Google Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro launched, price starts at $599

Both these phones are powered by Google Tensor chip!

Release Date
October 19, 2021
Pixel 6 Starting Price
$599
Pixel 6 Pro Starting Price
$899

Finally, Google has launched its newest Pixel flagships, the Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro. Unlike last year where we got the Google Pixel 5 with mid-range specifications and a high price tag, the story is completely opposite this time. The Pixel 6 lineup brings massive upgrades in almost every possible department, whether it is the design, the cameras, the performance, or the software. And do you know what’s the most interesting thing? The price! The Google Pixel 6 starts at just $599, and this means it is even cheaper than the Google Pixel 5 of last year, which started at $699.

Design-wise, both these phones look the same from the rear, but there are different color options to choose from. While the “Stormy Black” color options remain common for both devices, the Google Pixel 6 has the other two color options named “Kinda Coral” and “Sorta Seafoam.” The two color options for Pixel 6 Pro are named “Sorta Sunny” and “Cloudy White.” One major recognizing factor in this new design is that camera bump, or the ‘Camera Bar,’ as Google likes to call it. So, the camera bar starts from one side and ends on the other side, and inside it are the cameras and the LED flash. In the case of the Google Pixel 6, there are dual cameras, whereas the Pixel 6 Pro gets an extra periscope camera for zoom shots.

Speaking of the build quality, both these phones feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on the front as well as on the back. As we know, this is the toughest Gorilla Glass ever made. Both these phones have an aluminum frame, but while it has a matte finish in the case of Pixel 6, there is a shiny frame on the Pixel 6 Pro. Both these phones are also IP68 certified for protection against Water and Dust. This time, the fingerprint scanner sits under the display, and to no surprise, we don’t get a 3.5mm headphone jack of either of these two. Also, the Type-C port that is on these phones is a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port.

In terms of the display, there is a noticeable difference between the two phones. The Google Pixel 6 Pro gets a display that is curved on the sides, whereas the one on Pixel 6 is flat. Both these phones have a hole-punch camera in the middle. Now, speaking of the display specs, the vanilla Pixel 6 gets a 6.4-inch OLED with a 90Hz refresh rate & a Full-HD+ resolution. HDR is supported, and the contrast ratio is over 1,000,000:1. The Pixel 6 Pro gets a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and a Quad-HD+ resolution. An LTPO panel means that this display can make its refresh rate go as low as 10Hz when needed to save battery.

Both these phones are powered by the Google Tensor SOC, which is Google’s first in-house chip for its smartphones. Moreover, for better security, these phones also get the Titan M2 security co-processor. The CPU in this Tensor SOC is up to 80% faster than that of Pixel 5, but that is not a surprise since Pixel 5 had a mid-range chip. There is a new Image Signal Processor, and this SOC can perform AI and Machine learning tasks much better and faster than any other smartphone SOC currently in the market.

One thing that Google Pixel phones are known for is the camera performance. This time, Google has upgraded the camera sensors. Both the Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro get a new 1/1.31″ 50 Megapixel primary sensor with Optical Image Stabilization & f/1.85 aperture. There is a second 12 Megapixel ultrawide camera on both phones, which has a field of view of 114-degrees. The Pixel 6 Pro gets a third periscope camera for zoom shots, and this one has a 48 Megapixel sensor in it. This periscope camera offers 4X optical zoom and has OIS as well.

The front camera is different on these two phones. The vanilla Google Pixel 6 gets an 8 Megapixel selfie camera, whereas the Pixel 6 Pro has an 11.1 MP camera. Both of these are fixed-focus cameras, but while the field of view is 84-degrees for the Pixel 6’s selfie camera, it is 94-degrees in the case of the Pixel 6 Pro.

Both these phones can shoot 4K 60fps videos via the rear camera, but thanks to the better sensor on the front, Pixel 6 Pro can shoot 4K 30fps & 1080p 60fps videos via the front camera as well. In the case of the Pixel 6, it is limited to 1080p 30fps.

Google has also added new camera features in the software such as Magic Eraser, Motion Mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, etc.

Speaking of the battery, Google Pixel 6 gets a 4614mAh cell which can be fast-charged as well with the 30W charger. This 30W charger is sold separately, and this one supports USB PD 3.0. The phone also supports Qi wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. Speaking of the Pixel 6 Pro, it gets a 5,000mAh battery, but the charging speeds remain the same as for the vanilla model. The Pixel 6 has 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. On the other hand, Pixel 6 Pro has 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB or 256GB or 512GB UFS 3.1 storage.

Other features include Stereo speakers, Triple microphones, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with 2.4G+5GHz+6GHz, UWB chip, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC.

Finally, speaking of the pricing, Google Pixel 6 comes in three colors and two storage options. Here is the price (Unlocked) –

  • 8GB + 128GB – $599
  • 8GB + 256GB – $699

The Pixel 6 Pro comes in three storage options and here is the pricing –

  • 12GB + 128GB – $899
  • 12GB + 256GB – $999
  • 12GB + 512GB – $1,099

The pre-orders have already started, and the phones are expected to start shipping from the 28th of October.