Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro with Google’s first ever Tensor processor, Android 12 launched

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are finally here. After months of anticipation on what is next from the house of Google, the new Pixel smartphones have broken cover at the company’s fall launch event among other products. Promising to revolutionise the Pixel series, the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro come with Google’s own chipset for the first time ever.

This is complemented by a bold new design that marks a stark change from how the earlier Pixel devices looked. The new Pixel phones carry a wide, protruding matte black metal band all through the width of the back, that houses the camera module. Google is calling it the Camera Bar and claims that it gives the phone a clean, symmetrical design.

The Camera Bar serves as a bold highlight on the polished metal unibody of the phones that transition into a curved glass. All this is packaged in striking new colour options for both phones.

Let us have a look at what is inside the new Google smartphones and what this will cost you.

Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro price

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are up for pre-orders in the US through online Google Store, starting at $599 for the Pixel 6 and $899 for the Pixel 6 Pro. The phones will be available on store shelves with all major U.S. carriers starting on October 28.

Google has also launched a new collection of specially designed cases for the Pixel 6. The cases come in three colours for Pixel 6 and four colours for Pixel 6 Pro and can be pre-ordered for $29 on the Google Store.

In addition, Google has introduced the Pixel Pass, an easy subscription that offers a brand-new Pixel 6 along with Google One, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium, Google Play Pass and Preferred Care. Pixel Pass starts at $45 per month for the Pixel 6 and $55 per month for the Pixel 6 Pro for customers in the US.

Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro specifications

The new Pixel phones are powered by Google Tensor, a processor designed in-house by Google, specifically for its Artificial Intelligence. The processor comes with Titan M2, which works with Tensor security core to protect sensitive user data like PINs and passwords. Thanks to this, Google is calling the new phone the most secure Pixel yet.

Just as what was speculated, Google has promised to extend its support window for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to at least five years of security updates, including four major Android OS updates. The phones will start this journey with Android 12 right out of the box, which will also feature Material You design, meaning a more intuitive operating system than before. For instance, when you choose your wallpaper, your entire UI will update to reflect that choice.

Display on the smartphones will include a 6.4-inch OLED screen on the Pixel 6 and a 6.7-inch OLED display on the Pixel 6 Pro. The latter also features LTPO technology for a varying refresh rate, from 10Hz to 120Hz. Both the displays support HDR and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

For memory, the Pixel 6 comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage for the base variant, going up to 256GB storage. The Pixel 6 Pro, on the other hand, comes with 12GB RAM and storage options ranging from 128GB to 512GB.

Pixel phones have always been known for their camera capabilities. Google claims to have further improved them on the new Pixel phones. Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have a new 50-megapixel (1/1.3 inch) primary sensor on the back that captures up to 150 per cent more light as compared to Pixel 5’s primary camera. This means more detail and colours in the pictures.

Coupled to this is a 12-megapixel (f/2.2) ultrawide camera with a 114-degree field of view. Pixel 6 contains these two lenses for a dual-camera setup, while the Pixel 6 Pro comes with another, telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom and up to 20x zoom through Pixel’s Super Res Zoom. At the front, Pixel 6 gets an 8-megapixel selfie shooter and the Pixel 6 Pro comes with an 11.1-megapixel selfie camera.

There are some interesting post-click optimisations on the Pixel phones too. Magic Eraser, for instance, can remove strangers and unwanted objects from the background of a photo. There is a Motion Mode that features options like Action Pan and Long Exposure to bring movement to your shots. Google has also tied up with Snapchat for a deeper integration of the service with Pixel phones that will allow instant launch and more.

Google says that it has used its largest-ever batteries on these Pixel smartphones. There is a 4614mAh battery on the Pixel 6, while the Pixel 6 Pro uses a 5004mAh battery. This means the devices will likely not suffer from the known pain point of limited battery backup on previous Pixel phones.