Google Pixel 6 Pro: Release date, specs, everything we know
We’re still a couple of months away from the release of Google’s 2021 device lineup, but in the meantime, leaks are coming out and Google has even announced some official details and shown off the design. Here’s everything we know about Google’s XL-sized Pixel 6 Pro so far.
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Release date: When does the Pixel 6 come out?
On October 5, 2021, Google officially announced an event where it intends to launch the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The pre-recorded event will take place on October 19 at 10am PT and will be streamed, but Google hasn’t announced any form of in-person event, likely due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the United States.
As for the actual Pixel 6 release date, Google has yet to confirm that detail. Pre-orders will most likely open on October 19 following the announcement, but shipments will likely not start for at least a week or two. October 28 has been mentioned as a possible release date for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and retailers have since backed that up.
What are the Pixel 6 Pro specs?
In August, Google officially announced that the Pixel 6 Pro would be coming to market this Fall, confirming the name and some specs that the device will carry.
As we first reported earlier this year, the Pixel 6 Pro will be using Google’s “Whitechapel” chipset which, now, is known as “Tensor.” The chip is Google’s first custom-designed SoC for smartphones and it’s optimized for Google’s priorities. Google has said that “Tensor” will be competitive with other high-end mobile chips, but will focus on AI tasks as well. Google’s Rick Osterloh said that the CPU and GPU will be “very competitive” with the “AI stuff” being “totally differentiated.”
Beyond the chip, Pixel 6 Pro is rumored to have 12GB of RAM to ensure great performance. The camera setup is also getting a revamp with three sensors on the Pro model including 4x telephoto for optical zoom and a new 50MP primary camera. Charging is rumored to hit 33W and up to 23W for wireless charging on a new Pixel Stand, per a new report. UWB support is also almost guaranteed. The phone will also have an under-display fingerprint sensor as we heard in August, and as a leaked screenshot confirmed.
Is the Pixel 6 Pro the ‘XL’ this year?
With its 2020 Pixel lineup, Google completely skipped the “XL” size, but that’s something the Pixel 6 Pro will change. According to one major and credible leak, the device will be the largest Pixel phone ever with a 6.67-inch display. To put that in perspective, let’s look at the dimensions of every XL-sized Pixel phone to date, including the rumored size of the Pixel 6 Pro.
- Pixel 6 Pro — 163.9 x 75.8mm
- Pixel 4 XL — 160.4 x 75.1mm
- Pixel 3 XL — 158 x 76.7mm
- Pixel 2 XL — 157.9 x 76.7mm
- Pixel XL — 154.7 x 75.7mm
As a fun note, the biggest phone in Google’s history is of similar size to this device. The Nexus 6, literally codenamed “Shamu” as a joke about its size, carried dimensions of 159.3 x 83mm. That’s shorter than this upcoming release but considerably wider as well.
All of that said, it’s safe to say that this device will make up for the lack of an XL device in the 2020 lineup. Somewhat unfortunately, the “smaller” Pixel 6 may also be a bit of an XL device, as one of our commenters pointed out with dimensions of 158.6 x 74.8mm, bigger than the original Pixel XL.
What is the Pixel 6 Pro price?
How much will this cost? The Pixel 4 series is probably the best point of comparison for the price with that lineup starting at $800 for the smaller model and $900 for the XL. It would have stood to reason that Pixel 6 prices will be roughly in that same ballpark, if not higher given that Google was saying that the Pixel 6 series would be a high-end “premium-priced product.”
No one was expecting, however, retailer leaks that pinned down a starting price of just $599 in the United States, and possibly $898~ for the Pixel 6 Pro’s price. Leaks from Europe seem to hint at similar prices in other regions.
Google keeps teasing the Pixel 6 Pro
As the release date approaches, Google is continuing to tease the release of the Pixel 6 Pro and its little brother. In mid-September, Google released the first full ad about the Pixel 6 that shows the phone in people’s hands and keeps pushing Material You design in Android 12.
The company also posted to Instagram a picture of a bunch of Pixel 6 devices celebrating the Material You look of Android 12.
Google is clearly confident in these new phones, even telling suppliers recently to prepare for shipment numbers that will be higher than 2019, Pixel’s best year to date. The phone is reportedly being manufactured in China.
You can keep up with the latest news on Pixel 6 below with our constant and in-depth coverage.
