Google has previewed the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro ahead of their official launch later this year. This is the first time that Google has previewed its upcoming Pixel phones at least a month or two ahead of their official release.
As a part of the preview, Google has provided details on its custom inside the Pixel 6 series, the Tensor SoC. Google also shared some details about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, including their display size and camera configuration.
Google Shares Key Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro Specs
Both Pixel phones will be a high-end offering from Google with a price tag to match. Unlike the last two Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 6 series will feature a premium build quality to match its price. The prototypes that The Verge used featured glass at the back and front with an aluminum chassis sandwiched in between.
In its announcement on The Keyword blog, Google says the Pixel 6 Pro will feature a 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate that’s slightly curved at its edges. This phone will feature a triple-camera system at the rear, which includes a 4x telephoto zoom lens. There is also a new sensor for the primary camera that can take in 150 percent more light. This is paired with an ultra-wide camera.
The smaller Pixel 6 will feature a 6.4-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Unlike its Pro sibling, the regular Pixel 6 will feature a flat display. It will also only feature a dual-camera setup at the rear, including a primary and ultra-wide sensor. The 4x optical zoom lens will be exclusive to the bigger Pro model.
The Pixel 6 Pro will feature a polished aluminum frame, while the regular Pixel 6 will feature a matte aluminum finish frame. Both phones will feature an in-display scanner as well.
One key design aspect of the Pixel 6 series will be the camera hump at the rear. Instead of hiding it, Google highlights the massive camera hump by running it across the device’s width at the back. A small raised metal rail protects the raised camera hump glass from scratches.
Google’s Custom Tensor SoC to Power the Pixel 6
This is the first time that Google is using a custom SoC on its Pixel phone. This should give the company an edge in optimizing its Pixel phones for performance and battery life. All other Android OEMs use chips from Qualcomm or MediaTek, with Samsung using its own Exynos chips in selected Galaxy phones.
Google’s custom Tensor SoC built specifically for Pixel phones will power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The SoC has been designed keeping AI and ML tasks in mind. Google has also revamped many of the key aspects of its Pixel phones, like the camera system and speech recognition, to take better advantage of its new Tensor SoC.
Google also boasts about the security of the Tensor SoC. The chip comes with a new security core and Titan M2, with Google going as far as to claim that the Pixel 6 series will have the “most layers of hardware security in any phone.” The company, however, did not share other details or performance numbers of the Tensor SoC.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will launch “this fall” running Android 12. It will be interesting to see how Google’s Tensor SoC performs in real life and how Google is able to take advantage of it to deliver a better user experience.
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