Google Pixel 6 Pro: 5 reasons I’m excited about a big Google phone ( 2022 Update )
I adore the compact size of the Google Pixel 5 because it fits my coronavirus pandemic lifestyle of working from home and wanted a small but capable phone that I could just use for my government-mandated dose of daily exercise. I can keep it in my pocket But now that the world is reopening, I'm back to the big Android phone, which is why the official announcement of the Google Pixel 6 Pro caught my attention.
In the past, Google's XL Pixel phones offered serious flagship specs in a form factor that was ideal for getting stuff done on the Pixel 4 thanks to its bigger and sharper screen and bigger battery. Hence the smile on this tech journalist's weary face to see Google come back on a bigger Pixel phone.
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However, Google hasn't revealed all the specs or more details about what to expect from the Pixel 6 Pro, it's capabilities. It will come sometime in the fall when the full details of the Pixel 6 phone will be revealed.
So that got me thinking about what I'm looking for and I really want to see the Pixel 6 Pro so that I can move away from the Oppo Find X3 Pro, Samsung's flagship, and my current phone of choice.
Pixel 6 Pro: 120Hz high refresh rate display
Google Pixel 4 XL brings a 90Hz high refresh rate display to Google phones. But after using a suite of 120Hz Android handsets over the past year or so, I'm all on Team High refresh now. So 90Hz is good but doesn't cut the mustard anymore.
While the standard Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch 90Hz display, the Pixel 6 Pro's 6.71-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate. So I'm really looking forward to using a much-unfiltered version of Android 12 running at the super slick 120Hz, something I haven't had before, thanks to other phone makers that are rolling out their own user interfaces. Emphasis on keeping on top. Android.
Given that Pixel phones have always felt smooth thanks to Google's customizations, I'm expecting the Pixel 6 Pro's display to flit through Android apps and menus to feel slicker than an eel covered in butter.
Pixel 6 Pro: Return of the telephoto camera
Google on the Pixel 4 saw the option of a dual-camera array on the rear sporting the main lens and telephoto lens, instead of a possible pair of the main lenses and ultra-wide-angle cameras. As someone who likes to use Dynamics to fit more into a frame with distortion to ultra-wide photos, I was fine with this option; Other reviewers disagreed.
With the Pixel 5, Google succumbed to the pressure and swapped the phone's camera for an ultra-wide one. But with the Pixel 6 Pro, we're set to get the best of both worlds, with its rear camera array consisting of a 50MP main camera and a 48MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide snapper. You'll get 4X optical zoom, and that makes me happy.
I like taking close up shots, and while macro lenses are a letdown, I find a proper optical zoom to be quite useful for getting the semi-arty shots I want, add in a layer of Google's computational photography and I am excited to see what the Pixel 6 Pro's telephoto camera can do.
Pixel 6 Pro: A boost in photo and video capture
It is a given that a new Pixel phone will offer better photography chops than its predecessor. But with the new AI-focused Tensor chip, Google really has room to push its image signal processing and smart computational photography even further.
So I'm both expecting and looking forward to seeing a serious jump in camera quality. Camera systems with the Tensor chip will make capturing fast-moving subjects less of a bad mess. But I'm also excited to see what Google can do with how it handles contrast-y photos and challenging scenes with many highlights and shadows. As it stands, the iPhone 12 Pro Max tops our best camera phone list, but I expect Google to take back its smartphone photography crown.
Beyond that, I'm curious to see what Google can do with the video. The Pixel 5 tops out as 4K video capture at 60 frames per second, which is easily overtaken by the higher resolution and frame rate capture seen in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S21. So I'm looking forward to Google making a move in the video department, but I'm also curious to see how its AI technology can be applied to get better video footage. For example, the Tensor chip is designed to help detect sunsets and capture them more accurately than other camera phones.
I have yet to find a smartphone that can make video capture as smooth and good as my iPhone 12. But if the tensor chip could add a new level of smart processing to handle the smooth transition from light to dark areas and vice versa better. Well, I'm looking very favorable on the Pixel 6 Pro.
Pixel 6 Pro: Smarter smarts with Tensor chip
Google touted the Tensor chip to be AI-centric in origin but didn't go into too much detail about what additional smart capabilities the chipset might enable. And I'm hoping that Google really follows up with AI in the Pixel 6 Pro.
I think Google Assistant is smart already, but it gets a bit messy when I get tired of asking it to set multiple alarms. So I want the tensor chip to give the assistant the computational brains to figure out what I mean based on my previous alarm habits. But I also want it to move forward.
Google has access to my calendar, so I want it to know when I'm going to work and when I'm on vacation to automatically set alarms if I turn it off before I order the virtual assistant. I'll be
Also, I would like to see if the Pixel 6 Pro delivers a better overall Pixel experience. While I know the Pixel 5 uses AI to help with battery optimization, I've never really noticed a huge difference. With the Pixel 6 Pro, I'd really like to see AI tech doubling down on such things and really noticing that advanced machine learning is at work.
The same goes for various recommendation features, such as in the Discover news feed or with YouTube videos. I really want to see the Pixel 6 Pro serve me with really compelling information and content, not just basic recommendations based on my browsing history; Google is getting better at it but I'm curious to see how the tensor chip can speed things up.
Equally, I don't just want to see existing smart features get better; Rather, I'd like to see a tangible difference in the smarts that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro can offer thanks to their fancy chip.
Pixel 6 Pro: Better gaming and media
The Pixel 5 has a lovely OLED display, but unlike other phones, it has some precious features to really tap into the screen's capabilities. There's no AI upmixing to take standard video content and convert it to HDR or any faster technology. Compared to my Find X3 Pro, watching videos or doing a bit of mobile gaming is arguably a super-par experience.
That's why I want to see the Tensor chip use its AI power to smartly sharpen and improve the colors and contrast of videos and games.
Google Stadia can be like a black sheep in the world of game streaming. But I'd love to see it baked into the Pixel 6 Pro, maybe the Tensor chip can use its power and smarts to handle some of the game processing on the phone, eliminating some of the drawbacks of streaming over poor Wi-Fi Can you or cellular connection. Such technology could, if possible, be applied to video streaming services to remove hiccups in quality and artifacts when one is stuck with streaming in less than ideal connection conditions.
Google Pixel 6 Pro: Outlook
Some of these Pixel 6 Pro features have been confirmed, while others may be a bit aspirational. But I hope Google has a very interesting and proper flagship phone with the Pixel 6 Pro, I can't wait to get my hands on this device, which could be a contender for our best Android phones list.