Pixel 10 leak points to Exynos modem, not MediaTek, despite earlier reports

Google’s Pixel 10 leaks always get the rumor mill spinning, but this latest prototype has fans and insiders double-checking everything they thought they knew, especially about the modem. According to a report from Android Authority, leaked photos of what appears to be a Pixel 10 Pro prototype show a device still relying on Samsung’s Exynos modem, not MediaTek as previously suggested.

For months, most attention around the Pixel 10 series has been on Google’s new Tensor G5 chip, which finally makes the jump from Samsung fabrication to TSMC’s 3nm process. But the new leak, which comes from a device labeled as a “Design Verification Test 1.0” prototype, shows the phone running DevCheck Pro.

A closer look at the baseband string (“g5400”) in one of the screenshots shared by 9to5Google suggests the Exynos 5400 modem is staying around for at least another year. This matches what’s found in the current Pixel 9 and contradicts previous reports that Google was ready to switch to a MediaTek modem.

Android Authority’s original reporting last December claimed Google was actively testing MediaTek modems for the Pixel 10. Based on this new prototype, though, it’s looking more likely that MediaTek won’t debut in the Pixel 10 after all. The software work to support MediaTek is ongoing, but it may be for a future device—possibly the Pixel 10a or even the Pixel 11. For now, speculation about the Pixel 10 Exynos modem looks right on the money.

The latest rumors suggest that the Pixel 10 could launch on August 20 and hit the shelves on August 28.