Pixel 6 is shaping up to be the phone of the year; here's why

Pixel 6 Pro might be the phone of 2021; here's why

9to5Google By Ben Schoon September 20, 2021

[{"selector":"#anim-732dc611-ff9a-4fb4-8391-48b813317384","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] There are plenty of great flagship phones on the market today, but the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro might take the cake if it sticks the landing. Why? Let's take a look...

[{"selector":"#anim-4f4a8aac-929b-408f-ab10-3db5ef5192b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Pixel 6 is Google's first truly proper flagship — the company isn't pulling its punches! Both the Pixel 6 and Pro will feature 6.4 and 6.7-inch displays with metal and glass builds. The regular Pixel 6 will have a matte black rail while the Pro will feature a polished off look.

[{"selector":"#anim-c4a53655-2849-4e54-b224-e318cc6116fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] As for colors, Google has some neat combinations coming. The regular Pixel 6, pictured above, will come in orange, mint, and black colors. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6 Pro will offer black, grey, and gold options.

[{"selector":"#anim-70a2db4f-7b87-4de3-9524-99865db4b7b7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Under the hood, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will debut Google's first-ever custom chip for smartphones, "Tensor." The chip is said to be a flagship offering, roughly in line with the processors the Qualcomm, Samsung, and MediaTek produce for flagship smartphones.

[{"selector":"#anim-6a6bf75f-8580-4ebe-a1d2-a0fc835e9da2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Thanks to some leaks, we might have a good idea of what Tensor may offer in terms of raw performance. In benchmarks, the chip was within 10-20% of the Snapdragon 888. That means it definitely won't be as powerful as 2022 flagship chips, but it's nearly double the horsepower that was in Pixel 5.

[{"selector":"#anim-bf0e7456-9a0b-471e-848b-cb3324c4ca90","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The camera has been Google's bread and butter in Pixel phones for years now, and Pixel 6 is finally going to deliver a meaningful upgrade. Both phones will adopt a 50MP primary camera using the Samsung GN1 sensor. In short, a night and day upgrade over past Pixels, coming just as older hardware has felt less competitive.

[{"selector":"#anim-90701b6a-c107-4c93-af74-d77919001f44","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Pixel 6 Pro will be the clear winner of the two, though. Along with that better primary camera and a shared ultrawide, it will offer a telephoto lens too. That will offer 4x optical zoom on a 48MP sensor according to the latest rumors.

[{"selector":"#anim-3cd59b07-a157-4e3f-9b46-5418facbefad","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Pixel 6 series is overall just a huge upgrade, but there are still answers we don't have. For example, what's the price? Google has said that Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be pricey, but that could mean anything from starting at $800 to over $1,000.

[{"selector":"#anim-0cbd03a5-b09a-4ee6-80bd-c36413e8b0e8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] We can't wait to see what Pixel 6 will offer, but those in NYC can check it out even sooner. Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are on display at the Google Store in NYC right now. If you're in the area, go check it out!