Review | Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro review: rivals for Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy phones with improved camera and battery, custom chip and powerful AI
- Huge leap in camera hardware, new design and applications like the ‘magic eraser’ that show off AI power make the latest Google handsets elite smartphones
- Displays with 120Hz refresh rate, Android 12, and larger batteries that should put an end to the battery life debate about Google phones are added plus factors
For years, Google’s Pixel phones have been known for their ability to turn a simple smartphone camera into one of the best with the help of good software. And yet these phones have struggled to sell as well as rivals from Apple and Samsung. The Pixel 6 could well change that.
Design and hardware
Even Pixel fans might have trouble recognising the latest smartphone generation of Google phones. The new Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are, like previous phones, eye-catchers with soft pastel colour, but the enormous black camera array stretching across the entire back of the phone is an unfamiliar design feature to most fans of Google phones.
It might be an eyesore to some, but nobody can deny it’s a statement of what Pixel phones are all about – the camera.
The bold design with a camera array that sticks out by almost 3mm will not be welcomed by everyone. But take it in your hands and you’ll likely be surprised just how little it annoys you.
There are technical reasons for this design feature. Google has installed a comparatively large image sensor in the two new Pixel models. According to the company, it absorbs 150 per cent more light than previous models. Historically speaking, Google hasn’t been the champion of camera hardware, choosing to rely on software instead for better photo results.
But the camera specs on the Pixel are impressive this time. The Pro has a 50-megapixel main shooter (aperture: ƒ/1.85) backed up by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens (aperture: ƒ/2.2). There’s even a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 4X optical zoom (aperture: ƒ/3.5).
Compared to the predecessor, this is a huge leap forward. Unlike other phones with chunky camera modules, the Pixel’s horizontal bar means that it no longer wobbles when you put it on the table.
