Google introduced the Tensor series of chips with the Pixel 6 series in 2021. It was meant to usher in a range of chips specially tailored by Google to keep up with its class-leading AI-based software features. Just three Tensor chips in, and many of Google’s new AI features need to be off-loaded to the cloud for processing.
I think in general, having NPUs on devices is such an underrated value of which Google’s TPU would be classified as. There’s actually a lot you can use them for. The main thing for me personally is definitely voice detection stuff. Although I have to admit FUTO’s voice detect which uses whisper, really great. This reply is being crafted entirely using it.
Background noise removal which definitely helps with Speech detection. So it’s really nice to have that too. And of course you have things like video processing and everything else Google is bragging about.
I don’t think these devices are incapable of doing what Google wants them to. I think it’s a mixture of they’re simply not fast enough to do it real time, which Google needs for their premium feeling this as well as just not wanting to invest the time in it.