Pixel 11 FCC Listings Reveal MediaTek Modem Swap Across All Models
Five Pixel 11 devices appeared in FCC certification records today, a sign Google is nearing launch ahead of its August 12 event in New York City, 9to5Google reported. The filings arrived after what 9to5Google describes as "a pretty big retail leak," with regulatory certification now adding to a cluster of pre-launch signals. Buried in the band tables is the filing's most durable detail: Google has swapped its modem supplier, replacing Samsung's Exynos parts with a MediaTek component across all five listed devices.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is not among them. Per 9to5Google, citing Droid Life, the foldable carries a different model number. That separation has precedent: Android Police noted last July that there was no indication the Pixel 10 Pro Fold had passed through the FCC alongside the rest of that lineup.
What the Pixel 11 FCC listings actually confirm
The five certified devices carry internal model numbers GPQQ7, GUJ0N, G7SWN, GBC0H, and G4HCD, according to 9to5Google. FCC filings use manufacturer codes rather than retail names, and 9to5Google notes it cannot be said with certainty which code maps to which variant. The expected non-foldable lineup is the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL five model numbers for three retail devices reflects regional hardware variants, a standard pattern in FCC filings.
Three things come through clearly in the data.
The modem. The listing confirms these devices will use a MediaTek modem, departing from the Exynos units that shipped in prior Tensor-generation Pixels, 9to5Google reported. A specs leak two months ago named the specific part as the MediaTek M90 (MT6986D), paired with a Tensor G6 chip reportedly built on TSMC's 2nm process, per GSMArena. The FCC data moves the modem from a rumored component to a confirmed hardware choice for these models; the specific M90 designation remains a leak-sourced detail until Google says otherwise.
The connectivity split. Three of the five certified devices include UWB and Thread support; two do not. All five carry 5G with mmWave bands and satellite connectivity, per the filing. That 3-2 divide tracks directly with last year's Pixel 10 filings, where Android Police documented the base model skipping UWB entirely while the Pro and Pro XL received UWB, Thread, and Wi-Fi 7. The Pixel 11 filings show the same feature split, with the richer wireless stack likely corresponding to the Pro models based on that precedent.
The model mapping problem. Which of the five codes refers to which retail device cannot be determined from the regulatory data alone, 9to5Google noted. That question gets answered August 12.
The modem switch: Google Pixel 11 FCC filing's most significant detail
The change was expected as early as last year, when Google was reportedly testing MediaTek modems for the Tensor G6, according to 9to5Google. The FCC filing suggests that testing concluded with a production commitment.
Modems affect signal performance, heat generation during extended data sessions, and battery efficiency under wireless load. The supplier change is now documented in a federal filing, not a leak. Whether the MediaTek M90 actually improves on those dimensions won't be known until independent testing after launch, but the platform shift itself is no longer speculative.
What the filings can't tell you
Pricing, display specs, cameras, battery capacity, and RAM configurations don't appear in FCC data. The remaining specs picture comes from a GSMArena leak published two months ago, which covered display resolutions, camera sensors across all four models, and a rumored RGB LED array in the camera bar on Pro models that would replace the thermometer feature from previous generations, per GSMArena. New colorways across three models were also reported in that leak. None of it is in the FCC data; treat it as directional until Google confirms.
On pricing, Android Authority noted last week that early speculation points toward prices running roughly $100 higher than last year's equivalents. No confirmed figures exist.
Retail timing is similarly open. Last year's Pixel 10 launched at an August 20 event and went on sale eight days later, according to The Verge. With the Pixel 11 event scheduled earlier on August 12, a late-August release window is plausible based on that precedent, though Google has not confirmed a ship date.
What to watch before and after August 12
Three things remain unresolved. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold's own FCC certification has not appeared; when it does, it should clarify whether the foldable carries the same MediaTek modem as the five models filed today. Official specs on August 12 will settle the model-to-feature mapping the current filings leave open, including which devices get UWB and Thread. And once reviews land, real-world modem testing will determine whether the shift from Exynos to MediaTek closes the performance gap that has followed Tensor since the beginning.
The Google Pixel 11 FCC filing confirms the phones are moving through certification. Everything else runs on August 12.
Comments
Be the first, drop a comment!