Ask me a few months ago and I tell you I’m not entirely sure Google is releasing a new Pixel device in the second half of 2021. I wasn’t overly convinced the company was going to keep pumping money into its smartphone business, as Google has a history of cutting bait and headed back to the dock when things aren’t panning out overly well. However, it appears I took the lack of Pixel device leaks and news as a sign of weakness, as now, we have seen renders, we have a sense of what silicon will power these devices, and we know what OS will be featured. And honestly, I’ve never been more excited for a Google Pixel phone.
Before I get too far into the future, I want to discuss the past. What led me to think there could be no Pixel 6 was the overall lack of excitement concerning the Pixel 5. There’s always going to be hardcore Pixel fans, but from the gauging I’d do on social media, the Pixel 5 didn’t seem to resonate with the majority of Android fans. The same went for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. While both the Pixel 4 phones and Pixel 5 can be considered good phones, they simply aren’t all that exciting. This is not a knock, just facts. With Google missing two years in a row, I was worried for the Pixel 6. With Google’s competition only getting tougher, it wouldn’t have surprised me one bit to see Google wind down its position and focus on other things.
Now that you know why I was worried, let’s talk about why I’m excited. And yes, I’m really, really excited.
These Renders Hit Different
These Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro renders have sparked something inside of me. I’m not trying to be corny, but over the past few years, we’ve seen all Android smartphone hardware essentially follow trends and morph into the same thing. Phones these days all have big screens, camera cutouts, and a grouping of rear cameras. How a company chooses to lay these things out is the only difference. For example, Samsung did a great job with the design of the Galaxy S21 lineup. Those are gorgeous phones. OnePlus? Not so much. The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are pretty boring to my eyes.
These new and completely unofficial Pixel 6 renders are just so damn funky that I don’t even know what to think. That’s what excites me. This sense of something so different that I don’t even know how it’ll work. Take the backside camera hump. How am I supposed to properly wirelessly charge the device on a flat surface with that hump? Did Google design a sweet magnetic charger for it, similar to what Apple has for the iPhone 12? Is the hump even that humpy? And how will I get that Humpback Phone* (*trademarked) into my pocket? I have no idea, but I’m ready to try. It’s something different and that’s cool. I was getting really bored with Android hardware, so this is a breath of fresh air.
Updated Camera Sensor, Finally
The general belief is that Google will finally update the camera on the Pixel 6 lineup. And that, all by itself, should be enough to get anyone and everyone interested in these phones. Google has been using that same main IMX363 camera sensor for years, so I’m very curious what Google and its camera team can accomplish with updated hardware. Yes, the company’s mobile camera guru may have left, but I have no doubts Google has other intelligent people working on it.
Whitechapel Puts Google in Control
Also featured on the Pixel 6 lineup? Whitechapel. In the grand scheme of things, very little is known about Google’s in-house silicon and note that I use the term “in-house” loosely. When originally reported, it was detailed that Google has been working with Samsung to build this chip that may power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, taking Exynos components and software and using that as a foundation or at least building pieces. We’ve seen recent hints that Whitechapel will indeed be on board Google’s next devices, so with that said, it’s another reason to look forward to what Google is cooking up here.
With Google potentially no longer beholden to Qualcomm, it does provide Google more control over its devices, at least with regard to certain aspects. The main thing would be update support. With control over its own chip, we could see updates extend way past 3 years, which has been a selling point for iOS devices for a long, long time.
Android 12 is ????
I’ve been running the Android 12 beta on my Pixel 5 since it was released, and even with it missing a few of its marquee features, I’m totally loving it. Android 12 could be a very special step forward for the Android OS in my book, at least when it comes to the Pixel Experience. On Pixel phones, users will have great control over how the OS looks, and once development is complete, the whole thing looks as though it will be insanely polished and refined. This could be Android on a level none of us have experienced, and if you didn’t know by now, I’m excited about that.
So long as Whitechapel isn’t a total misfire and Google’s hardware quality control team doesn’t let us down, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could be real showstoppers. There’s still a few unknown variables, such as carrier availability and pricing, but if Google wanted to, I don’t see why these phones couldn’t be amazing. I’ve gone from thinking there wouldn’t be a Pixel 6 to thinking Pixel 6 is already getting crowned as Phone of the Year. I know, premature and silly, but I’m having a hard time containing myself. I’m full Google fanboy mode right now.
I’m glad they’re back on track, but I already moved over to Samsung. Pixels were just too blah the last couple of iterations.
My Pixel 4 XL rocks! Best phone I’ve ever owned with my Note 9 a close second. I especially like the design, matte white finish with a textured black frame that’s excellent for grip.
These new Pixel 6 phones look great as well.
think I might get one just because I love the white phones and I have the green pixel 5 which is meh lol
This phone may just win the Nobel Peace Prize.
I’m definitely buying it. The smaller version.
With the release of the 5 I always took that as a throwaway release before a major Pixel 6 improvement, particularly because of Rick Osterloh’s great dismay with the product and rumors about Google’s own Silicon. I hope this is Google’s Masterpiece, as the title suggests.
Come on. The Pixel 6 is going to be another over priced, under performing “flagship” phone from Google. Add to that all the bugs and problems that the new Whitechapel chip is likely to bring, and you get a phone that is going to completely fall flat on it’s face. Everyone can see this coming from a mile away!
EDIT – To make matter worse, I’m not sure they will be able to continue their “best in class” camera performance because they are changing camera chips and its been more than a year since Marc Levoy left the company. Without this “stand out distinction” the Pixels have held over it’s peers, I simply cannot see a reason why the Pixel 6 is going to be worth the money that Google is likely to charge for it.
Always enjoyed every single Pixel phone I’ve had and look forward to the 6. The usefulness they have brought me have been priceless, definitely not “overpriced.” “Everyone,” doesn’t agree with or see things like you, particularly people who value usefulness and day to day experience over manufactured benchmarks and number of camera modules.
My daily driver is a Pixel 3a XL right now. I love Android and Google phones. But there is no denying that Google flagship phones have always been overpriced compared to their peers. Their flagship phones are always priced in line with other top of the line phones, but have about $300 less in features and hardware. We aren’t talking about manufactured benchmarks either. It’s battery size/life, RAM, storage capacity, screen technology, and yes camera modules among other things. Sure, Pixels take great pictures (it’s why I own one), but their unwillingness to move to wide angle and telephoto lenses does make them stand out against their peers. Just because you are willing to pay for the phone doesn’t mean that it isn’t overpriced compared to their peers. Why do you think every Google flagship phone has had a drastic price cut about 2 months after release? It’s because there are very few people (other than you apparently) who are willing to spend $900 on a $600 phone.
Every year I anxiously await Google’s release thinking, “This is the year Google get’s it right” and every year I am disappointed with the features/price ratio compared to it’s peers. The Pixel 6 is not going to be the exception. It is going to be overpriced compared to it’s peers. The new chip is likely to have plenty of issues. I suspect battery life (real life, not spec’d life) is going to be dismal. Partly because Google will once again put a small battery in the phone (that’s part of the $300 less in features and hardware that Google is notorious for), but partly because the Google will not have optimized the new chip very well.
The one feature that Google has consistently gotten right is their camera performance. But I have to wonder if Google will be able to continue this trend since they are planning to change camera chips. I’m sure eventually they will be able to wring every last ounce of performance out of the new chip just as they have done with the current chip, but I don’t hold out a lot of hope that they will be able to come out of the gate with the same “best in class” performance – especially since Marc Levoy left the company over a year ago (which is likely around the time that development would have really been started in earnest on the new chip). I’m afraid that without “best in class” camera performance, there will be little reason for anyone to consider the Pixel 6.
Obviously this is all conjecture right now (on everyone’s parts). But I’m going by Google long track record of flagship phones and it hasn’t been pretty. Let’s check back in 6 months and see who’s prediction is more accurate. I suspect it is going to be mine!
Lol, what a ridiculous post! What $300 worth of stuff is my Pixel 4 XL missing exactly? Dirt cheap RAM?
Google ADDS features. If you really used them then you’d know that their computational photography is unmatched, they can get quality out of older sensors that others struggle to match with the latest. At the time the Pixel camera was well ahead of the S10 +.
They also added feature drops, they added the best call features in the business, they get fast updates that actually stay fast, they added the best fastest and most accurate Face scanner thanks to exclusive Soli radar tech and nowhere in Android will you find a cleaner bloat free and fluid UI.
Of course YOU are free to say that for the same money you value the S10+ and it’s extra RAM and a few hundred mAh in battery more than Soli, faster updates and better cameras, but that doesn’t mean the Pixels advantages aren’t there at all, much less does it mean it’s worth $300 less, obviously.
I actually have to agree with him. Especially about the camera. Google’s computational photography is unmatched in large part because of Marc Levoy who is now gone. Google’s computational photography is heavily tied to the camera sensor. That’s why Google has used the same sensor for 4 years. Switching to a new sensor means reworking the computational photography software. And doing that without Levoy. That’s going to have an impact of the camera performance.
He’s also right that Google is constantly outpaced in hardware. Google still hasn’t released a phone with 3 cameras while others have been doing that for a few years now. Even the Pixel 6 will be lacking in the camera module department. The smaller one will one have two and the Pro will just have the standard, telephoto and ultra wide while others have things like LIDAR, ToF, etc.
He’s also right about other hardware like amount of RAM and size of battery being behind the competition for a similar price. Just look at the Pixel 4 (2800mAh), Pixel 4 XL (3700 mAh) and Pixel 5 (4080mAh). The Pixel 4 phones had awful battery life and the Pixel 5 battery life is mediocre. All well below the competition. Also Soli which was a total bust. Calling the face unlock accurate made me laugh. Face unlock is garbage. It’s garbage on the iPhone and only slightly better on the Pixel 4(that and the battery is why I skipped the Pixel 4). I’m so happy that the Pixel 5 brought back the rear fingerprint sensor. Even the under the screen fingerprint sensor that the Pixel 6 phones will have is better than the face unlock garbage.
Google’s quality control has also been a reoccurring issue. The original Pixel’s defective microphone issue (bad enough to require a class action lawsuit), the Pixel 2 XL’s screen issues, the Pixel 5’s issue with the screen separating from the frame and I think a few others.
And then there is Whitechapel. It’s a little hard to speculate too much at this point but with Google’s history of hardware blunders and the fact that it’s basically just a custom Exynos it’s understandable to be skeptical.
My last four phones have been Google phones (two Nexus phones and two Pixel phones) and it’s the software experience that brings me back. Like many I prefer the stock Google software experience but I’ve always been disappointed with the hardware.
Cool story bro…. I wonder if anyone will read it or just take a pass?…like I did.
You just can’t handle it when someone else makes a good point. You just have to oppose it no matter what. Otherwise you might have to admit you were wrong.
Yeah, I’ll be getting this one. Since i skipped last pixel ????
I think it is very important to tame people’s expectation. The Whitechapel WILL NOT be a super-ultra-lightning-fast top-of-the-line edge-of-the-universe chip. At best, it might just be a big faster than last year’s Qualcomm 8** chip. On top of that, freeing from direct comparison of other Qualcomm equipped smartphone, it’s very possible that Google will not hold back on the pricing department (history shows us that Google would charge flagship price with non-flagship hardware).
This is what I want confirmed. Initially the reports said that the Whitechapel SoC has it’s own unique 3 cluster design unlike the Exynos with no X1 core. This led to speculation of it competing with the SD 700 series chips in the premium mid-range. Now we have a leak that says we can expect SD 870 like performance so which is it? One would obviously bring the Pixels back to flagship like prices of others.
That latest leak also claims $1000 for the Pro model and I’m guessing around $800 for the regular Pixel 6 which for me would be fine considering the upgrades in hardware it’s also getting over the more mid-range Pixel 5. The Whitechapel will obviously bring more optimized software but I’m hoping for longer support and the better resale value that goes with it. Now that Google makes it’s own chip Apple like support duration should be doable.
How honestly can you be excited for a phone that is going to run Google’s first ever Whitechapel chipset? Typically first hardware iterations need to be fixed and optimized so I usually stay away from Gen 1 hardware.
The same way people were excited about Google’s 1st ever phone, Googles 1st ever voice assistant, Google’s 1st ever operating system, Apple’s 1st ever M1 chip, Apple’s 1st ever tablet, Apple’s 1st ever phone, Apple’s 1st ever silicon…some people just lead joyful lives. Others, not so much.
omg, the best response! So many negative nancy’s on these forums. You’d think they all can trace their family ancestry back to Eeyore…
This is SO true. It makes me dread checking out the comments sometimes because of all the negativity.
So much of it is purposeful. Fanboys of one brand poo pooing on another brand much like fans of favourite sports teams do the same.
You can call it being a “negative Nancy”. I think of it as history repeating itself. As much as I like Google software Google has shown time and time again that it fails on the hardware side. Personally I’ve gotten to the point with Google hardware where I expect it to be lacking. Given Google’s history I’d rather set very low expectations than set high expectations and be disappointed again.
Don’t be a Debbie Downer.. other than the Blackberry Key3, the Pixel 6 is the most sought after phone of 2021.
For the same reason I run Android 12 beta. I want to ride the wave of innovation and try new stuff first.
The smartphone market is so boring now because the tech is so mature. All top end phones do the same stuff really fast so if something new in hardware or software comes along I’m going to be all over it!
Only thing I’m uncertain about is if I try to buy on release / black Friday deals or wait until like February or so when they inevitably go down 200-300 bucks in price. If reviews are amazing I might have just upgrade from this pixel 4 early
Just give me something like a Pixel 2 XL/Nexus 6. I don’t care much for camera being top tier. But I do want a top tier SoC and storage. Something that has a big screen, fingerprint on back or maybe the side. wireless charging … I miss it. Front speakers and I don’t care bout the bezel so no punchout. and Pure Android
I dunno. OnePlus looked nice. But meh. I just don’t want an iPhone.
If the smaller Pixel 6 ends up being a manageable size (not very optimistic) and isn’t ruined by a pathetically small battery then I’ll wait for the reviews to see how the custom processor performs (also not very optimistic). Otherwise it will be a no even before the release.
I really like stock Android but the performance and battery life of my Pixel 5 isn’t very good.
I’d love to see Google hit it out of the park on hardware.
I saw a thing yesterday on gsmarena, i think, that named a guy (supposedly reputable tipster) that had personal experience with the 6. He said whitechapel performance lies somewhere between the 865 and 888. If this is true…. then my optimism on it has raised a few points. Otherwise I’m right there with ya.
My biggest concern is price. They’ve obviously gone back to premium hardware, the camera’s are upgraded and they were already excellent, the SoC is now being said to offer real flagship levels of performance and we know that an in house designed chip can bring other advantages in efficiency, software optimization and hopefully longer support as well.
All that points to flagship prices similar to Apple and Samsung and not like the premium mid-range pricing of the Pixel 5. I hope that Google can still undercut those guys, I don’t want to be spending a grand+ on a phone anymore.
Me either. Even worse is I have nothing I can trade in to get the price down. Unless they do something stupidly great where I can buy an old pixel 2 from swappa and save a couple hundred bucks. Or new p3 from Woot for $170. But… considering I have kept this op5 for four years… $250 a year average is doable. Kinda sorta.
If true that’s definitely good to hear but I’m definitely going to wait for full reviews after release before making a decision.
Same
wow that is odd. I get excellent battery life on my P5, easily make it threw almost 2 days. As for performance that is touchy to comment on seeing as everyone uses a device in a different manner. As far as any gaming yeah I’d say its not the best but I’ve used far worse devices then the P5. For normal day to day use tho its more then got the power/specs needed for that.
Yeah, it is odd. I was definitely hoping for better. A full day away from a charger on mobile data doing more battery intensive things (video, music, Bluetooth headphones, camera) and I get maybe 4 hours screen on time with 12 hours total (so 8 hours stand by). In those situations a portable battery and USB cable in my pocket is a must have.
I don’t even really play games on my phone. I get the lag and stuttering just from things like scrolling a website or the Google Discover feed. Just now, scrolling from the top of the page to the comment to reply resulted in very noticeable stuttering. It doesn’t make the phone unusable or anything but it’s definitely noticable and pretty annoying.
Why is an eyesore of a camera hump a bold achievement? Phone design should be boring, there should be nothing to make it stand out as it should be designed for practicality over absurdity.
This will probably actually sell less than googles normal releases. I have been buying google phones since the Galaxy Nexus but I think I might have to switch to Samsung whenever I upgrade from my Pixel 4. Google does not know what they are doing hardware wise and just like their software they cannot stick to a common concept year in year out. Every change they have made to Android has been for the worse for the years and they cannot be trusted to not end the life of their core apps and services only to create a “new” app that does the same thing only 10x worse.
“Phone design should be boring”.
Wow lol
I have never been so hyped for a phone!
I remember being super psyched to leap from my OG droid to the Droid Bionic. Then the Bionic was seriously delayed, and when I finally was able to buy it, about a month or so later the Droid RAZR was released, which was a much better phone. I really like what this phone looks like, but have learned to reserve my feelings of hype!
God that Bionic was so hyped but turned out to be a total turd when it finally came out. That penitle screen!
I remember hitting DL and android central daily just for an update. I was dying to replace my Droid X with a bigger screen. Then the galaxy nexus was announced and i bought it on release day. It had 4.7″ screen and everyone thought it was so huge
My hope is that they kind of threw together the Pixel 5 the way they did because they were really going all-in on the P6 – fingers crossed this is all fully fleshed out and ready to go at launch…
That’s my guess as well.
Too bad it’s so terribly ugly.
Well I sure hope it’s ????. My wife nagged me long enough and broke me down so I recently upgraded to an iPhone. However, I warned her if this Pixel is legit I’m ditching this crapple with a quickness.
So glad @timotato wrote this instead of Mr. “I’m excited for HTC” Kellen lol #dontjinxthis
https://media2.giphy.com/media/VIoW7Fncu19GKDrQsX/giphy.gif
A couple paragraphs in I had to double check the byline because lately Tim has been pessimistic about Pixel and Kellen has been writing the pro Pixel 5 articles. If Tim is truly excited then I have hope for this phone.
I miss some of HTC’s phones. At least they had ways to unlock the bootloader with S-Off
Between myself and my immediate family, we’ve owned every iteration of the Pixel, but no XL’S. This year they are only making an XL and an XXL, so we aren’t as excited as we should be…
Yeah, it’s strange that the leaks have both of the Pixel 6 phones so close in display size. Maybe that won’t hold true, we’ll see.
That said, with the punch hole camera there’s no big top bezel anymore, so the overall dimensions for the smaller model might not be so bad.
So far the dimensions for the smaller one seem to be the same ish size as a 4xl I believe. Can’t deal. Pixel 5 is a great size and I could even go a bit smaller. I know I’m a minority, but I can’t deal with getting left out like this. Not one person I know likes a big phone, nobody. Friends who had big iPhones, have switched back to smaller ones even. I thought the trend was dying, what do I Know… I thought a 6″ screen in a small chassis was good…
I was the same for 10+ years, only smaller phones. My first large phone was my Note 9 and it changed me. I found that the benefits to a larger phone far outweigh the effort needed to get use to using one.
Now I’m on my second large phone, the Pixel 4 XL and I’ll never go small again if pricing allows. Judging by the low percentage of sales the iPhone mini is seeing it doesn’t look like people are clamoring to go back to small phones . So you may be right about being in the minority.
Sure, but a 6″ (pixel 5) screen is not actually small, even though the handset is. The regular iPhone 12 and 12pro is comparable to the pixel 5 dimensions. I just don’t see why we need an XL and an XXL. Choice is good. That’s all.
It actually works out for me. I want a larger phone but not the $1000 price that usually goes with them. It’s looks like Google is going to deliver just that with the regular Pixel 6. To each his own tho.
I went from the Pixel 4XL to the Pixel 5 and I like the size of the Pixel 5 better. I was hoping for a Pixel 6 around the size of the 5.
Same boat. And will never want or use a phone that big. The regular should be smaller than 6 and have the same exact camera and features and screen as the ✌️pro✌️ or xl.
Even the Pixel 5 is too big. It’s definitely better than my old Pixel 2 XL but still too big.
I want a Pixel with decent performance, good battery life in a manageable size. I can’t believe that’s so much to ask for.
I’m no fan of big devices either but personally the P5 is perfect imo. Its no bigger then my old Pixel 3 yet went from 5.5″ screen to a 6″ screen. Heck even the Pixel 4a is bigger then the P5 with its 5.8″ screen. Now I do have a Pixel 4a5G and width wise its fine but is a bit to tall for my liking with its 6.2″ screen
The Pixel 5 definitely is a size improvement over my old Pixel 2 XL but one handed usability and comfortable pocketability still aren’t possible. I’d prefer a smaller phone.
yeah comparing to any XL its a much better size device. Its actually almost identical to my old Pixel 3 in size which only had a 5.5″ screen. As far one handed usability & pocket comfort I dont have any issues with either myself & I’m a shorty at 5’6″ and small hands, but everyone has there own opinion & liking of a device. However I will say when using my 4a5G I’d have to agree on the one handed use & pocket comfort. I know its only .2″ bigger screen size but man it seems massive compared to the P5
Even though I buy the new Pixel every year I haven’t been this excited for a pixel since the Pixel 2.
Same here. I just hope that the regular Pixel 6 brings everything I need at a decent price point. I don’t want to spend a grand+ on a phone anymore, it’s just not worth it.
You are giving Google way too much credit. Every step forward with Google usually means two steps back with Google.
Google is going to have to come up with some amazing new camera inovation that no one else is doing simalar to when the Pixel 3 came out with night sight and Pixel 4 with astrophatography. It took everyone a while to catch up to the Pixels camera, but for the most part everyone has. If these cameras don’t blow away the competion, there really isn’t anything they are bringing to the table except an ugly design.
it’s rumored that P6 is using Sony newest image sensor which is the largest sensor in a smartphone and not in any phone yet, combined with Google’s picture processing software I am expecting to see amazing results.
I really hope so
– “I wasn’t overly convinced the company was going to keep pumping money into its smartphone business”…
Seriously? Like Nexus phones took the world by storm? As it was with the Nexus phones Google will use the Pixels as a platform for Android development. By not making phones Google would pretty much abandon Android development to Samsung. You can’t seriously think that’s going to happen?
I’m worried that this much hyped Whitechapel will have fatal flaws and bugs.
This is why a switched to Galaxy
Basically, it’s a Beta chip!
Exactly
“Pixel 6 and 6 Pro Random Reboots, Shutdowns, and Bricking Linked to Fatal Design Flaw in New Whitechapel Chip” – Droid Life News Headline – December 2021
I would say they’ve been working on it for years so it shouldn’t have fatal flaws but the same couldn’t be said for Soli when they put it in the Pixel 4
“When in a rare moment, all of the QA divisions would say thumbs down to shipping the buggy OS, the infamous Dave Nagel would say ship it anyways.”
I feel like I should be excited, but I remember how Google has managed to screw up at least one major thing on every Pixel and I end up just wondering what it will be this time. And if it’s battery life when they have that full-width camera hump, I am going to be upset.
I would definitely consider this one only if built by Samsung.
As someone who does mechanical design albeit on a different level, while this design does catch the eye due to being different the practical side of me just can help but wonder why not just make the rest of it thicker to match the thickness of the camera hump and put a monster battery in it?
Otherwise, I’m being cautiously optimistic on the hardware. If the new chip has even the performance of a year or two ago it will probably be enough. I think where the key comes in is having enough RAM and storage and getting some ufs 3 or better in there. Idk, we’ll see but I’m still expecting there to be issues and have it let me down somewhere.
“why not just make the rest of it thicker to match the thickness of the camera hump and put a monster battery in it?”
Because than you just have a thick phone losing the design. Its obvious if they make it thicker, it becomes another generic phone. This isn’t a bad but thing they are trying to make it look different. For all we know, there might be another reason for it too. (the bump). Making the phone thicker overall just mimics a samsung in terms of bigger battery.
Was hoping for some juicy info. Whomp whomp
I hope Google gives us 9 Pixel 5 owners fair trade in value. Only reason I am on it is my 2XL was end of life on updates and wanted an IP rated Pixel (got a toddler). The Pixel 6 Pro is what I have wanted in a follow up to the 2XL.
I really hope this will be great as I do prefer stock Android. After the disastrous Pixel 4 I jumped ship and went to Oneplus. The Oneplus 7T was just so much better (I rocked both for a while and the Pixel 4 was like a bad joke, atrocious battery life, choppy performance, no fingerprint reader, only two cameras, one of them being kind of useless, charging at snail speeds, the list goes on and on) and the current flagship, the Oneplus 9 Pro, is amazing.
I don’t see the Pixel 6 holding a candle to it but we’ll see. Maybe a phone for the Mrs when her rock solid Pixel 3 bites the dust.
If the Pixel 6 Pro has a decent amount of storage (256 GB minimum, 512 GB preferred), it may very well be my next phone. One of the main reasons I didn’t go for the Pixel 4 XL was the paltry 128 GB of maximum on-board storage. Hopefully the rumors about the camera upgrades pan out. The Pixel 5’s camera is very good, especially considering how old the sensor is, but I would love to see how Google’s algorithms perform in conjunction with a periscope zoom and a higher resolution main sensor.
“With Google’s competition only getting tougher…”
What competition? There’s essentially just Samsung for the Android market and Apple for iSheep. Sure OnePlus could be considered to have a hold on 4th place (or 3rd if you wanna swap it with Google) but even so, it’s a very loose one at best.
Samsung and Apple have done a successful job of obliterating any real threat to their stronghold over the cell phone industry while simultaneously convincing consumers they’re doing it for their own sake.
If the Pixel 6 turns out to look almost the same as they do in these renders and are priced reasonably (they won’t) then I’ll be excited for a smartphone for first time in probably three years. It’s different enough to stand out but similar to what’s already on the market. Yet as exciting as it is right now Google is going to Google and find a way to muck it all up.
How is you a threat when you can’t even build your own OS? Don’t get it twisted. Andriod = Google. Also, Google makes billions off of iOS and Samsung devices
https://media3.giphy.com/media/jTruwsbiPO98Ek2RYT/giphy-downsized-medium.gif
I hope Goog is able to get a good-sized battery into the smaller one like they did with the Pixel 5. Love the battery life on this thing! The P5 has also shown me that I don’t need my phone to have the OMG BEST EVERRRR processor, so I’m sure Google’s will be great. Can’t wait to see what they come up with!
Agreed…. and well said & I’m right there with ya. For my use P5 hardware is more then enough for day to day use.
All these ppl forking out big $$ for flagship specs cracks me up. Most ppl don’t come anywhere needing these high end specs yet they throw $$ out the window buying a flagship they really dont need.
Wonder what Sarge has to say?
If Whitechapel will have sd870 type power, i’m in!
It is supposed to be around there with a custom ISP and NPU.
This goes back to April in a 9to5 Google article that states the design of the Whitechapel to be a similar 3 cluster set up that other top end chips use but with one caveat, no X1 for the third cluster. They guessing at premium 700 series performance levels with the Whitechapel NOT being designed to compete with 800 series chips. Have you read something different since then?
– ” With the Exynos 2100 and Snapdragon 888, three-cluster designs have become the norm. For comparison, though, both of those flagship-level chips use a single Cortex-X1 core as their third cluster, to give better performance to applications not optimized for multiple processor cores. Instead, we’re more likely looking at upper-mid-range performance on the GS101(Whitechapel)…
Articles on several sites which included excerpts from the Max Weinbach interview peg it between an 865 and 888 in performance…so that puts it at about the 870.
Interesting. On one hand that would be awesome but on the other hand it likely means that Pixel 5 like affordability goes out the window.
I was hoping for a Pixel 5 equivalent in the regular Pixel 6 but I guess I should have known by the build alone that it is likely to be more expensive.
Yeah. I am craving a 6 Pro based on the rumors but hope Google actually gives the few of us that bought a Pixel 5 a decent trade-in value.
I wonder if they will bring back free Photos storage with this new line of phones.
I hope I am wrong but IMO they will fid a way to mess it up or compromise it.
I hope it have QHD+ 120Hz Bright display
It should have better haptics like Pixel 4 XL or better
Speakers should be as good as was on Pixel 4 XL
Put a bigger battery ???? like 5000 mah
Charge S21 Ultra prices
@timotato I have always been a Nexus/Pixel owner until every phone after the pixel 2xl just want cutting it imo. I switched to the OnePlus 8 Pro… An awesome phone, but I miss having the pixel features. I am also excited about the rumors of the pixel 6 (pro). I might be making the switch back if it’s modern specs and android 12.
Can’t wait, hope P6Pro has 256gb and priced at or below $1199.
Real shame about the hole punch cameras though, and also that hump…
As a non-XL Pixel 1-5 owner, I’m a little disappointed that they decided to steer away from giving both versions nearly the same specs (besides screen and battery size). The fact that the “Pro” version adds an extra camera kinda sucks for us who always prefer the non-XL version.
Ideally they would but until they start to sell Pixels in far more countries than they currently do the business case model supports more popular lower end phones than high end phones who’s sales are in decline industry wide.
To be fair, kinda sucked google didn’t release a bigger phone last year for those who prefer the XL version.
Exactly. And the regular version should be smaller for those of us that don’t want a 6.4″ tablet in our pockets.
Agreed ….. The reg version should be around the Pixel 5 size, at most the size of the 4a5G. And mind you I own both of those & for my liking the 4a5G is pushing the limit even. Its not the width that bugs me but the height once you get past 6″ screens. IMHO to date as I’m not an XL fan the Pixel 5 is absolutely perfect size wise still having a 6″ screen.
I would love to insert a “6 inch is the perfect size” dick joke here but I am just too mature for that.
Maybe this phone would be worthy of a Droid Life…VIDEO… Review
Pretty much stated exactly how I feel, I haven’t been this excited for a phone since the OnePlus One or Pixel 2 XL, this feels more like the early days of Android to me excitement wise.
I’m seeing reports that Whitechapel will be equivalent to a Snapdragon 870, but also that P6 Pro will have a 5,000 mAh battery. If they offer big discounts for trading in my P4XL, I’ll jump at a Pro.
I bet there will be some exceedingly wild way to use the new camera hardware/processing, too. Would love to see something like an auto-augmented reality mode where you walk around an area a couple times with the cam on and the phone reproduces an AR/VR environment for you.
I only want a top of line display in Pixel, Pixel video processing is superior than Samsung and with Big and bright display it would be better option for Netflix and stuff.
My issue with the Pixel lineup has always been the timing and being almost a full year behind Samsung in terms of hardware.
If Whitechapel is already significantly behind the 888 in power, why would I purchase a phone with it, at a premium, knowing that the successor to the 888 would be out within a couple months?
Outside of the vanilla experience, what is Google providing me that my S21 Ultra does not?
Understanding that we are in the maturity portion of the cell phone lifecycle, what is the value proposition in switching from iOS to Google… or even for that matter, from a Galaxy to a Pixel?
I think the phone looks nice, but does a weirdly placed camera hump entice me into moving to otherwise inferior hardware compared to the then year old S21 lineup? I would have a hard time saying yes.
The Whitechapel will almost certainly be less powerful than the 888. If you can really tell a difference, and if it will even matter remains to be seen. PS that camera hump is ugly.
Parity obviously plays a roll. Can I tell? Unlikely. I suppose it comes down to price point. If I am to keep a phone for 2+ years (I personally never do), do I go with a model with significantly less power and hope optimization makes up for it in future feature updates?
As it stands, the S21 Ultra is the smoothest / fastest phone I have used, by a large margin… but my favorite phone was the Essential. It isn’t always about power.. quirks are endearing.
My wonder here is if the P6 Pro has enough to differentiate. If it is the same price structure, feature set, and form factor as an S21 Ultra with less power…. just.. why?
A way better still camera, especially the front-facing shooter. I had to return my Note 20 Ultra on day 13 because I couldn’t take it. It definitely made me appreciate my Pixel 4 XL again. I was just out with friends Saturday night, all of whom are iPhone owners, and we were trying to get a group pic. Several said “just let him take it. His phone is way better.” Which is obviously nice to hear.
exactly this. I had the pixel 4 and took amazing photos. decided to jump to the oneplus 8t b/c the specs + price was better than pixel 5 (so i thought). Now, my wife takes WAY BETTER pictures with her Pixel 3A than i do with the Oneplus 8t and it’s EMBARASSING lol!
I also had the Note line before i went pixel4/Oneplus and it was terrible indoors and taking pictures of my kids. I will be buying whatever the top spec Pixel 6 is as soon as it drops. Pixel just gets amazing shots every single time.
I feel the same way, I don’t see what keeps the die-hard pixel fans so die-hard. Back in the day when TouchWiz was terrible and Samsung phones came with an extra side of Jank I got it. Now though, I feel like a Pixel is essentially a two-year-old Galaxy S phone in terms of hardware and software. Things like Dex, multi-window, nearby share and such have been baked into One UI for quite some time. But, to each their own
I’m afraid of the price. I’m always intrigued by the Pixel line but once they announce pricing, I can’t justify the spec/price balancing. If I get one, it’ll very likely have to be during one of their big promotions because they seem to start high so they can push ‘discounts’ into the realm of where it should’ve been priced.
All I care about is that GS101. Most important factor imo. In terms of butter, Pixels are the closest if not right there with iphone. I just wanna see if Google can close the gap …or pull ahead. Don’t get me wrong, there are many other reasons I choose Pixel and I realize it may take a few genz to perfect.
I want to get excited but since Google messed me up with my last phone (pixel 4 xl, front camera just stopped working and there seems to be no fix, oh and no warranty as well), dunno if I’ll ever buy another pixel
Google did an excellent job with the Titan chip for security so if they apply that same rigor to Whitechapel then it could be a good processor. For me, the deal breaker or deal maker will be the camera hardware. If they use what they have been for the last 3 years or something that is outdated then I am out of Pixel. I have held on to my Pixel 3XL for as long as I can so this Fall I will need to upgrade to something. Pixel 6 or iPhone.
I’m right there with you Tim. This is the first Pixel I’ve been legitimately excited about since the 2.
I’m really banking on this Pixel. I loved my 4XL for the most part aside from it’s battery life and bad ram management. I skipped out on the 5 because the hardware wasn’t enough to justify the jump. With that being said, I really hope the 6 XL/Pro is a new knockout from the Pixel 3 days because I really don’t want to move to another companys android or even the iPhone. Only time will tell.
AMAZING© (for real tho)
Yep, this is an instant day-one for me unless the price is absolutely insane. Can’t wait for it.
Prepare for disappointment.
Haven’t really been disappointed with a Pixel before, and I’ve been on board for every gen. 4 XL was the closest, but even that did really well for me as a day-to-day once I turned Soli off. My main complaint has just been the photo sensor not getting replaced.
I hope P6Pro has 256gb and priced at or below $1199
Google has no business selling a Pixel for $1200
Recoup that R&D money baby
They will, but they should probably consider eating a lot of that cost.
I don’t think they should sell less than $1100
If they don’t skim on hardware then it’s totally okay to charge Samsung price
Google doesn’t have the clout to charge those prices for their phone hardware. Samsung has a reputation.
Only iPhone users are dumb enough to pay a premium for “clout”.
That’s a stupid statement
Seriously, iPhone users buy the brand (clout). Samsung users are motivated by their hardware and Google Pixel buyers are sold on Google’s excellent software and superb cameras.
I left the Pixels (1,2,3,4) behind for the iPhone and have been happy. And I can tell you it wasn’t for “clout” lol unless you’re that insecure.
Google’s software is all over the iPhone so the switch was simple and the cameras are no longer superior to everyone else (everyone else learned what computational photography is).
I could never bring myself to do that, the reasons are almost endless.
– choice and control is severely lacking in iOS when compared to Android. That’s important and can’t be replaced by marketing gimmicks that Apple is famous for.
– Treble and Mainline have changed the security game and now phones on Android 10 and above have seamless security updates for “critical” Android modules in the background. It’s so effective that annoying point updates to the Android OS is a thing of the past, unlike iPhones, and Android will continue to get them long after OS support ends for either brand.
– While Apple attempts to close the functionality gap each year, iOS 14 took on many Android features, it still lags way behind. I’d miss Androids default options, quick toggles, call recorder, call screening, spam detection, more functional and flexible widgets, home screen options, split screen etc.
– No notch is a desired bonus, as is in display fingerprint making it’s way to Pixels. Google is also poised to leap ahead in cameras once again with new sensors and periscope zoom. That and high refresh rate displays. I’ll never go back to 60hz again and it blows my mind that Apple continues to be behind in introducing new features like these all the time, but charges so much for their phones still.
– Last is more of a personal thing, that being my disdain for what I view as Apples anti- consumer business model which relies heavily on misinformation deceit and hyperbole. There’s nothing wrong with gaining stronger privacy and security for users, Android 12 is set to do the same, but they’re very dishonest and frankly hypocritical about it, and that’s just a turn off for me. With Apple, they’ll tell you that “what that happens on the iPhone stays on the iPhone” while simultaneously having Siri record and share your private stuff with 3rd party contractors, without consent of course. They claim superior security when the biggest security breaches happen on iPhones. Now they’re even forcing security research teams, like the one who discovered that iPhone hack affecting iPhones that visited certain websites, a hack that had users covertly monitored in real time, to sign non-disclosure agreements so Apple can better keep a lid on future security problems affecting their customers. At least with Google I know what to expect and can make informed decisions based on that, with Apple you never know until or if they get caught.
Pay a premium for an iPhone? Not a snowballs chance in you know where, lol. To each his own though.
Agreed, especially with the level of customer support (ie: the quality) they give.
My guesstimate will be P6 will be $699 P6Pro will be $899
If reports are true and the Whitechapel performance is more comparable to SD 800 series chips than the mid-range 700 series then we won’t see prices around the Pixel 5 range unfortunately.
A flagship caliber SoC, a premium build and potentially longer support thanks to the in house designed chip points to prices similar to Apple and Samsung. I hope that Google can still manage to undercut those guys though.
This is Google, the price will be insane.
Hope I’m wrong, doubt I will be.
Leaks are saying $1000 ($999?) for the Pro. Not horrible considering the spec’s, battery and camera upgrades leaks.
I’m hoping that the regular Pixel 6 gives me everything I need for $799 – $849. I can make do without digital zoom.