Perhaps the most intriguing upgrade to this year’s Google phones is the least visible. Inside the Pixel 6 resides the first Google-produced processor: the Google Tensor. This is an octa-core part that looks similar in makeup to the Snapdragon 888. Built on a 5nm manufacturing process, it has a pair of 2.8GHz ARM-X1 cores for running high-performance jobs, two “medium” 2.25GHz ARM A76 cores and four low-power ARM A55 efficiency cores running at 1.8GHz. The Pixel 6 Pro is disappointingly only available in 128GB or 256GB variants in the UK (a 512GB model is available elsewhere, such as the US and Australia). Considering that this is the brand’s first real attempt at a top-tier phone, with plenty of high-end specs elsewhere, we would have liked to see the option of 512GB more widely available, or even 1TB of storage for true power users.

Google Pixel 6 Pro review: a top-tier Android handset - TechRadar

It’s really quite effective at removing stuff, too. In the below examples, I’ve removed both a lamppost and a skyscraper, and while it’s not completely seamless – you can see some clues where they’ve been deleted – the Pixel 6 got rid of what I wanted rather well. That Motion mode is the new element here, and that’s designed for taking long exposure shots such as creatively blurred images of moving subjects. We’ve not yet tested this much, but it’s an interesting addition that you’ll find useful in some specific scenarios. The Pixel 6 Pro is 5G-ready, so you’ll be able to connect to next-gen networks with this smartphone, coverage and your plan permitting. Things are a little complicated if you live in the US, but around the rest of the world any version of the Pixel 6 Pro will be ready to go straight away. Call quality and 5G reception was good, as was Bluetooth performance to several sets of headphones.

So how does Tensor compete with the competition? Looking at the comparison, single-core speeds are matched with the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100, but Qualcomm and Samsung’s top-end mobile chipsets both outperform Google’s in regards to multi-core processing. The Apple A15 Bionic found inside the iPhone 13 is still top dog in both metrics.

Pixel 6 Pro 256GB - Stormy Black and chromecast with Google TV

Google’s flagship handset in the previous Pixel 6 range is the super-sized Google Pixel 6 Pro. If you’re looking for top-end Android phone, but don't necessarily need the latest model, there aren't many better options than this. Google Pixel 6 Pro design and display The ultrawide camera is the weakest of the three. With a 0.7x magnification, it isn’t quite as “ultrawide” as I would like, compared with rivals that have 0.5x magnification and a wider field of view. But it produces really good images that are a little bit softer on detail than the main camera. With the Pixel 6 Pro, Google has finally delivered a flagship-class phone that can compete with the very best in the business in all aspects, not just the camera.

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The telephoto camera assembly rattles a little when you flip the phone over, similar to a Galaxy S21 Ultra. On the bottom edge of the handset is the USB-C port, flanked on either side by the speakers. On the right-hand edge of the phone are the power button and the volume buttons. It can also be fully charged at lightning speed, thanks to 30W fast charging which gets you from a dead battery to 50% in 30 minutes. How much does the Google Pixel 6 Pro cost? From local speech and object recognition to camera processing and photo editing, all of Google’s more advanced systems certainly run faster on the 6 Pro than on the previous Pixel 5. But comparing like for like with rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and OnePlus 9 Pro proved difficult.

Pixel 6 review: The smartest, best-value Pixel Google Pixel 6 review: The smartest, best-value Pixel

The Google Pixel 6 Pro keeps going for the whole day thanks to its big 4,905mAh battery. You can even bump it up to what Google says is 48 hours of use providing you switch Extreme Battery Saver mode on. The good news is that the company has created another powerful camera setup here, and we’ve found it to be far more versatile than on previous Pixel phones, with more options to play around with. The most important thing to note is that the Pixel 6 is the very first handset to be powered by Google’s in-house Tensor chipset. Ditching Qualcomm and avoiding Exynos and Kirin, Tensor promises a handful of performance and efficiency improvements over last year’s mid-range Snapdragon 765G, and it represents a bold new future for Google. The two Pixel models are differentiated in terms of their memory capacities. The Pixel 6 has 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. The Pixel 6 Pro instead uses 12GB RAM, and either 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage.

Google’s cut-throat Pixel 6 is a force to be reckoned with

Don’t let those benchmarking scores put you off; the Google Pixel 6 Pro is still a powerful phone, and the Tensor chipset isn’t a poor choice. The Google Pixel 6 Pro was officially announced on October 19, 2021, after more than a month of teasers and reveals from the company. The Pixel 6 Pro release date was October 28 in the US, UK and Australia.

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The new Tensor chipset inside the Pixel 6 Pro is another standout feature. We’ve yet to see it deliver any significant improvements over phones that use more traditional chipsets, but it’s still easily powerful enough to boot up your favorite apps and games, and that’s what really matters. The fingerprint scanner is good but not quite as rapid as those on the Galaxy S21 Ultra or OnePlus 9 Pro. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The Google Pixel 6 handsets look strikingly different to most current phones , with the horizontal camera strip taking up a large portion of their rears. It’s the most remarkable element of the design, and it’s an acquired taste, and something that’s certain to divide opinion. It isn’t just the hardware that’s seen a significant overhaul. The Pixel 6 also comes with Android 12, which brings with it a radically updated look and feel, courtesy of Google’s new “Material You” design language.Magic Eraser is another big new software upgrade, which you access through the gallery element of the app. It’s designed to let you remove subjects that you don’t want to be included in your photos – for example, photo bombers. There’s fast-charging here, although it’s not as fast as you’ll get with some other Android phones. It tops out at 30W, with the phone able to charge from zero to 50% in around 30 minutes. In our testing, we found a 30W charger was able to take the phone from zero to 20% in 15 minutes, and to 40% in 30 minutes. We’ll start by talking about the camera tech, but the software here is another highlight, and something you won’t experience on any other current phones – although we might see Google roll some of these features out to older Pixel phones, while we might see other brands imitate them on future devices. The Pixel 6 Pro has Google’s first custom Tensor processor, which performs similarly to other top-flight Android chips from Samsung and Qualcomm in benchmarks and general use. The custom elements, however, are designed to speed up and reduce power consumption when running Google’s various AI elements.