Google has confirmed it will launch two Pixel 6 phones – Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Interestingly, Google has replaced its XL moniker with a Pro branding starting with the Pixel 6 series. With that said, let’s get to the details of Google’s flagship Pixel smartphones for 2021.
- Google Pixel 6: Release Date
- Google Pixel 6: Price
- Google Pixel 6: Specifications
- Pixel 6 Design
- Pixel 6 Display
- Pixel 6 Processor
- Pixel 6 Cameras
- Pixel 6 Software
- Pixel 6 Battery
- Pixel 6 vs Pixel 6 Pro: Specs Comparison
- Will Google Pixel 6 Launch in India?
Google Pixel 6: Release Date
Google has officially announced that the Pixel 6 series release date is set for later this fall. While an early Weibo leak suggested that the company might take Apple head-on with a September 13 launch, those rumors were squashed quickly. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is now expected to release on October 19 at the company’s annual hardware event. Moreover, shipments are expected to start from October 28.
If everything goes according to the plan, the Pixel 6 series should be available for pre-orders right after the launch event. However, there are also rumors that device availability may get pushed to November if the ongoing chip shortage continues in the second half of 2021.
With that said, we could expect the Google Pixel 6 to start at around $799-$899 and the Pixel 6 Pro model to cost somewhere around $999-$1099 to rival Android flagships from Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. Since Google is once again set to release a flagship device, we expect the prices to be higher than the Pixel 5 5G. We will be updating this post if there’s a new price leak from a credible source, so stay tuned for more details.
Thanks to Google’s announcement preview, we now know the key specifications of the Pixel 6 series. It mostly aligns with Jon Prosser’s report from last month. While Google hasn’t officially revealed the display size of the Pixel 6, The Verge’s early hands-on video lets the cat out of the bag. The video reveals that Google Pixel 6 will have a 6.4-inch Full-HD+ flat display with a 90Hz refresh rate and the Pixel 6 Pro will feature a 6.7-inch Quad-HD+ curved display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Again, we knew this from the leaks so far, except for the high refresh rate aspect.
However, the most interesting and exciting piece of information is that the Pixel 6 will apparently receive a guaranteed 5 years of software updates. It’s unclear right now whether this includes OS updates or just security patches, but hopefully, it’s the former. You can read more about the Pixel 6 leaked specifications in our linked article.
Pixel 6 Design
Google has revealed the design of the Pixel 6 in its announcement preview. As you can see in the image below, you get a distinct Nexus 6P-inspired camera bar at the rear. “These new phones redefine what it means to be a Pixel,” says the company. While the Pixel 6 has a matte aluminum frame, the Pixel 6 Pro is going for a glossy aluminum frame.
Another tidbit about the Pixel 6’s design is that it won’t support Active Edge. For those unaware, Active Edge is a feature found on current-gen Pixel phones that makes it possible to squeeze the phone to activate Google Assistant. You can, however, use double tap back gestures to trigger the Assistant. There’s also a handy app that brings the double tap to activate Google Assistant gesture to any Android phone.
Pixel 6 Colors
As far as the colors are concerned, both Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will be available in three color variants. Google has used fun colors with the Pixel 6 and more industrial-looking colors for the Pixel 6 Pro. You can check out all six color variants of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro right here:
- Pixel 6 Display
Pixel 6 Display
- Pixel 6 Processor: Google Tensor Chip
Pixel 6 Processor: Google Tensor Chip
The Pixel 6 series will be powered by Google’s in-house processor called Tensor chip. The in-house chipset was previously addressed with the codename Whitechapel. Yeah, Google will skip Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset in favor of its own custom Tensor chipset. To recall, the Tensor chipset will use Samsung’s 5nm LPE process and pack a custom NPU (neural processing unit to handle AI tasks) and ISP (image signal processor). We have been hearing rumors of this processor since April 2020. Google’s Sundar Pichai says the company has been working on this chipset for four years.
That means we may finally see improvements in the video department on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, thanks to Tensor. It also has the new Titan M2 security core, which gives Google the confidence to say that Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone. Google Tensor might be Google’s answer to Apple’s M1 chip in the long term.
Pixel 6 Cameras
Google has long been betting on its software advancements to deliver a flagship-grade camera experience. Although this strategy has been working well for the Pixel series so far, we could witness serious improvement with the Pixel 6 series, thanks to the new AI-backed Google Tensor chipset. An area where we can expect Pixel to finally take the Apple iPhone head-on is the video recording department. Moreover, it holds especially true now that the hardware is also getting a significant spec bump.
Pixel 6 Software: Android 12 with Material You Design
Needless to say, Google Pixel 6 series will be one of the first smartphones to ship with Android 12 out of the box. A few months back, Google unveiled a variety of design changes coming with Android 12. We will be witnessing them all in action on Pixel 6. Some of these include a new notification shade, privacy dashboard, one-handed mode, and a wallpaper-based theming system. If you missed it, check out our in-depth coverage on the best Android 12 features to learn more about Google’s vision for Android. Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to arrive with Android 12 and Material You theming system
Pixel 6 Battery and Charging
Google Pixels aren’t usually counted under the umbrella of phones with good battery life. That could possibly change with the upcoming Pixel 6 series. According to Max Weinbach, the Pixel 6 Pro is likely to equip a huge 5,000mAh battery. While there’s no info on the exact battery capacity of Pixel 6, it might include a smaller 4,500mAh unit.
Pixel 6 vs Pixel 6 Pro: Specs Comparison
Now that we have gone through the key specifications and features of the upcoming Google Pixel 6 lineup, here’s a quick comparison between the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Will Google Pixel 6 Launch in India?
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- France
- Germany
- Japan
- Taiwan
Is this conclusive evidence that the Pixel 6 is not coming to India? Of course not. However, it makes us keep the expectations low for the Pixel 6 series in India. Considering how OnePlus has started to go the ColorOS route with OxygenOS, it will be a missed opportunity if the company skips Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in India.
