression standard, which promises better quality and compression than the older H.264 codec. Tech expert Mishal Rahman has shared a glimpse of the code, which confirms AV1 4K resolution and maximum 60 fps support on the chip. This puts the Tensor G3 ahead of rival brands like Qualcomm, MediaTek and Samsung in terms of this particular encoding capability.
But despite the Tensor G3’s AV1 support, there are currently no widely used applications, including Google’s own Pixel Camera app, that can use the feature for encoding at 4K 60 fps. Without software support, users cannot benefit from this hardware capability.
Meanwhile, the H.264 format is currently the most widely used and supported codec, making videos easily viewable on a variety of devices. It’s worth noting, however, that the latest A17 Pro chipset used in Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models supports AV1 decoding, but not encoding.
Note that Google may introduce AV1 encoding support in future generations of Tensor chips and update their camera app to use this feature. However, once applications start supporting AV1 encoding at 4K 60fps, this innovative capability of the Tensor G3 will be more of a technical curiosity than a practical benefit for users.
