Google Pixel 6 Series: Everything Rumored And Official We Know

The Pixel 6 series made an official sneak-peak appearance in August yet Google has managed to keep the wraps tightly in place until the upcoming launch date. Close competitors like Apple have already dropped the gauntlet, but Google is taking its own time to make the year's biggest reveal in the form of Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

With the Google Pixel 6 phones looking to change the company's image for modern-day mobile devices, it is time we narrow in on some of the confirmed details about the devices and the rumors that are doing rounds over the internet.

Google put a lot of highlight on the in-house system-on-chip dubbed Tensor at the August peak of the Pixel 6 phones. Moving away from the trusted Qualcomm chips signifies a radical change in Google's strategy and more risk-taking approach. They say the SoC will hugely improve their speech recognition and tech photography algorithm.

Case in point, the Tensor chip will have data-center-level speech recognition that'll be able to differentiate the dictated messages from the common commands such as "Send" or "Clear." While doing this the onscreen keyboard can perform functions like autocorrecting typos and dictation errors as the microphone listens. The speech-to-text on the phones will be blazing fast, promising a smooth experience for the users.

Google is confident that photography will make a huge upgrade courtesy of the Tensor Processing Unit. This will target the blurry images, in particular, to make faces sharper by making subtle adjustments and combining details from multiple photos into a single shot.

Pixel phones already have strong camera setups and this will take things to next level. The AI and computational elements will be applied to the video shooting too – as the camera will auto adjust the white balance and dynamic range in the smoothest way possible.

The Pixel 6 is going to have a dual-camera setup on the rear, including a main sensor and ultra-wide shooter. On the other hand, Pixel 6 Pro will have an extra 4X optical-zoom telephoto lens. The exact details of the cameras are not yet official but rumors propping up from Jon Prosser's specs sheet strongly point to a 50MP primary shooter, 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 48MP telephoto shooter.

In the Android 12 Beta code, it was found that the upcoming Pixel 6 Pro will get the

"p21_fronmmt_setup" feature. This means the device will be able to shoot 4K resolution selfie videos. Will the Pixel 6 also get this feature, for now, it has to be answered with a "No."

Google portrays its future-forward approach for the Pixel devices in the form of a bold design for the Pixel 6 series. The large rectangular camera module and the two-tone design want to position the phones in a league of their own when compared to close competitors like iPhone 13 or Galaxy S21. On the front is exciting shaved thin bezels encapsulating the display.

The color options are downright peppy; Pixel 6 goes for bluish-gray with a pale yellow accent and black model with a light-gray top accent color. The Pixel 6 Pro gets a more premium look and feel with colors such as black-on-gray, a white model with a cream or pale slate accent bar and pale orange with a brighter orange accent.

Talking of the screen, the Pixel 6 will come with a 6.4-inch FHD+ (2400x1080) display having 90Hz refresh rate, while the Pixel 6 Pro gets a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3200x1440-pixel) display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This is an exciting development for people who always missed the higher refresh rate in the previous Pixel devices.

Thankfully the Pixel 6 series ditches the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for an under-display fingerprint scanner which is in line with most of the mid-range and flagship devices by other OEMs. Will the scanner employ the ultrasonic tech or the optical scanner is still unknown for now.

At the Pixel 5a unveiling, Google hinted that this is the last time the company will ship a phone charger in the box. This follows suit with Apple and Samsung who have already ditched the in-box charger for their devices to cut down on e-waste. So, it is logical to believe that the Pixel 6 series won't come with a charging brick.

A recent report by 91mobiles suggests that the Pixel 6 Pro will have 33W fast charging which is way better than the 18W on previous Pixel devices. According to tipster Yogesh Brar of 91mobiles, Google was seen testing 33W bricks extensively, which strongly hints its coming to the phone. This will make the Pixel 6 Pro, the fastest charging phone ever, and somewhat at par with other Android devices that juice up in a jiffy with the likes of 65W or more charging capability.

Another rumor by Android Police suggests that the Pixel 6 might get a better wireless charging speed. 33W as compared to the earlier speculated 23W speed. It will be a noteworthy bump-up from the 10W of the previous Pixel stand, and either way better than the iPhone 12's 15W wireless charging speed.

The Pixel 6 will now get back to the previous release schedule as hinted by CEO Sundar Pichai. Last year the Pixel 5 was announced on September 30 due to unforeseen circumstances, but this year it will follow a predictable pattern.

Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be released in the month of October with availability within a week or two from the announcement. We cannot count out the global chip shortage to ruin plans this time around. But it is still highly likely for an October release since Google released a teaser video of the phone in early September.

An advertisement by an Australian carrier hints at an October 19 release date for the series. Jon Prosser also claimed that the phones will hit the stores on October 28, after October 19 pre-order schedule.

Yogesh Brar claims the Pixel 6 will have a starting price tag of $749 and the Pixel 6 Pro will start at $1,049 or $1,099. Another rumor suggests that the phones will come for €649 and €899 in Europe. This means the phones (Pixel 6 Pro in particular) will be pricier than the predecessor, but then, Google has already said, the Pixel 6 series will have a premium price tag with more on offer in terms of features and technology.

Google is clearly going all guns blazing with this year's Pixel 6 lineup, and official statements hint at the fact. The phones will be a considerable leap from the previous offerings, designed to counter the intense competition courtesy of Apple, Samsung and other manufacturers.

The look and feel already seems promising with an upgrade in cameras and other hardware. The tensor chipset will be another thing to look forward to as Google has invested a lot of faith in the SoC – taking a detour from the trusted chipset makers. Indeed, the platform is set for Google to win a chunk of the market share with the Pixel 6 phones!