Editors’ notice: The Google Pixel 6 Pro’s stable all-round efficiency and glorious digicam make it an excellent high-end Android telephone that is nicely value your cash, which is why we have given it a CNET Editors’ Choice award. The unique overview follows. When it launched late in 2021, I mentioned the Pixel 6 Pro is not simply the very best telephone Google has ever made, it is also probably the greatest telephones you should buy. Half a 12 months later, I stand by these phrases and strongly advocate you contemplate this telephone should you’re in search of an excellent all-round expertise at a extra affordable worth. Its robust efficiency, nice software program additions, distinctive design and glorious digicam system make it the largest rival to Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra.Sure, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a number of extra bells and whistles. The S Pen stylus, for instance, to not point out that unbelievable 10x optical zoom that blows each the Pixel 6 Pro’s 4x zoom and the iPhone 13 Pro’s 3.5x zoom out the water. The S22 Ultra is quicker on benchmark assessments, too. But at $1,200 it additionally prices much more than the Pixel, that means you’ve got actually bought to be devoted to having solely essentially the most cutting-edge tech in your pocket to need to splash that additional money.The Pixel 6 Pro manages to supply its successful combo of specs and design at a worth that undercuts its most important rivals. The 6.7-inch base 128GB mannequin prices $899 (£849, AU$1,299), a large chunk lower than the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro’s $999 worth and much more off the $1,099 Apple desires for the bigger 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. Sure, $899 may not be “cheap” however it represents good worth in comparison in opposition to the costs of different flagship telephones.
LikeExcellent camerasSolid all-round performanceNeat Android 12 interfaceAttractive design
Don’t LikeBattery is sweet, however not greatFast cost is not all that quickNo face unlock
Google’s earlier Pixel 5 was greatest seen as a midrange telephone with some higher-end touches, whereas the Pixel 6 Pro is premium all the best way. From its glass and steel design to its high-resolution show and its very good triple digicam, there’s loads to love right here. Then there’s the Tensor processor, a chip custom-made by Google for the telephone, which supplies ample energy for your entire day by day wants, higher security measures, 5G connectivity and a slick Android 12 interface. Battery life is sweet — actually above common — however not nice, with the iPhone 13 Pro placing in a stronger efficiency.
Google’s Pixel 6 Pro feels each bit as premium because it appears
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Its largest Android rival proper now could be the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which does have some neat digicam additions (that 10x zoom, for one factor), however it prices extra and the Pixel 6 Pro affords a extra user-friendly expertise. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max supply very good all-round use, however come at the next worth and should you’re already entrenched within the Android ecosystem, it is doubtless not value switching and shopping for all these apps once more. Those in search of the very best all-round Android expertise ought to completely look towards the Pixel 6 Pro.
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Pixel 6 Pro or Pixel 6? The stepdown $599 (£599, AU$999) Pixel 6 packs the identical Tensor processor and beautiful Android 12 software program for $300 lower than the Pro, however there are a number of compromises it makes with a purpose to come to that cheaper worth. It has a smaller and decrease decision 6.4-inch show that lacks the curving finesse of the Pro. Its battery is smaller, it has 8GB reasonably than 12GB of RAM and it lacks the 4x telephoto zoom lens discovered on the Pro. The Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch show whereas the Pixel 6’s measures 6.4 inches.
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But it is nonetheless an excellent telephone that is nicely value contemplating. It supplies most of the similar perks of the Pixel 6 Pro at a a lot cheaper price, particularly should you do not care in regards to the top-end efficiency supplied by the flagship. As my colleague Patrick Holland put it in his overview of the telephone, “For the price, I can’t think of a better phone to recommend right now.” A contemporary design that stands out I did not love the look of final 12 months’s Pixel 5. The matte, rubberized again gave the telephone a extra finances really feel than its $699 price ticket urged. The Pixel 6 Pro is worlds aside. The rear is all glass — toughened Gorilla Glass Victus, actually — that curves on the edges to fulfill the 100% recycled aluminum body. The glass curves on the edges on the entrance, too, as does the show beneath it, making it not solely look extra premium, however really feel like a really flagship gadget if you maintain it in your hand. It’s large although, packing in a 6.7-inch show, which can make it extra cumbersome for some than the 6-inch Pixel 5 or 6.4-inch Pixel 6. That glass makes it slippery, too, so contemplate one in every of Google’s protecting instances should you’re nervous about dropping it. The Pixel 6 Pro, flanked by the iPhone 13 Pro (left) and Pixel 5.
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It is IP68-rated for water resistance, that means it may possibly face up to being in 1 meter (about 3 ft) of water for as much as 30 minutes. No, that does not imply you’ll be able to take it swimming, however it does imply it ought to have the ability to shake off having the odd beer spilled over it by your clumsy mates. An attention-grabbing design selection is the massive digicam bar that stretches throughout the again. It protrudes from the telephone by about 3mm, so it would not lie completely flat if you put it on a desk, however nor does it rock from nook to nook like telephones with digicam bumps simply on one aspect. I just like the look of the telephone and it actually stands out. One tip although: Get the Sorta Sunny orangey-peachy shade, if you will discover it in inventory. The black-and-gray choice, Stormy Black, appears reasonably boring by comparability. The digicam strip protrudes from the telephone by about 3mm. As a consequence, it will not lie flat on a desk.
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The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner seen on the Pixel 5 has been eliminated, changed as an alternative with an in-screen scanner, which I discovered labored precisely and rapidly more often than not, though Patrick discovered the Pixel 6’s scanner to be rather more hit or miss in his overview. There’s no face unlock capability, which is a little bit of a disgrace. Three glorious cameras That large bar on the again hides three cameras: a 12-megapixel ultrawide; a 48-megapixel telephoto that gives 4x optical zoom; and a most important digicam that makes use of a bigger 1/1.3-inch sensor, which Google says captures 2.5x extra gentle than the Pixel 5. The cameras on the Pixel telephones have all the time been glorious, and this new technology is not any completely different.
Images from the principle digicam lens are beautiful. They’re vibrant, they’re full of element and there is a tremendous steadiness of publicity, with vibrant skies stored underneath management and shadowy areas being simply seen. Pixel 6 Pro, most important digicam.
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The golden colours of the leaves have been captured fantastically right here, with a wealthy blue sky seen behind. iPhone 13 Pro, most important digicam.
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And here is the identical picture taken on the iPhone 13 Pro. There’s little to decide on between them, but when I used to be being hypercritical, I’d say that the white steadiness on the Pixel 6 Pro has resulted in a hotter, extra orange tone on the tree trunk, which I feel appears higher. You can see how the Pixel 6 Pro’s digicam actually stacks up in opposition to the iPhone 13 Pro’s in my pictures shootout. Pixel 6 Pro, most important digicam.
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This scene trying in the direction of the attractive Edinburgh fort is a difficult shot, with darkish shadows and a particularly vibrant sky past the bushes. The Pixel 6 Pro has dealt with it nicely although, sustaining a stunning publicity general. Pixel 6 Pro, most important digicam.
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And it is a lot the identical right here, with vivid blue skies, very good publicity and loads of element. Pixel 6 Pro, ultrawide digicam.
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Switching to the ultrawide lens, the scene maintains the wealthy colours and publicity. Zoom nearer in and it is clear it has much less general element, however it’s nonetheless a stunning shot. Pixel 6 Pro, ultrawide digicam.
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Another from the Pixel 6 Pro’s ultrawide lens. But take a look at the iPhone 13 Pro’s: iPhone 13 Pro, ultrawide lens.
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The iPhone’s affords a a lot wider view that permits you to seize extra within the scene. They’re each glorious huge lenses and each do an excellent job in packing in these stunning colours, however I’d wish to have seen the Pixel providing a barely wider scene. The 4x zoom lens is wonderful too, offering tons of element due to its excessive decision sensor. I feel 4x is a superb zoom degree for a telephone as nicely; it means that you can discover compositions that might be past the attain of lesser zoom ranges, however it’s not fairly as restrictive because the 10x zoom you may discover on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It’s a zoom degree I really feel I’d use loads on my travels and have already taken a number of 4x photographs with the telephone that I’m actually happy with as inventive pictures. Pixel 6 Pro, 4x zoom.
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This zoomed-in picture is so pin-sharp I can really learn the headline on the newspaper. It’s a very spectacular lens that does not power you to make any sort of compromise on high quality with a purpose to obtain these zoom ranges. By comparability, the iPhone 13 Pro’s optical zoom maxes out at 3x, so the Pixel 6 Pro is ready to obtain a closer-up picture. Which, frankly, I’d take any day over a wider-angle view. Pixel 6 Pro, 4x zoom.
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It’s helpful as nicely for focusing your view on a smaller scene like this, capturing intimate little still-life scenes, reasonably than grand, sweeping vistas. The superb textures on the leaves listed here are extraordinarily sharp. Google has thrown some additional options in too, together with a instrument that robotically removes individuals from the background in a picture, which typically works nicely, and typically leaves an enormous splotch the place an individual as soon as stood. Then there’s the lengthy publicity mode, which lets you create ethereal blurred waterscapes and the Nightscape mode, which does a wonderful job of taking photographs at midnight. Pixel 6 professional, Nightscape photograph.
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I’m critically impressed with the pictures talents of the Pixel 6 Pro and there isn’t any query that it is among the many greatest cameras you may get on a telephone proper now. Video high quality is superb as nicely, with very good dynamic vary, glorious picture stabilization and loads of element due to the 4K decision. Does Google’s Tensor processor make a distinction? At the guts of the telephone is Google’s first home-baked processor, named Tensor. It’s a major transfer for Google to supply its personal silicon and it reveals a robust dedication to stay within the {hardware} recreation — in any case, you do not go to the hassle of creating your individual processors as a one-off experiment. But it is primarily irrelevant when you get the Pixel in your hand, because it features identical to every other telephone. It’s nippy to navigate across the Android 12 interface, video games like Asphalt 9: Legends and Call of Duty play completely, whereas photograph enhancing and video streaming are dealt with precisely in addition to you’d get from every other top-end telephone proper now.
Pixel 6 Pro benchmark assessments
Legend:
Geekbench 5 (single core)
Geekbench 5 (multi core)
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Note:
Longer bars equal higher efficiency
On benchmark assessments just like the Geekbench 5 processor check and 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme graphics check, the Pixel 6 Pro would not rating fairly as extremely because the iPhone 13 Pro, however it’s up there with the Galaxy S21 Ultra (and it edged out the highly effective OnePlus 9 Pro on the graphics check too). Benchmarks are certainly not a direct indicator of real-life efficiency, however it’s good to not less than see that Google’s new silicon is working in the identical ballpark as its rivals. No, the Tensor chip isn’t setting a brand new customary for lightning-fast efficiency. But it would not must; immediately’s telephones already pack far more energy than any of us are prone to want every day. Google’s push into chip manufacturing goes past merely making a “benchmark beater” and plenty of the actual advantages will come over time as the corporate develops extra methods to benefit from its personal {hardware}. The Tensor processor is especially designed with machine studying, AI and speech-recognition functions in thoughts. There are already speech-recognition features constructed into the keyboard (for dictating messages or emails) in addition to real-time translation instruments and improved visible language translations when utilizing Google Lens through the digicam. Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro run the most recent Android 12 software program.
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Android 12 is gorgeous to make use of The Android 12 interface is extraordinarily neat and straightforward to make use of. It’s my favourite model of Android to date, providing an uncomplicated expertise that even Android novices will not take lengthy to become familiar with. One of the larger options that is (for now) unique to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is the power to create {custom} themes for the telephone based mostly on no matter picture you have got as your background. When you select a brand new wallpaper (both one of many many built-in ones, or any of your individual pictures saved to your telephone), the telephone will robotically select the dominant shade and can use that, and its complementary colours, to alter the look of elements of the interface, together with among the default Google app icons on the house display, such because the Play Store, Gmail and Photos. It’s a pleasant thought, though it most likely should not be the principle purpose you determine to half together with your money. Security has been given a specific push each on the software program and {hardware} aspect. The Tensor processor has a devoted Titan coprocessor that apparently permits for significantly better on-device safety, whereas Android 12 affords extra granular management of your safety and privateness settings. That features a dashboard that reveals what apps have used what info just lately and helpful buttons within the pull-down notification tray that flip off system-wide entry to your digicam and microphone. Those quick-access privateness buttons may come in useful.
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Google has additionally promised that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will obtain safety updates for 5 years, which can imply these telephones might be safer to make use of for longer. Many older telephones are nonetheless completely usable from a {hardware} standpoint, but when they do not have the most recent safety patches on board then they’re prone to all types of hacking nastiness. From each a value and environmental perspective, with the ability to use our telephones safely for longer is simply a superb factor. Vibrant show, stable battery life and quick charging The Pixel 6 Pro’s 6.7-inch show is pin-sharp due to its 3,120×1,440-pixel decision. It’s vibrant, too, with vibrant colours that do justice to colourful video games like Candy Crush Soda Saga or video like Netflix’s world-dominating present Squid Game. It has an adaptive refresh fee that may go as much as 120Hz if you’re taking part in fast-paced video games, but in addition slows all the way down to solely 10Hz when the telephone is mainly sitting idle. Performance if you want it; power-saving when you do not. The Pixel 6 Pro and maybe its largest rival, the iPhone 13 Pro.
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The telephone runs on a 5,003-mAh battery, which ought to be good for a full day of blended use. After one hour of streaming a YouTube video at max brightness it had dropped from full to 98%. By distinction, the OnePlus 9 Pro had dropped to 90%, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro dropped to solely 99%. After an extra hour the 6 Pro had dropped to 89%, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro was at 93%. You actually should not battle to get by means of the day with it, however as with all telephones, you’ll be able to assist it by preserving display brightness down, avoiding demanding duties like gaming or video streaming till you are close to a plug, and turning off GPS. It has Qi wi-fi charging and it helps quick charging with a 30-watt charger (not provided), which can take the telephone to 50% full in 30 minutes. That’s respectable, however not likely a match for OnePlus’s 65-watt quick charging, which can absolutely cost the gadget in the identical time. Still, it is quick sufficient to have the ability to give your telephone a fast enhance earlier than you head out and about, and the Extreme Battery Saver mode pauses all however your important apps to protect the remaining juice.
Google Pixel 6 specs vs. Google Pixel 6 Pro, Google Pixel 5, Apple iPhone 13
Google Pixel 6
Google Pixel 6 Pro
Google Pixel 5
Apple iPhone 13
Display dimension, decision
6.4-inch OLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels; 60Hz or 90Hz
6.7-inch LTPO OLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 10-120Hz
6-inch FHD+ OLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels
6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels
Pixel density
411 ppi
512 ppi
432 ppi
460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)
6.2×2.9×0.4 in
6.5×3.0x0.4 in
5.7×2.8×0.3 in
5.78×2.82×0.3 in
Dimensions (millimeters)
158.6×74.8×8.9mm
163.9×75.9×8.9mm
144.7×70.4x8mm
147x72x7.65mm
Weight (ounces, grams)
7.3 oz; 207g
7.41 oz; 210g
5.33 oz; 151g
6.14 oz; 174g
Mobile software program
Android 12
Android 12
Android 11
iOS 15
Camera
50-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel ultrawide
50-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (telephoto)
12.2-megapixel (customary), 16-megapixel (ultrawide)
12-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing digicam
8-megapixel
11-megapixel
8-megapixel
12-megapixel
Video seize
4K 30, 60fps (rear), 1,080p 30fps (entrance)
4K 30, 60fps (rear), 4K 30fps (entrance)
4K
HDR video recording with Dolby Vision as much as 4K at 60fps
Processor
Google Tensor
Google Tensor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Apple A15 Bionic
Storage
128GB, 256GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
128GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
RAM
8GB
12GB
8GB
Undisclosed
Expandable storage
No
No
No
No
Battery
4,614 mAh
5,003 mAh
4,000 mAh
Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback
Fingerprint sensor
Under show
Under show
Rear
No (Face ID)
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
Lightning
Headphone jack
No
No
No
No
Special options
5G sub 6 (some service fashions even have 5G mmWave) assist, Wi-Fi 6E, 30W fast-charging, wi-fi charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS safety updates, IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (entrance), Gorilla Glass 6 (again), dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
5G sub 6 and mmWave assist, Wi-Fi 6E, ultra-wideband, 30W fast-charging, wi-fi charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS safety updates, IP68 ranking for dust- and water-resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (back and front), dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
5G enabled; waterproof (IP68); 90Hz-refresh-rate show; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); reverse wi-fi charging; quick charging
5G enabled; MagSafe; waterproof (IP68); wi-fi charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
Price off-contract (USD)
$599 (128GB)
$899 (128GB)
$699
$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
Price (GBP)
£599 (128GB)
£849 (128GB)
£599
£779 (128GB), £879 (256GB), £1,079 (512GB)
Price (AUD)
AU$999 (128GB)
AU$1,299 (128GB)
AU$999
AU$1,349 (128GB), AU$1,519 (256GB), AU$1,869 (512GB)