A new job listing posted by Google has spurred speculations about the latest technology Google is cooking up. The new job listing shows Google is seeking a "multimedia chip architect" who can "lead a chip development effort" and "work with other engineers to take chip to product shipment". The description of the job listing suggests Google may be planning in designing its own processors following Apple's footsteps.
As reported in Business Insider, the job listing hints of developing a technology that can put the heat on Apple. It is reported that the job listing posted came from the company's Pixel team. They recently announced its high-end productivity tablet called the Pixel C. This valuable information was given to Business Insider by someone who works closely in the matter.
The latest job posting suggests that Google is planning a significant expansion in the hardware business. The chip development effort may give Google a deeper level of control over its products as it can now compete directly with Apple. Apple is known to develop everything from the silicon to the software found in their products, iPhones and iPads.
"Normally, I wouldn't read too much into a job posting because often system designers need people with chip-level expertise," chip analyst Jim McGregor tells Business Insider. "However, with the trend towards vertical integration, especially at Microsoft and Apple, it wouldn't surprise me if Google developed their own chips, especially for Android productivity tablets to compete with the Surface Pro and iPad Pro," he added.
The chip-architect job listing specifically refers to "image processing, video processing, [and] stabilization." This may suggest that the chip is intended for camera-related tasks that focus on video capture as stated by several chip experts to Business Insider.
Speculations surrounding Google making its own chip in-house could create a full-fledged processor similar to Apple's A9 chip found in the latest gadgets of iPhone. However many argue that Google does not currently produce enough machines to cover the expense of creating a chip.
Meanwhile Google has not addressed any of these speculations. We just have to wait for a release a formal statement and observe the advancement of their released products.
