Pixel 6: 3 reasons I can’t wait to get my hands on it

Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro had their first official reveal on Monday, promising cool features from an all-new camera system and the Tensor-on-Chip (SoC) system developed in-house by Google. We still have a long way to go. Learn more about the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, presumably coming this fall at a higher price, but I’m already excited about what Google’s 2021 line of phones could offer.

Here are my top reasons why I want to get my hands on Google’s new phone – and why you should be too.

New camera system

As a professional photographer, I’m of course very excited about new camera innovations on phones that allow you to take amazing images without having to carry grueling amounts of gear. Google’s Pixel phones have always had solid cameras, with excellent low-light and HDR performance, but the last two models haven’t really pushed the boat.

The Pixel 5’s dual-camera setup took some great shots, but against the triple matrix of Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max or the incredible zoom of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, it didn’t really do much for it. tempt people looking for the best photos possible (like me).

The Pixel 6 promises to be an improvement, with an improved image sensor that promises to capture 150% more light than its predecessor. And more light means more beautiful photos, especially in low light situations. There is also a 4x optical zoom lens, which I will be particularly focusing on, as zoom lenses can offer a great way to find new creative compositions in your photography that you might have missed with a simple wide angle lens.

Only the Pixel 6 Pro is intended to get the telephoto zoom, with the standard Pixel 6 getting the standard zoom and the ultra-wide lens. Megapixel counts on these cameras are also still unknown, but rumors that leaker Jon Prosser lists a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera on both models. The Pro’s telephoto zoom is rumored to be 48 megapixels.

The Tensor processor, which we will come back to later, also plans to give these cameras a boost. Google believes that its new personalized SoC will help computer photography, achieving prettier and sharper images even when there is a lot of movement. Photography demonstrations given at several technology outlets demonstrating the capabilities of the Tensor showed how the chip can blend elements of photos taken by the Pixel 6’s multiple cameras, bringing all of those details together into one photo.

Overall, the Pixel 6 is likely to have a terrific camera setup, and one that I’m very happy to take a look at. Of course, it will have to be the best it can be because there will be competition with the rumored iPhone 13, which is set to launch in September – likely sometime before the Pixel 6.

Tensor processor

Previously, Google used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips in its phones, but it’s going in a bold new direction for the Pixel 6 by launching its own silicon, named Tensor, as the brain inside the handset. Google didn’t say what kind of performance improvements we can expect, but it did say that the AI ​​and speech recognition upgrades would be particularly noticeable, along with the aforementioned photography improvements.

It might seem strange for Google to start making its own chips, but it’s an exciting move for the future of its phones. The Tensor chip isn’t just about raw processing power – most phones have a lot more power than they need – but by controlling both hardware and software, Google will be able to develop solutions. applications that take full advantage of on-board components. Hopefully, this could also extend the number of years of software support with this control, allowing you to stick a Pixel 6 for more years with security updates.

It’s pretty much the same thing Apple has been doing for some time – using its own silicon in iPhones and thus having full control over how hardware and software interact. This is one of the reasons why Apple phones tend to age better, even 5 year old phones still running the latest iOS. This is also why Apple recently switched to using its own M1 chips for its most recent Mac line.

Android 12

The Pixel 6 will be among the first phones to launch with Android 12 on board. We’ve been using it in beta form for a little while now, and there’s a lot to love and be excited about giving the Pixel 6 a proper try.

The Material You design language looks great, especially the ability to create custom themes from your own images. Whenever you choose a new background image, Android samples the dominant color of that image and uses it to customize the notification bar, icons, texts, and everything else in the interface to provide a look. coherent. I love personalizing my phone and really can’t wait to see what the interface looks like when I use some of my photographs as backgrounds.

Android 12 also makes privacy improvements, including offering the ability to turn off system access to cameras and microphones – just in case you get paranoid about some apps listening when you don’t want them.

There are a variety of tweaks in the software, not all of which are groundbreaking, but add to a sleek new experience that should look great on the Pixel 6 Pro’s massive 6.7-inch display.

You can read more about Android 12 in our current guide, and be sure to check out our full Pixel 6 rumor summary which will continue to be updated as we learn more about the phones ahead of their later release. This year.