Google Pixel 5 could use this new mid-range 5G chipset

The successor to the Google Pixel 4 XL might not be such a flagship (Image credit: Google)

You might expect the Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 5 XL to use a flagship chipset, but in fact a leak suggested they could use the upper mid-range Snapdragon 765G. Now though, Qualcomm has announced the successor to that chipset, dubbed the Snapdragon 768G, so the Pixel 5 range might actually use that instead.

This new chipset is pin- and software-compatible with the Snapdragon 765G, which means if Google was planning to use that chipset in the Pixel 5 range it should be a fairly simple job to switch it for the newer Snapdragon 768G.

And it’s a switch that’s likely to be worth making, as the 768G is an upgrade in a number of ways. It offers a clock speed of up to 2.8GHz (up from 2.4GHz with the 765G), includes an Adreno 620 GPU which offers up to a 15% performance increase, and has updateable graphics drivers, which should help future-proof it.

An all-round upgrade

Indeed, it sounds like the Snapdragon 768G is an improvement all-round. Qualcomm claims that it delivers superior gaming performance, 5G connectivity, and camera capabilities, as well as preserving battery life.

Additional features include support for premium things like 120Hz displays and both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G (meaning it supports all of the key 5G frequency bands globally).

That doesn’t mean that the Google Pixel 5 itself will have a 120Hz refresh rate, but it might well do given that the Pixel 4 has a 90Hz one, and 120Hz is the next step up.

In any case, it sounds like a real upgrade on the Snapdragon 765G that was rumored to power the phone, albeit still not a match for the Snapdragon 865 found in the likes of the OnePlus 8.

Of course, we don’t know for sure yet that the Pixel 5 range will use the Snapdragon 768G – it might stick with the 765G, or maybe the rumors are wrong and it will get a flagship chipset after all. We should find out for sure in October, as that’s when the Google Pixel 5 is likely to launch.

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.