ThePixel 6 andPixel 6 Pro are a pair ofAndroidphabletsmartphones designed, developed, and marketed byGoogle as part of theGoogle Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successor to thePixel 5. The phones were first previewed in August 2021, confirming reports that they would be powered by a customsystem-on-chip namedGoogle Tensor. The cameras are housed in a horizontal bar on the back, while the front features a hole-punchdisplay notch in the center. They shipped withAndroid 12, with Google announcing numerousartificial intelligence andambient computing features during the phones' launch event.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were officially announced on October 19, 2021, at thePixel Fall Launch event, and were released in the United States on October 28, following an extensive marketing campaign. They received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its Tensor chip, cameras, performance, design, and price, though the fingerprint sensor and battery life received mixed reactions. The phones became Google's fastest-selling Pixel devices, allowing the company to become the fifth-largest smartphone manufacturer in North America and the United Kingdom during thefirst quarter of 2022. They were succeeded by thePixel 7 andPixel 7 Pro in 2022.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were previewed byGoogle on August 2, 2021, confirming the phones' new designs and the introduction of its customTensorsystem-on-chip (SoC).[6][7] Previous Pixel devices had usedQualcomm Snapdragon chips,[8] with Google having begun developing its own chips codenamed Whitechapel as early as April 2016.[9][10] The devices were approved by theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) in September.[11] Google officially announced the phones on October 19, 2021, at thePixel Fall Launch event,[12][13] and they became available in nine countries on October 28.[14][15] The phones were manufactured byFoxconn,[16] and were originally intended to be produced in Vietnam before shifting back to China due to theChinese government's stringent border controls imposedin response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] Google doubled the production of its phones compared to last year in attempt to boost itsmarket share, manufacturing approximately seven million devices.[18] The phones were not made available in India at launch due tosupply chain issues.[19]
During the launch event, Google also announced the phones' official cases, which became available for pre-order on the same day with three color options for the Pixel 6 and four color options for the Pixel 6 Pro,[20] as well as the second-generationPixel Stand wireless charger, which went on sale on November 18 and began shipping on December 13.[21][22] Pre-orders for the phones began on the same day as the announcement,[23] with shipping commencing on October 25.[24] TheGoogle Store did not offer any discounts for the devices onBlack Friday, a departure from prior years.[25] In February 2022, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro became available in Italy and Spain in "limited quantities",[26] with a limited launch in Singapore two weeks later.[27]
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro both feature a unique design that is visually distinct from previous-generation Pixel phones, including a large camera bar and two-tone color scheme on the back.[28] The front of both phones also feature a centered hole-punchdisplay notch.[6] They are each available in three colors:[29]
The Pixel 6 has a 6.4 in (163 mm)FHD+1080pOLED display at 411 ppi with a2400 × 1080 pixel resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio,[4] while the Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7 in (170 mm)QHD+1440pLTPO OLED curved edges display at 512 ppi with a3120 × 1440 pixel resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.[5][30] Both displays haveHDR10+ support; the Pixel 6 has a 90 Hz refresh rate and the Pixel 6 Pro has a 120 Hzvariable refresh rate. Both phones contain a 50MPwide rear camera and a 12 MPultrawide rear camera, with the Pixel 6 Pro featuring an additional 48 MP with 4×optical zoomtelephoto rear camera. The front camera on the Pixel 6 contains an 8 MP wide lens, while the one on the Pixel 6 Pro contains an 11.1 MP ultrawide lens.[31] The new Tensor chip also broughtLive HDR+ to video as well as enhancements to the Night Sight and Super Res Zoom features on the devices.[32]
The Pixel 6 has a 4614 mAh battery, while the Pixel 6 Pro has a 5003 mAh battery. Both phones support fast charging,[33]Qi wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging.[4][5] The Pixel 6 is available in 128 or 256 GB of storage and 8 GB ofRAM, and the Pixel 6 Pro is available in 128, 256, or 512 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. In addition to the Tensor chip, both phones are also equipped with theTitan M2 security module, which is based on theRISC-Vopen standard, along with an under-display opticalfingerprint scanner,stereo speakers, andGorilla Glass Victus.[34][35] In April 2022,9to5Google reported that the Pixel 6 Pro was originally planning to be launched with a Face Unlockfacial recognition feature, similar to that of thePixel 4 andPixel 4 XL's but solely relying on the phone's front camera rather than onProject Soli radar technology; the feature was canceled for unknown reasons shortly prior to the launch event.[36][37]
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro shipped withAndroid 12 at launch,[44] coinciding with thestable release of Android 12 on theAndroid Open Source Project (AOSP),[45][46] along with version 8.4 of theGoogle Camera app.[47] It was originally set to receive three years of major OS upgrades and five years of security updates, but the former was later increased to five years, with support extending to 2026.[44][48] Continuing thePixel 5a's trend, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro did not come with unlimitedphoto storage in "high quality" onGoogle Photos, being the second Pixel phone not to include the offer.[49][50] Concurrently with the Pixel Fall Launch event, Android 12 became available on older Pixel phones, while the Security Hub and Privacy Dashboard were introduced.[51][52] Google also announced Pixel Pass, a subscription bundle similar toApple One andXbox All-Access which bundles the Pixel 6 series withGoogle One,YouTube Premium,YouTube Music Premium,Google Play Pass, and anextended warranty;[53] the service was discontinued two years later, ahead of the launch of thePixel 8.[54]
Google kickstarted the phones' marketing campaign early, beginning with online commercials,[55] billboards in major cities,[56][57] and magazine advertisements in September 2021.[58] Pixel 6-themed potato chips were made available in Japan.[59] Additionally, the company partnered withChannel 4,[60] theNBA,[61] andSnapchat to promote the phones.[62] Models of the phones were also available on display at theGoogle Store Chelsea in New York City prior to the launch event.[63] Google CFORuth Porat had previously revealed during parent companyAlphabet'squarterly earningsinvestor call in August that the company was planning to substantially increase its marketing and sales expenses in anticipation for the phones' launch, while Google hardware chiefRick Osterloh declared their intention to "invest in marketing".[6]
In November 2021, it was announced that actorSimu Liu, who portraysShang-Chi in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise, would serve as the Pixel 6'sbrand ambassador in Canada,[64] days after Liu shot a video as part ofGoogle TV's "Watch with Me" marketing campaign.[65] NBA athletesGiannis Antetokounmpo andMagic Johnson also serve as brand ambassadors for the phones in the U.S.,[66][67] with tennis playerLeylah Fernandez doing the same in Canada.[68][69] In February 2022, Google released a commercial titled "Seen on Pixel" which advertised the Pixel 6's Real Tone feature, ahead of its airing duringSuper Bowl LVI. It featured a then-unreleased song byLizzo entitled "If You Love Me".[70] Directed by Joshua Kissi and created in collaboration withadvertising agency Gut Miami,[71] the 60-second advertisement marked the company's first Pixel-relatedSuper Bowl spot,[72] and was noted byGLAAD as the only Super Bowl LVI commercial featuringLGBTQ people.[73] Other promotions include Pixel 6 socks and a Tensor sticker for "Pixel Superfans",[74] as well as a Pixel 6-themedtarot deck for #TeamPixel members ahead of Christmas in 2021.[75]
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro received much attention prior to its launch. Ben Schoon of9to5Google highlighted the potential of the new Tensor chip, finding Google's premature reveal of the devices to be a "show of confidence" in the Pixel 6 series.[76] Michael L. Hicks ofAndroid Central believed that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could appeal toiPhone users, urging Google to rethink its marketing strategy,[77] while Sareena Dayaram ofCNET opined that the phones were "more exciting" thanApple'siPhone 13.[78] Commentators also noted the increased anticipation of the Pixel 6 series in comparison to earlier generations of the Pixel smartphone line, attributing this to its early reveal as well as the announcement of the Tensor chip.[79][80]
Both phones received generally positive reviews following their release. Julian Chokkattu ofWired and Dan Seifert ofThe Verge praised their performance, cameras, and battery life, but criticized the speed of the fingerprint scanner and the large sizes of both models.[81][82] On the contrary, Patrick Holland and Andrew Laxon ofCNET took issue with the phones' battery life, though they both praised the phones' camera and design.[83][84] Lanxon also highlighted the premium specifications of the Pixel 6 Pro, including the triple-camera setup, and believed it to be on par with the iPhone 13 andSamsung'sGalaxy S21.[85] Similarly, Jacon Krol ofCNN Underscored and Sam Rutherford ofGizmodo appreciated the phones' design and cameras, with Krol declaring them "the best Android phones you can buy", though Rutherford also noted the slow fingerprint sensor and lack of aheadphone jack.[86][87] Philip Michaels and Jordan Palmer ofTom's Guide praised the phones' affordable pricing, the Tensor chip, and the debut of Android 12, but criticized the fingerprint scanner and battery life.[88][89] Writing forTechRadar, David Lumb and James Peckham commended the phones' design, build, and cameras but found the battery life and storage subpar.[90][91]Marques Brownlee praised the phones' competitive pricing, selfie cameras, and software features, but also noted the slow fingerprint sensor and poor battery life.[92]
Google accommodated the increased interest for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro by signing partnership agreements with more than 45wireless carriers and retailers across nine countries.[93] Shortly after the phones became available for pre-order, both the online Google Store and theGoogle Fi store suffered temporary outages.[94] Google attributed delayed shipping times for the Pro model to unexpectedly high demand on the Google Store,[95][96] with other carriers also facing shipping delays.[97]
In December 2021, a report indicated that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro experienced greater carrier sales numbers during its first month of availability in comparison to prior models,[98] while smartphone accessory manufacturerBellroy announced that its phone cases for the Pixel 6 series were its most popular products of all time.[99] During Alphabet's quarterly earnings investor call in February 2022, Google and Alphabet CEOSundar Pichai touted "record" sales numbers for the company's 2021 Pixel phones, especially the Pixel 6 series;[100] however, a later study conducted by Counterpoint Research revealed that the Pixel line may have only experienced moderateyear-over-year growth in comparison to thePixel 5.[101] In March, theInternational Data Corporation (IDC) analyzed that the introduction of the Tensor chip on the Pixel 6 series had been a factor in allowingMediaTek to overtake Qualcomm as the most popular Android chip manufacturer in the U.S., though the latter disputed the report.[102] Another report published by Counterpoint Research the same month revealed that Tensor made up approximately one to two percent of the high-end system-on-chip market.[103]
In April 2022, a report frommarket research firm Wave7 claimed that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro had experienced low carrier sales, with Google offering unusually high "kickbacks to salespeople" andVerizon finding the most success with the phones.[104] Pichai stated that the Pixel 6 series were the fastest-selling Pixel devices ever,[105] with the company further revealing during the 2022Google I/O keynote on May 11 that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro had been sold more than the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 combined.[106] Data from the IDC in October 2022 revealed that Google had sold approximately 3.75 million units of the Pixel 6 series globally by then.[107] The Pixel 6 series was instrumental in allowing Google's smartphone market share in North America to increase by 380% during the first quarter of 2022, becoming the fifth-largest smartphone manufacturer in both North America and the United Kingdom for the first time;[108][109] the next quarter, Pixel sales increased by 230% in North America, acquiring 2% of the smartphone market on the continent.[110]
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were succeeded by the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in October 2022,[111] with the phones first previewed during the 2022 I/O keynote. They were powered by the second-generation Tensor chip and shipped withAndroid 13.[112][113] At I/O, Google also announced the Pixel 6a, a mid-range variant of the Pixel 6 series, which launched in July.[114]
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