The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are finally here. On the back of a mountain of leaks and speculation, Google is formally unveiling its 2021 phone lineup today at its Fall Launch event. We've been fortunate enough to get our hands on the phones, and after a few hours of playing with the smaller Pixel 6, I have to say, I'm getting really excited about it.
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first.
SPECS
SoC |
Google Tensor |
RAM |
8GB |
Storage |
128/256GB |
Display |
6.4-inch, 90Hz, 1080p OLED |
Battery |
4614 mAh |
Charging |
30W wired, 21W wireless |
Primary camera |
50MP f/1.85, 1/1.31" sensor w/ OIS |
Ultrawide camera |
12MP f/2.2 w/ OIS |
Selfie camera |
8MP f/2.0, fixed focus |
Software |
Android 12 |
Measurements |
6.2 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches, 7.3 oz |
Biometrics |
In-display optical fingerprint reader |
Dust and water resistance |
IP68 |
Colors |
Stormy Black, Kinda Coral, Sorta Seafoam |
Price |
Starting at $599 |
After so many thorough leaks, most of this probably isn't particularly surprising. The flashiest tibit (even though it's not news at this point): the Pixel 6 is Google's first phone to run on house-branded silicon, Google's new Tensor chipset. Google is also finally investing in new camera hardware for its phones — the Pixel 6's 1/1.31" primary sensor comes in at a whopping 50 megapixels. (Its ultrawide and selfie cameras are, unfortunately, more pedestrian by comparison.) The Pixel 6 also picks up some now-common modern features like 30-watt wired and 21-watt wireless charging and an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Available color options are a bit of a bummer. The Sorta Seafoam version I'm using here is much paler than it looks in Google's renders; the top strip of the two-tone design is sort of an avocado-flesh green, and the lower portion is more of a cool white than the washed out cyan it appears to be in official assets. Every colorway of both the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro also has a glossy glass back — a polarizing design choice I'd hoped Pixel phones had left behind after the black Pixel 4. Still, aside from the Pixel 6's Stormy Black color, they're all pretty light hues, which makes fingerprints harder to see.
We saw it coming, but pricing is now official too: the Pixel 6 is positioned pretty aggressively at a starting price of $599, $100 less expensive than the divisive Pixel 5 was at launch. Judging by the specs, it really seems like you're getting a lot for a little here. Build quality is also at least what I'd expect for the price.
Sure, you can feel where minor corners were cut; the buttons wiggle a bit, and the big rear camera bar isn't one contiguous piece. The earpiece is also a little odd; there's a strange gap behind the left two-thirds of it. But with glass and metal all around, it feels nicer in the hand than a lot of similarly priced options like last year's Galaxy S20 FE. It's reassuringly weighty, to boot.
There's a lot going on here, and we're really excited to dig into it all for our full review — but that won't be for a spell yet. In the meantime, the Pixel 6 is available for pre-order today at multiple retailers, including Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, and direct from Google.
Interested in the Pixel 6 Pro? Check out our first look at Google's biggest and fanciest new phone here.