Google Pixel 6 Review

Introduction

Introducing the Pixel 6 Pro, Google briefly returned to the premium smartphone market in 2019. If you'll pardon our abuse of Google's terminology, the firm is not new to flagships, and the Pixel 6 non-Pro is sort of just that.

The telephoto camera is only available on the Pixel 6 Pro, in typical not-quite-there fashion. The black lens strip that distinguishes the latest Google phones from others does allow it to maintain the other two.

Similarly, while the non-Pro's somewhat broad (last period) selfie camera is adequate, you won't get the Pro's ultrawide-ish 11MP selfie unit.

In the display area, there are additional concessions. The Pixel 6 manages using a 90Hz FullHD display in place alongside the 120Hz QHD screen of the Pro. It's smaller, yet at 6.4 inches, a non-Pro is larger than the smaller Pixels from earlier generations, which we preferred.

The list of significant changes among the two Pixel flavors is quite exhausting. While the 8GB of RAM here isn't precisely the Pro's 12GB, however its seems like plenty. You receive the same brand-new, internally developed Tensor processor that enables various on-device machine learning abilities. A smaller battery and significantly slower charging fall into this category.

Performance

Tensor, a Google-built system-on-chip that allows many of the artificial intelligence (AI) features that distinguish the new phones, has received a lot of attention in the run-up to the Pixel 6 release. Tensor, for instance, contributes to the functionality of some of the previously mentioned photo-improving features.

However, silicon also influences performance, so one of the critical issues surrounding Tensor remains how it will stack up against the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 microprocessor that runs the top Android handsets.

Tensor is comparable to the Snapdragon 888, although located a few rows behind, is the answer. The Pixel 6 scored 1,029 for single core and 2,696 for multicore on Geekbench 5. The Samsung Galaxy S 21 (1,048 and 3,302) & OnePlus 9 (1,126 and 3,618), two popular Snapdragon 888 devices, had higher figures than these. The Tensor is no match for the iPhone 13, which outperforms Snapdragon 888 phones in this test thanks to its A15 Bionic CPU.

The Tensor performs more on par with the other leading Android flagships when it involves graphics. The Pixel 6, OnePlus 9, and Galaxy S21 all produced frames at a rate of roughly 34 frames per second in the 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited test. The iPhone 13 scored 55.9 FPS in contrast.

The Pixel 6 can be reassured by how well it worked in a practical test where we transcoded 4K video to 1080p using Adobe Premiere Rush. The Pixel 6 performed the exercise in 49 seconds, whereas the Galaxy S21 & the OnePlus 9 took a little over a minute. Even though the iPhone 13 achieved a result in 26 seconds, the time from a smartphone running Android is among the better ones we've observed.

Visit our Pixel 6 by Google benchmark overview with charts and breakdowns to see how the latest version of Pixel 6 stacks up against the competition. Tensor is ultimately superior to what you anticipate.

When playing PUBG Mobile, a graphically demanding game on the Pixel 6, the response times and graphics quality were decent despite my poor aim. However, a few other titles provide Pixel 6-specific optimizations through the Game Dashboard. This allows you to select between using the most incredible visuals and conserving battery life.

Camera

Google has crammed all of its newest innovations into one phone, so Pixel devotees adore the devices so much (it's in the title, after all). Regarding the camera itself, you get the standard 50MP wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses on the back and a respectable 8MP front camera.

Google says its camera has improved at identifying people with darker complexions in portraits and ensuring they don't look washed out. It can also add blurred images with motion (like cars focusing via a cityscape) to add dynamism. And it has a "Face Unblur" include that'll employ machine learning to prevent you from taking useless pictures of children running around.

During testing, we discovered that the back camera produces superior images regardless of the lighting. The photographs' color grading is a touch warmer and more vivid than the color-neutral treatment we're accustomed to from the iPhone, but this also speeds up editing.

Snaps can be uploaded directly to social media without the need for post-processing. Additionally, we discovered that the Pixel renders the sky more accurately; if the clouds remain grey, they appear dramatic and grey instead of turning blue, as they frequently do on iPhones.

Design

The Pixel 6 would undoubtedly stick out from the crowd if Google held a Pixel reunion and invited every previous model. It doesn't resemble any previous Google flagship models.

The horizontal cam bar that runs the length of the phone's back is solely responsible for the device's striking new appearance. Other camera arrays often cover the upper left corner of a gadget, which is a very different approach.

The fact that the horizontal bar protrudes from the rear of the Pixel 6 is a welcome side effect because it stops the phone from shaking when you place it on its back.

A notch for the eight Megapixels selfie camera is located in the center of the 6.4-inch display on the top of the Pixel 6, while a fingerprint sensor is located at the bottom of the glass panel. It's weaker than other smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and requires that you firmly push and hold your index finger above the fingerprint reader for it to work.

Although it's not a deal-breaker, this is undoubtedly a flaw with the Pixel 6 Pro, and we expect Google can address it with an update. We'll see if an update resolves the current Pixel 6 range fingerprint issues or if the future Android 13 can resolve them instead, as one user reports.

Claims that Face Unlock, which last appeared on the Pixel 4, might time on the next generation of Pixel phones have yet to materialize, even though the Pixel 7 is almost certainly just around the horizon. Based on some testing done on a Pixel 6a before release, Google appears to have permanently corrected the fingerprint scanner.

The Pixel 6 sports Corning's gorilla glass technology Victus for improved scratch resistance and an IP68 water resistance rating. I would still find a Pixel 6 scenario, and Google provides one for $29 that is shock-resistant and made with 30% recycled materials.

The Pixel 6 is bigger and heavier than the Apple smartphone 13 and the Samsung Galaxy S21, measuring 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches. However, the Pixel 6's 6.4-inch display is more prominent. The OnePlus 9, on the other hand, features a more compact form factor and a larger screen than the Pixel 6. The OnePlus 9 weighs 6.77 ounces, while the Pixel 6 is 7.3 ounces.

Software

Not simply, the hardware has undergone a significant upgrade. The Pixel 6 additionally comes with the latest version of Android 12, which features Google's new "Material You" design language for a drastically revamped look and feel.

The pull-down menu icons and many other new features have been updated. The most obvious visual change occurs once you change your background because some icons will reflect the new color scheme.

Other enhancements in Android 12 include a one-handed mode, improved AppSearch functionality, and adjustments to widget settings. Instead of opening the app itself, you can search for items within it in your phone's settings menu.

Along with all these updates, Google guarantees a five-year supply of security updates to anyone purchasing the recently released Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro. With Google's prior phones, it "only" guaranteed three years of updates, a significant improvement.

Verdict

The Pixel 6 smartphone is a significant shift compared to former Pixel phone releases. It has an unapologetically premium style, costs the same as the original Pixel 5 did at its launch, is much faster, and has better cameras and a new user interface.

With an affordable price, Google could have a victor on its hands and a feature set this alluring. The Pixel 6's battery life, which is significantly less than its rivals, is the only drawback besides the "love it or hate it" style. But with only 19 hours left, it's hardly a deal-breaker.

Google's Google-waving Pixel 6 is a solid option worth the money if you can handle the performance hit and want the (nearly) finest that Android can presently muster.

The sixth generation of the Pixel range has connectivity for 5G, but you must be aware of the model number to ensure that you have access to the correct bands. mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G are supported by every Pixel 6 in the US on Verizon and AT&T networks (G9S9B), while all unattended, Alphabet Fi, and T-Mobile devices (GB7N6), in addition to all foreign variations, only support sub-6GHz.

The mmWave Pixel 6 is marked up by a minimum of $100 on Verizon and AT&T's websites, but given the condition of mmWave within the US at the moment, the price increase isn't-needs to be verified. We recommend unlocking the Google Pixel 6 for $599 and taking it to your preferred carrier.

Up On The Pixel 6 smartphone from Google performed well during testing on T-Mobile's sub-6GHz network. Following its introduction, the smartphone also passed Verizon's C-Band certification, which implies that an update for Verizon's 5G ultra-wideband network should be available for all Pixel 6 versions.

Unfortunately, since the Pixel 6's introduction, its modem has been the subject of significant criticism. Many of the authors for Android Authority have dealt with persistent networking problems. Although it appears to vary from unit to unit, several of our readers have noted that this is a more widespread issue.

Unlike most less expensive flagships, the Pixel 6 has the most recent Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. Over the past week, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections have been reliable and robust over the past week.

Conclusion

Due to its superior camera capability, longer battery life, and unrivaled Android OS, the Pixel 6 quickly excels over its rivals and surpasses the Pixel 5a. With a sleeker design and more powerful cameras than its predecessors, the Pixel 6 is a more high-end phone.