The Pixel 6 is essentially the most intriguing telephone Google has made in years. Not solely is it a return to premium design with eye-catching colours and as much as a 120Hz display screen, it’s additionally powered by the corporate’s first cellular processor — Tensor. With it, Google is promising severe enhancements in AI efficiency and pictures, together with higher voice recognition and Assistant options.

Google additionally lastly upgraded the Pixel’s digital camera {hardware} as a substitute of simply counting on its processing smarts. That’s to not say it’s missed software program this 12 months. The Pixel 6 is stuffed to the brim with particular pictures modes. The neatest thing concerning the Pixel 6 collection, although, is the surprisingly low beginning value, and it makes the few drawbacks simpler to forgive.

Pros

• Clever Assistant and voice software program
• Lighter than the competitors
• Excellent cameras
• Competitively priced

Design

I’m torn over the Pixel 6’s design. Compared to the previous couple of generations, these are an arresting change of tempo. The two-tone palette is fairly, particularly on the smaller Pixel 6, which has extra enjoyable coloration choices. It additionally has a flat display screen with a matte end on its sides whereas the Pro has pleasantly curved, shiny edges and feels lots just like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. 

Google’s horizontal digital camera bar right here is polarizing. I do not thoughts it, however I do know many individuals suppose it is hideous. In its protection, it not solely homes bigger sensors, however it additionally makes for a extra symmetrical design than the nook digital camera bumps on each different flagship. And as a bonus, it doesn’t wobble when resting on a tabletop.

Aesthetics and magnificence are all subjective, however nobody can argue with laborious numbers. At 207 grams (or 7.3 ounces), the Pixel 6 is heavier than the Galaxy S21 and the iPhone 13, although not by a lot. The Pixel does have a bigger 6.4-inch display screen, although, and I want it was smaller since earlier generations (and different firms) all supply a one-hand-friendly dimension. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6 Pro weighs 210 grams, which is far lighter than the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Display, audio and fingerprint sensor

Both the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have pretty OLED screens. The customary mannequin has a 6.4-inch 1080p panel that runs at 90Hz, whereas the Pro makes use of a 6.7-inch show that goes between 10Hz and 120Hz relying on what you are doing.

Most flagship telephones have adopted OLED by now, and basically supply glorious picture high quality. The new frontier for shows is refresh charge, and the Pixel 6 Pro’s 120Hz display screen is as buttery because the iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy S21 Ultra’s. Scrolling by means of Twitter, Instagram and articles on the web is satisfyingly quick.

The Pixel 6’s 90Hz refresh charge does make it really feel slightly slower, however you received’t discover in the event you haven’t been spoiled by 120Hz screens. If you’re upgrading from an older telephone, the 90Hz panel will likely be an apparent enchancment. Plus, this factor prices simply $600, so no gripes right here, particularly for the reason that iPhone 13 is $200 extra and runs at 60Hz.

I’m additionally not going to complain a lot concerning the Pixel 6’s audio system, that are respectable. Vocals have been clear in Steve Aoki and Jolin Tsai’s Equal within the Darkness, although the combination may sound messy at instances and lacked bass. Lil Nas X’s Industry Baby held up slightly higher.

Under the Pixel 6’s show is a fingerprint sensor, and sadly it’s gradual and finicky, particularly in comparison with in-screen readers on current Galaxy and OnePlus gadgets. You can also’t log in along with your thumb when the display screen is off, which means unlocking your telephone is a two-step course of: Wake the display screen, then scan your print. Google may stand to take notes from Samsung right here. Place your finger on the display screen of an S21 and also you virtually instantly see your own home web page.

If you’re mad that the fingerprint sensor was relocated, Google stated it was primarily to maintain the telephone’s rear wanting uncluttered, whereas nonetheless providing some type of safe biometric authentication.

Android 12 and Assistant options

What actually defines the Pixel 6 expertise is its software program — an space Google has at all times excelled. With Android 12’s new Material You UI, the Pixel 6s really feel as fairly inside as they do exterior. The most blatant flourish is its capability to theme the whole interface round a coloration palette it extracts out of your wallpaper. We’ve mentioned this many instances in our earlier protection of the Android 12 beta, so I will not go on and on about it right here, however it makes the OS really feel extra cohesive.

Android 12 gives many new options that we have already examined, like up to date widgets, digital camera and mic privateness toggles, however the firm has updates which can be unique to Pixels as properly. The most impactful of those are the upgraded speech recognition algorithms. Transcriptions are extra correct, translations are built-in in additional elements of the OS and the keyboard is simpler to make use of hands-free.

As somebody who detests typing on a telephone, I like the brand new voice keyboard. It’s higher at understanding my rambling monologues and inserting punctuation. Now transcribed textual content seems to be extra pure, slightly than being a protracted block of phrases. The system will even retroactively add punctuation to earlier sentences when you’re talking. That stated, Assistant nonetheless isn’t excellent, and sometimes provides durations the place they don’t belong. And perhaps that is extra of an indictment of the best way I communicate, however Google appears to suppose every thing I say is a query.

What makes hands-free typing even simpler is the flexibility to say issues like “Send,” “Clear,” “Delete” and “Undo.” I particularly love you could say “Hey Google, type” to set off the speech keyboard, so there’s no want to the touch the display screen to answer to your folks. The Pixel 6 additionally helpfully suggests instructions for issues like leaping to the following area in a kind or setting the topic of an electronic mail. Plus, you’ll be able to add emoji by saying “smiley face emoji” or “peach emoji”.

The new keyboard additionally makes it simpler to repair errors. You can’t do that hands-free until you need to clear every thing and begin over, however no less than you don’t should exit voice typing mode to pick out a typo after which faucet the speech button to start out dictating once more. The mic will stay on so you’ll be able to repeat one thing with extra cautious enunciation, and you need to use instructions like “Delete” to do away with stray phrases.

The enhancements to voice instructions are particularly necessary for these with bodily or motor disabilities, and this may make it simpler to speak you probably have restricted mobility.

Google additionally expanded its Quick Phrases characteristic, which allowed you to say issues like “Stop” or “Answer” in response to alarms or calls. This characteristic rolled out first on Google’s audio system and shows, and now on the Pixel 6 you may as well say “Stop,” “Snooze,” “Answer” and “Decline.” I do know it looks as if a minor replace, however I recognize each little addition that makes hands-free interplay with my telephone simpler.

Another benefit Pixels have over different telephones is Google’s time-saving options like Duplex and Call Screening. On the Pixel 6, Google is introducing new Wait Time and Direct My Call instruments that inform you how lengthy you’ll have to attend for a customer support rep and converts voice-based menus into on-screen choices. Though it’s presupposed to work with the highest 5,000 toll-free US enterprise numbers, I didn’t see wait instances seem for Bank of America, although it confirmed up for Capital One, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and DoorDash.

The Pixel 6 precisely turned DoorDash’s menu into tappable buttons, too, although it solely works in English. “Press 1 to continue in English” appeared, although “Para continuar en espanol, o prima dos” didn’t, nor did the choice to proceed “en Francais.”

The firm has additionally built-in its translation engine into extra elements of the Pixel 6, like Live Transcribe and the keyboard. You not have to make use of the app or search engine to translate what you want earlier than copying and pasting it right into a message.

When I opened a dialog with our video producer Brian, the telephone detected that he had written in German and requested if I wished it to translate. Once I agreed, Brian’s message of “ich liebe dich” was changed with “I love you.” As I typed out my reply, a separate textual content area appeared above the keyboard with my phrases in English being translated into Deutsch. This additionally labored with the brand new voice typing, though generally it reverted to the outdated speech keyboard (the microphone icon seems to be totally different within the newest model).

Only just a few languages like German, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, French, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian and English are supported right now. Most chat apps are appropriate, too, like WhatsApp, Signal, Line, Twitter, Google Chat, Snapchat and Android Messages. Though, Instagram messages weren’t working once I tried it.

Another space the place translation is baked in is Live Captions, which supplies subtitles for something taking part in by means of your telephone’s audio system. In normal Google’s interpretations nonetheless aren’t very correct and sentences come off stilted. In Interpreter Mode, Brian and I had a dialog the place I spoke Chinese and he spoke Korean and easily couldn’t make sense of what the opposite was saying until we informed it to translate each languages to English as a substitute. But it’s not like some other translation software program is healthier.

The telephone’s Tensor chip handles all this stuff rapidly, and because it’s all executed on-device you need to use the options with out an web connection. Lens specifically was very quick at figuring out Korean characters on a ebook and accurately capitalizing the writer’s names. And, although it struggled with my handwritten Chinese characters, it was nonetheless pretty speedy at displaying its English interpretation.

There are numerous little software program updates all through Android 12 that I don’t have the time or house to enter right here, however I’ll rapidly shout out new safety features just like the Anti-Malware and Phishing instrument. When somebody sends you a suspicious message in WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram, Google will throw up a warning web page prefer it does in Chrome, reminding you to not transmit delicate info on-line to individuals who won’t be who you suppose they’re. It received’t forestall these messages from reaching you, however it’s no less than a reminder to watch out (and an effective way to diss your folks). There’s additionally a brand new safety hub that helps you determine what apps are utilizing your private knowledge essentially the most.