After months of leaks and rumors, Google has finally officially announced the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. These are the Pixels phones that people have been waiting for.
In early summer, Google laid the groundwork for the Pixel 6 by unveiling its new Tensor chip, which has been custom designed by Google to provide artificial intelligence and machine learning performance (or machine learning) significantly better, and that alone would have been a remarkable achievement. But Google didn’t stop there: For a base price of $ 599 for the Pixel 6 and $ 899 for the Pixel 6 Pro, these phones include premium updates on all counts.
Premium specs at a good price
While the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro share the same design principles and many of the same features, there are some major differences that make the Pixel 6 Pro feel a bit more luxurious and complete. Both phones feature the toughest Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and Gorilla Glass 6 on the back, IP68 certified water resistance, 30W wired charging, NFC, Wi-Fi 6E and support for wireless and reverse wireless charging (also known as Power Share wireless). Also, for the first time on a Pixel, Google opted for an in-display fingerprint reader, which basically rounds out the list of features we expect to see in high-end phones.
Both versions of the Pixel 6 are big phones, unlike last year’s smaller Pixel 5. The standard Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch 2400x1080p OLED display with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of base storage, and a 4,614 mAh battery, while the Pixel 6 Pro features a 6.7-inch 3120x1440p OLED LTPO display. , with a variable refresh rate of 120Hz, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of base storage and a 5,000 mAh battery. You can clearly see where the extra money is going for the Pixel 6 Pro.
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The next generation of AirPods
Adds some of the features we saw come with the Pro like spatial audio support and water resistance.
On top of that, both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro feature a 50 MP main camera and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera on the rear, and the Pixel 6 Pro also has a telephoto camera with a zoom. 4x optical that can go up to 20x hybrid zoom with the technology Super Res Zoom of Google. On its front, the Pixel 6 has an 8 MP selfie camera, while the Pixel 6 Pro has a slightly higher resolution 11.1 MP front camera.
Finally, both phones feature full support for sub-6GHz 5G and mmWave 5G connections. Google has also extended the duration of security updates to a minimum of five years, which is a new high bar for any Android phone.
This is the camera bar
The design of the Pixel 6 hasn’t been a secret for months, but Google found a way to make its latest flagship phone at the same time unique and still follow in the vein of previous Pixels thanks to its three-tone design and options. soft pastel colors (Stormy Black, Kinda Coral and Sorta Seafoam for the Pixel 6, and Stormy Black, Cloudy White and Sorta Sunny for the Pixel 6 Pro).
There are also a couple of subtle differences between the two that give them slightly different personalities. The standard Pixel 6 has a matte black finish around its edges and a flatter screen, compared to the more rounded screen on the Pixel 6 Pro and its glossy, polished sides.
On the back, Google is introducing what it calls a camera bar instead of a camera module, which serves two purposes. The first is to highlight the Pixel 6’s cameras while also adding a bit of visual appeal and stability (the phone can sit on a flat surface without rocking). But more importantly, the Pixel 6 Pro’s camera bar is also where Google’s periscope-style telephoto lens lives, and it’s aligned horizontally rather than vertically, unlike others like the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Many people have been concerned that the camera bar, which protrudes noticeably from the back of the phone, makes it difficult to use cases. In my experience, reviewing Google’s own Pixel 6 cases (which are available in shades designed to accentuate the Pixel 6’s base color), there’s nothing to worry about.
The Tensor processor includes interesting functions for the Pixel
In Google’s Pixel lineup, the software always stands out, and the Pixel 6 is no different. The new features included in the Pixel 6 would not be possible without Google’s new custom Tensor chip, which uses a more accurate voice model on the device while consuming 50% less power than before.
Tensor’s improved machine learning performance allowed Google to add a live translation feature, which works in a variety of chat apps, including the Google Messages app, WhatsApp, Twitter, and more, so you can more easily communicate on other languages. Google Live Caption can now translate audio in podcasts and videos while captioning on the go, something Google says was not possible on previous phones due to excessively high power usage.
A new dictation feature called Voice Dictation Assistant doesn’t just use an improved and more accurate speech recognition model (once again, something Google says would consume too much power if it weren’t for Tensor’s extra efficiency) to convert your Speech-to-text is also multimodal, meaning you can speak and edit text as it appears without confusing Google’s AI. You can even dictate emojis by saying whatever you want (dog emoji, cat emoji, etc.) or enter commands like send, delete, stop, and more without interrupting yourself to say “Ok Google.”
Google also expanded the capabilities of the Google Assistant with a new Call Assist feature, which gives the Pixel 6 the ability to tell you the best times to call the customer service of the 5,000 largest companies in the United States for avoid long waiting times. And if they put you on hold, the Google Assistant can step in and monitor the call so you don’t have to, and send a notification every time a real customer service agent finally joins the call. Google is also introducing the feature Quick Phrases (quick phrases) on the Pixel 6, which allows you to perform more commands without having to say “Ok, Google” first. And thanks to Duplex, the Pixel 6 even helps navigate those pesky ringtone menus on phone calls by creating a visual user interface on the phone screen.
Camera-wise, the Pixel 6’s improved ML performance helps drive more new features like Magic Eraser, a feature similar to the tool. Content Aware Fill of Photoshop that helps you edit and remove unwanted objects or people in photos with ease, while the new Face Unblur tool is designed to make it easier to capture sharper photos of fast-moving subjects, such as children (but not pets). When it comes to video, Tensor even allows the Pixel 6 to process 4K HDR video on the device, which should automatically add more vivid colors and improved dynamic range to your videos.
Google’s new Real Tone image processing in the Pixel 6, which the company has been working on for a while, is designed to capture better photos of people with different skin tones and types to help create more equitable and more equal images. better appearance (something that Vogue might have found useful when trying to photograph Simone biles in 2020). Many modern cameras were configured originally to better expose lighter skinned subjects.
The photography features I look forward to testing the most are Google’s new dedicated camera modes for long exposures and fast action panoramas, which are meant to summarize more advanced camera techniques in basically a one-touch process.
In addition to Tensor, the Pixel 6 actually packs a second Google-designed processor, the Titan M2 security chip. Not only does this chip allow the phone to offload confidential authentication processes on dedicated security hardware, and the Pixel 6 also features a new security center that helps make it easier to manage your security settings while providing tips and tricks. tips on how to protect your data and block potential malware.
A smarter Pixel with hardware sophisticated
I’ve only had the Pixel 6 for a short time, so I can’t get into too much detail about all of its features just yet. My first impression is that, after five generations, this is the Pixel that I wanted Google to make for years. For a long time, I have said that the best smartphone (at least on the Android side) would be a device that combines Samsung hardware with Google software.
And while it’s unclear how much hand Samsung may or may not have had in supplying Google with components such as the Pixel 6’s screen or camera sensors, the new Pixel 6 combines the level specs. flagship and industrial design with sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning from Google. It’s a very attractive combination, and when priced that aggressively, Google targets Apple and Samsung directly. The only downsides I’ve noticed so far are the lack of microSD card holders, the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack, and nothing like a Pixel 6 Mini for anyone who prefers a more compact phone.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be available starting at $ 599 and $ 899, respectively, starting October 28.
