The Pixel 6 Is the Google Flagship We’ve Been Waiting For

After months of leaks and rumors, Google has lastly formally introduced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. These are the Pixels folks have been ready for.

Earlier this summer season, Google set the stage for the Pixel 6 by revealing its new Tensor chip, which has been custom-designed by Google to offer considerably higher AI and machine studying efficiency, and that alone would have been a notable achievement. But Google didn’t cease there: For beginning costs of simply $599 for the Pixel 6 and $899 for the Pixel 6 Pro, these telephones are packing premium upgrades from high to backside.

Premium Specs at Any Price

While the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro share the identical design rules and most of the identical options, there are some essential variations that make the Pixel 6 Pro feeling only a bit extra luxurious and well-rounded. Both telephones characteristic sturdy Gorilla Glass Victus in entrance and Gorilla Glass 6 in again, IP68 water resistance, 30-watt wired charging, NFC, Wi-Fi 6E, and help for each wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging (aka wi-fi Power Share). Also, for the primary time on a Pixel, Google opted for an in-screen fingerprint reader, which principally checks all of the packing containers for high-end cellphone options.

Both variations of the Pixel 6 are giant telephones, in contrast to final yr’s pint-sized Pixel 5. The normal Pixel 6 sports activities a 6.4-inch 2400 x 1080 OLED show with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of base storage, and a 4,614 mAh battery, whereas the Pixel 6 Pro will get a fair larger 6.7-inch 3120 x 1440 LTPO OLED display screen with a 120Hz variable refresh price, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of base storage, and a 5,000 mAh battery. You can clearly see the place the additional cash for the Pixel 6 Pro goes.

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The subsequent technology of AirPods
Adds among the options we noticed include the Pro like spatial audio help and water resistance.

On high of that, each the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro characteristic a 50-MP fundamental cam and 12-MP ultra-wide cam in again, with the Pixel 6 Pro additionally getting a telephoto digital camera with a 4x optical zoom that may go up all the way in which as much as a 20x hybrid zoom utilizing Google’s Super Res Zoom tech. And in entrance, the Pixel 6 will get an 8-MP selfie digital camera whereas the Pixel 6 Pro will get a barely higher-res 11.1-MP front-facing cam.

Finally, each telephones characteristic full help for each sub-6GHz 5G and mmWave 5G (relying on the precise config). Google has additionally prolonged the size of safety updates to a minimal of 5 years, which is a brand new excessive bar for any Android cellphone.

Introducing the Camera Bar

The Pixel 6’s design hasn’t actually been a secret for months now, however Google discovered a approach to make its newest flagship cellphone distinctive with callbacks to earlier Pixels due to its tri-tone design and delicate pastel colour choices (Stormy Black, Kinda Coral, and Sorta Seafoam for the Pixel 6, and Stormy Black, Cloudy White, and Sorta Sunny for the Pixel 6 Pro).

There are additionally a few delicate variations between the 2 that give them barely completely different personalities. The normal Pixel 6 will get a matte black end round its edges and a flatter display screen, in comparison with the Pixel 6 Pro’s rounded, extra tapered show and its polished, shiny sides.

In again, Google is introducing what it calls a Camera Bar as an alternative of a digital camera module, which providers two functions. The first is to spotlight the Pixel 6’s cameras whereas including a little bit of visible enchantment and stability (this factor sits stable on a flat floor, no rocking). But extra importantly, the Camera Bar on the Pixel 6 Pro can also be the place Google’s periscope-style telephoto lens lives, because it’s aligned horizontally as an alternative of vertically, in contrast to Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Lots of people have had considerations that the Camera Bar, which does protrude fairly noticeably from the again of the cellphone, will make instances exhausting to connect. In my expertise trying out Google’s personal Pixel 6 instances (which can be found in hues designed to intensify the Pixel 6’s base colour), there’s nothing to fret about.

Tensor Unlocks Powerful Pixel Features

Google’s Pixel lineup is at all times in regards to the software program, and the Pixel 6 is not any completely different. The new options packed into the Pixel 6 wouldn’t be potential with out Google’s new custom-built Tensor chip, which makes use of a extra correct on-device voice mannequin whereas additionally sucking up 50% much less energy than earlier than.

The improved machine studying efficiency from Tensor allowed Google so as to add a Live Translate characteristic, which works throughout a variety of chat apps together with Google Messages, WhatsApp, Twitter, and extra, so you possibly can talk extra simply in different languages. Google’s Live Caption is now in a position to translate audio in podcasts and movies whereas captioning on the fly, one thing Google says wasn’t potential on earlier telephones resulting from excessively extremely energy and power utilization.

A brand new dictation characteristic referred to as Assistant Voice Typing not solely makes use of an improved and extra correct speech recognition mannequin (as soon as once more, one thing Google says would drain an excessive amount of energy with Tensor’s additional ML effectivity) to show your speech into textual content, it’s additionally multi-modal, that means you possibly can discuss and edit the textual content because it seems with out complicated Google’s AI. You may even dictate emojis by saying what you need (canine emoji, cat emoji, and so on.) or enter instructions like ship, clear, cease, and extra while not having to interrupt your self to say “Hey Google.”

Google additionally expanded the position of the Google Assistant with a brand new Calling Assistance characteristic, which provides the Pixel 6 the flexibility to let you know the most effective instances to name buyer help for the most important 5,000 companies within the U.S. in an effort to keep away from lengthy wait instances. And in case you do get placed on maintain, the Google Assistant can step in and monitor the decision so that you don’t should, earlier than sending you a notification at any time when an actual stay customer support agent lastly jumps on the road. Google can also be debuting its Quick Phrases characteristic on the Pixel 6, which helps you to make extra instructions while not having to say “OK, Google” first. And due to Duplex, the Pixel 6 will even aid you navigate these annoying touch-tone cellphone menus by creating a visible UI on the cellphone’s display screen.

On the digital camera facet, the Pixel 6’s improved ML efficiency helps energy extra new options like Magic Eraser, a characteristic akin to Photoshop’s Content Aware Fill instrument which can aid you edit out photo-bombers with ease, whereas the brand new Face Unblur instrument is designed to make it simpler to seize sharper pics of fast-moving topics like children (however not pets). When it involves video, Tensor even permits the Pixel 6 to course of 4K HDR video on-device, which ought to mechanically add extra vivid colours and enhanced dynamic vary to your clips.

Google’s new Real Tone picture processing on the Pixel 6, which the corporate has been engaged on for awhile, is designed to raised seize photographs of individuals with various pores and skin tones and pores and skin sorts to assist create extra equitable and better-looking photographs (one thing Vogue might need discovered helpful when trying to photograph Simone Biles back in 2020). Many trendy cameras have been originally tuned to raised expose topics with lighter pores and skin.

The pictures options that I’m most wanting ahead to making an attempt are Google’s new devoted cameras modes for lengthy publicity and quick motion pans, which are supposed to distill extra superior digital camera methods into an primarily one-touch course of.

In addition to Tensor, the Pixel 6 is definitely packing a second Google-designed processor, the Titan M2 safety chip. Not solely does the Titan M2 enable the Pixel to dump delicate authentication processes to devoted safety {hardware}, the Pixel 6 additionally incorporates a new Security hub that helps make it simpler to handle your safety settings whereas additionally offering solutions and recommendations on the right way to safeguard your knowledge and block potential malware.

A Smarter Pixel With Sophisticated Hardware to Match

I’ve solely had the Pixel 6 for a short while, so I can’t go into an excessive amount of element about all of its many options simply but. My early impression is that after 5 generations, that is the Pixel I’ve needed Google to make for years. For a very long time, I’ve maintained that the most effective smartphone (no less than on the Android facet of issues) could be a tool that mixes Samsung {hardware} with Google software program.

And whereas it’s unclear how a lot of a hand Samsung could or could not have had in supplying Google with elements just like the Pixel 6’s show or digital camera sensors, the Pixel 6 marries flagship-level specs and industrial design to Google’s subtle AI and machine studying. It’s a massively inviting mixture, and while you tack on what is certainly aggressive pricing, Google is taking intention instantly at Apple and Samsung. The solely cons I’ve seen to this point are an absence of microSD card storage, no 3.5mm audio jack, and nothing like a Pixel 6 Mini for anybody who prefers a extra compact handset.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will probably be out there for preorder at the moment beginning at $599 and $899, respectively, earlier than official gross sales start on Oct. 28. If you’re the type of one that often trades of their cellphone each couple of years, Google can also be introducing a brand new Pixel Pass subscription, which begins at $45 a month (or $55 for the Pixel 6 Pro) and contains entry to YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, Google Play Pass, 200GB of storage on Google One, Preferred Care, and a brand new Pixel each two years.

Note: While Google has the Pixel 6 listed for $599, service pricing could fluctuate resulting from built-in help for mmWave 5G, with the Pixel going for $700 from Verizon, or $740 for the Pixel 6 and $940 for Pixel 6 Pro from AT&T.

Stay tuned for our full Pixel 6 evaluate.