Samsung Electronics will supply 5G modems for Google's next smartphone model. The deal materialized as Samsung Electronics wants to narrow its gap with Qualcomm in the 5G modem industry, while Google intends to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm.

Reuters reported on Aug. 25 that Samsung Electronics' 5G modem technology will be applied to the Google Pixel 6. It will mark the first time that Samsung Electronics' 5G modems are applied to products from other companies.

Whether the deal will narrow Samsung Electronics’ market share gap with Qualcomm remains to be seen. Samsung Electronics is applying its own Exynos modems to its smartphones sold to Asia and Europe, but it is using Qualcomm products for smartphones sold in the United States. This is because Qualcomm supports millimeter wave networking that increases data transmission speeds.

Google said the new Pixel phone will support millimeter wave networks just like its predecessors. This suggests that Samsung Electronics' modem technology has also become capable of Qualcomm-level millimeter wave networking. Samsung told Reuters that its new modem technology will be compatible with millimeter wave networking.

Recently, Google said that it will reduce its dependence on Qualcomm. The global search giant announced on Aug. 2 that it has designed its own processor chips to be used for its luxury models, the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. Although Qualcomm technology is used for budget models, it will use other chips for high-end models to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm.