9to5Google

Pixel 6 Review: Smaller, cheaper, and... better?

By Andrew Romero & Ben Schoon

November 4, 2021

Hardware

Pixel hardware has always stood out, and over time it's gotten better. The Google Pixel 6 feels sturdy and premium, similar to the Pixel 6 Pro which comes in at almost the same weight.

Fingerprint Sensor & Speakers

The fingerprint sensor is just fine and does the trick well. In comparison, it isn't as fast as some other Android devices, but it's almost unnoticeable. As far as speakers go, these won't knock your socks off, but they do the job.

Display

Coming in at a 1080p 90Hz AMOLED display, the screen isn't the best around, but it's still a very good display. Yes, it's noticeable next to a 1440p display, but that by no means makes it a subpar screen.

As far as the screen size is concerned, though the Pixel 6 is the little brother to the 6 Pro, that doesn't mean the display isn't huge. In fact, it might be a little on the "maybe that's too big" side of things.

Battery

The battery life on the Pixel 6 is solid. Even with a 6.4-inch display and new and improved software and hardware, the battery remains strong as they come. In testing, during normal use, it was near impossible to kill the battery in one 16-hour period.

Ai-Driven Software

As far as software is concerned under a normal load, the performance difference between the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is negligible. The Pixel 6 performs extremely well with the new Tensor chip by Google, which focuses on constantly improving AI to handle tasks faster.

Camera

This 50MP sensor is absolutely stunning. It takes crisp and clear photos while adding natural bokeh to a lot of shots. Even though it lacks a telephoto lens, the price it comes in at more than makes up for it.

Final Thoughts

Though some features are obviously missing from the Pixel 6 when looked at side-by-side with the Pixel 6 Pro, it doesn't make it less of a phone. In fact, to us it seems like the Pixel 6 may be even more worth it due to what you get for the price. You get Google's incredible software coupled with it's great hardware - flagship ingredients - for only $599. Seems like a steal to us.