Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro features announced: Tensor chipset, design overhaul, upgraded cameras, and more

Here, we look at everything that Google has revealed about the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro — a radical design change

Let’s start with the thing you will instantly notice when you look at the device for the first time, its radical design. While the front of the phone features a generic full-screen design with a top-centre punch-hole display like many other phones we have seen in the past, the back panel is going to raise some eyebrows. Instead of a camera bump, Google has opted for a camera bar that runs across the entire body of the device. This design decision will no doubt be quite polarising. For what it’s worth, I like the new look. People who were lucky enough to get a hands-on experience say the same. So, if you are not a fan of the renders, we suggest you wait for the device to come out before making a judgement. I also like the striking colours that the renders show. If not anything, the phones will certainly stand out from the sea of similar-looking smartphones.

Powered by Google-designed Tensor SoC

Google has chosen to go with its in-house Tensor SoC for the new Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. According to a tweet from Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the custom-made Tensor chip has been four years in the making. The focus of the Tensor SoC is to drive Pixel’s ML and AI capabilities forward. The Pixel series’ AI and ML capabilities are the reason behind the excellent camera performance, along with their real-time voice to text conversion, real-time translation, and more.

With the Tensor SoC, Google is taking the AI and ML features to the next level. Here’s what Google is saying about the new chip in its blog:

“The team that designed our silicon wanted to make Pixel even more capable. For example, with Tensor we thought about every piece of the chip and customized it to run Google’s computational photography models. For users, this means entirely new features, plus improvements to existing ones. Tensor enables us to make the Google phones we’ve always envisioned — phones that keep getting better, while tapping the most powerful parts of Google, all in a highly personalized experience.”

So, for Google, Tensor is not only about the core counts and GHz. It’s about creating a processor that can deliver Google’s idea of a computational device that can do things like voice processing, photo enhancements, and more, in real-time. Moving on, the Tensor chip also comes with a new security core and Titan M2, which according to Google, will provide these phones with the most layers of hardware security in any phone.

There will also be an “always-on computer” that will handle low-level, low-power processes like the ambient display. This should result in better battery life, but Google is still only promising all-day battery life, so we will have to wait and see.

Upgraded camera systems

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will come with upgraded camera systems. The regular Pixel 6 will have a dual-camera system comprising of a wide-angle main sensor and an ultra-wide sensor, while the Pixel 6 Pro will add a third 4X optical-zoom folded telephoto lens. That will make the Pixel 6 Pro the first Pixel phone to ship with a triple-camera module. Google has not released the megapixel count of the cameras but has stated that it’s going to use a new bigger lens. According to Google, the main wide-angle sensor takes in 150 percent more light.

With upgraded hardware and new Tensor SoC-powered computational photography, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are sure to deliver top-notch camera performance. Google showcased a video recording comparison example between the Pixel 6, Pixel 5, and iPhone 12 at its off-camera event, and it showed a massive improvement. As you might know, Pixel phones have historically been bad at the video, so this does fill us with hope. As per Google, the previous chips were not powerful enough to apply its computational photography to the video, which is not an issue with its new Tensor SoC.

Other hardware and software features

The Tensor SoC and the new camera system were the highlights of the show, but Google has also revealed other important specs of the phone which we will list here. The regular Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch FHD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The screen is also completely flat. On the other hand, the Pixel 6 Pro will sport a bigger 6.7-inch curved screen with QHD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 6 will feature matte rails on all sides while the 6 Pro will have shiny aluminium rails on the side. Both these models will be available in different colours. I prefer the funky colours of Pixel 6 over the stale colours of Pixel 6 Pro, but we can’t have everything, can we?

Both these phones will come with Android 12 featuring the new Material You design language. Android phones historically provide at most three years of new software support while Apple supports even six years old iPhones. With this new Tensor SoC, we are hoping that Google will do the same or even longer. Apart from improving the longevity of the phone, it also helps in preserving the resale value.

Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro: an exciting future

We are excited about the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. With its new design, Google-designed Tensor SoC, and upgraded camera systems, the two smartphones are clearly flagship devices. We are also hopeful about the long-term software support for this phone, so Android users will finally have a phone that can compete with iPhones in the longevity department. What excites you the most about these phones? Do let us know by tagging us on your social posts.