Google Pixel 6 5G Smartphone (128GB / 8GB RAM) FULL REVIEW

 It's safe to say that almost every Smartphone user out there has probably heard about 5G mobile technology, as every flagship phone in the US now comes with 5G Connectivity. In fact, companies like Google and Apple, as well as OnePlus, Samsung, and others have all been actively promoting their own next-generation 5G Smartphones during the last few months. Now, while there are still no killer new 5G Apps, the reason why these companies are all running "heavy marketing campaigns" to promote their own 5G Smartphones is primarily because 5G Connectivity actually makes most existing mobile Apps reasonably faster. Lastly, note that most people tend to hang on to their phones for around three to four years (on average) before swapping to a new one. So, the real question here is whether or not it's worth to upgrade to a 5G Smartphone now or still keep your "somewhat outdated" 4G Smartphone for a little longer. With more and more Apps greatly benefiting from 5G Connectivity, the most obvious answer is that anyone who can afford it should definitely consider upgrading to a 5G Smartphone. This brings us to the Google Pixel 6.

The Google Pixel 6 is a 5G Smartphone that features a 6.4" Full HD+ Smooth Display, an IPX8 Water-Resistance Rating, a Dual Rear 50MP Wide and 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera System, as well as a 8 MP Front Camera, a 128GB or 256GB of Storage along with 8GB RAM, 5G Connectivity, and a 4614 mAh Adaptive Battery that automatically adjusts its power for all-day battery life.

In addition, the Pixel 6 also features a fairly durable construction, Fingerprint Unlock for extra security, and also a reimagined interface that's powered by a brand-new custom-built Google Tensor Chip that ultimately provides users with an 80% faster performance than the company's older Pixel 5 phone.

Lastly, the Pixel 6's Google Tensor Chip also works together with a brand-new built-in Titan M2 security co-processor chip, which helps to make the Pixel 6 even more resilient than older Google Pixel models against any sort of cyber-attacks.

All in all, the Google Pixel 6 is a great 5G Smartphone choice for you, a family member, or even a friend to go with, packing everything you'd expect to need nowadays, including great security and privacy settings, a decent camera setup, and a long-lasting battery life for everyday use.

Now, let's have a slightly more detailed look at this 5G Smartphone and check out all of its different and unique features.

DESIGN & SPECS

Starting with the phone’s size, the Pixel 6 comes at a standard size when compared to most 5G Smartphones nowadays, measuring 6.24 inches long by 2.94 inches wide by 0.35 inches tall / thick (158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm). Despite its "somewhat large" size (which most 5G Smartphones have nowadays), the Pixel 6 is still quite lightweight, as the phone weighs just 7.30 oz. (207 g).

 

On that note, keep in mind that these are the biggest Pixel phones that Google has made to date. For its design, this 5G Smartphone features a very simple and minimalist design that ultimately gives it a stylish and modern look.

More importantly, the Pixel 6 also features a fairly durable construction, as its main body is composed by a Tactile Alloy Frame, while the phone's front- and back-sides are built from the toughest Gorilla Glass seen on a Google Pixel phone yet, which ultimately offers the Pixel 6 up to two times the scratch-resistance than previous Pixel phones had.

 

More specifically, the phone's back glass (meaning the back-side of the phone) is built of a highly-durable and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 6, while its display screen is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus cover glass that's also scratch-resistant.

On top of its ultra-durable construction, the Pixel 6 is also rated to have an IPX8 Resistance Rating, which not only makes the phone dust-resistant, but also capable of withstanding a maximum underwater depth (under fresh water, not salt water) of 4.92 ft. (1.5 meters) for up to 30 minutes of time.

 

In sum, this 5G Smartphone is just as durable as it is beautiful, coming ready out of its box to face any unexpected accidents that life could potentially throw at it.

Moving on to the Smartphone’s different components. Starting with the phone’s Main Screen, the Pixel 6 comes packing a 6.4" Full HD+ OLED Smooth Display Screen that boasts a 1080p resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels,) with a 20:9 ratio (around 411 ppi density) and a smooth Refresh Rate that can be set to work up to 90 Hz.

 

Not only that, but it's also worth mentioning that the phone's 6.4" Full HD+ Smooth Display Screen is actually designed to be extremely battery-efficient, as it can automatically adjust its screen settings (such as the screen's brightness level) according to what a user is currently doing.

This not only allows the phone's 6.4" FHD+ Display Screen to have a high refresh rate for a more responsive experience with when scrolling or even when gaming, but ultimately also helps to save on battery life.

 

It's also worth mentioning that users can also set the phone's 6.4" FHD+ Display Screen to work on High Brightness Mode, which allows them to watch and play under bright sunlight.

Additionally, the phone's 6.4" Full HD+ Smooth Display Screen also features support to HDR10+, which ultimately ensures you get a higher quality and much more clarity when looking at an image or a video that’s playing on the phone’s screen.

Finally, for the phone’s remaining Hardware Specs, our Pixel 6 review unit featured 128GB of Storage Space (note that you can also get this 5G Smartphone with 256G of Storage Space) that comes accompanied by 8GB of RAM.

Regarding the Smartphone’s chipset, as said before, the Pixel 6 comes equipped with a brand-new custom-built 5 nm Google Tensor Chip (boasts a powerful Octa-core CPU and a Mali-G78 MP20 GPU) that was specifically developed for Google's brand-new Pixel 6 line (both the Pixel 6 standard model as well as the Pixel 6 Pro).

 

This newly released custom-built 5 nm Google Tensor Chip ultimately provide users with an 80% faster performance than the company's older Pixel 5 phone (note that this increased-performance value is based on internal CPU benchmark testing on pre-production devices).

Furthermore, the Pixel 6's custom-built Google Tensor Chip is the first processor equipped with a built-in security core, as its Google Tensor Chip works together with a brand-new built-in Titan M2 security chip - designed based on 5 years of security updates - that helps to make this 5G Smartphone very resilient to any sort of cyber-attacks.

Thanks to the the phone's updated privacy and security features, you can be assured that you, your personal data, your files and photos, and everything else in between all stays completely safe.

Lastly, for the phone's Operative System, know that everything runs smoothly on Android 12.

CAMERAS

Moving on to the phone's two Camera setups. As said before, at the back-side of the phone, we have a Dual Rear Camera System that's composed by a 50 MP Wide Camera Lens and a 12 MP Ultra-Wide Camera Lens, along with a powerful Dual-LED Flash.

 

Note that the phone's Dual Rear Camera System is basically a brand-new Rear Camera Setup when compared to the Google's old Pixel 5 model, as the Dual Rear Camera on the Pixel 6 now comes equipped with bigger image sensors that make the phone capable of capturing even more color, more detail, and 150% more light than the Pixel 5.

To be a little more specific, the Pixel 6's Dual Rear Camera System is powered by a new LDAF (Laser Detect Auto Focus) Sensor that automatically measures how close your subject is to the phone's back-camera, which specifically helps to keep them in focus when shooting photos under low-light conditions. This ultimately ensures rich and vivid colors and more detail in every shot.

 

Via the Pixel 6's Dual Rear 50MP Wide and 12MP Ultra-Wide Cameras, users can shoot high-definition photos and 4K video at 30 or 60fps, or 1080p video at 30, 60, 120 or 240fps.

Moreover, know that the phone's Dual Rear Camera System also features support to Auto-HDR, Panorama Mode, and Pixel Shift when shooting video.

Then, at the opposite side of the phone, we have a 8 MP Punch-Hole Front Camera that comes discretely integrated at the top-center of the phone's 6.4" Full HD+ Smooth Display Screen.

 

By using the phone's 8 MP Punch-Hole Front Camera, users can shoot high-definition photos and 1080p video at 30 fps, with support to Auto-HDR and Panorama Mode.

INTERFACE

For the phone's interface, just like all of Google's older Pixel models, the Pixel 6 features a very, very simple interface.

Starting right at the top-side of the phone, we have a 3-Mic Array Setup that's designed to support Noise Suppression (this helps to ensure a better quality during Voice Calls) along with an integrated Earpiece Speaker that works as the phone's left audio channel.

Then, as it is the case with most Pixels phones, the Pixel 6 has all of its hardware buttons integrated on the right side of the phone.

 

However, unlike most 5G Smartphones on the market from other companies (such as Samsung, Xiaomi, etc.), the Power Button comes installed above the phone's Volume Button-Switch (so it might take you a little time to get used to this layout).

Sitting at the opposite side of the phone, we also have a Dual SIM Card Tray that can be found at the bottom-left side of the phone, which features a slot for a Nano-SIM Card and a second slot for an eSIM Card (which you can use as long as your phone-carrier supports the use of an eSIM).

 

It's also worth mentioning that the phone's 6.4" Full HD+ OLED Smooth Display Screen integrates an Under-Display Fingerprint Unlock Sensor for extra security.

 

Finally, at the bottom-side of the phone, we have a Dual Grill Speaker Setup that works as the phone's right audio channel for stereo sound, and in between these two speaker grills, we have a standard USB-C 3.1 Connection port (for charging and data transfer).

CONNECTIVITY

For its connectivity, this 5G Smartphone features Bluetooth 5.2 Connectivity (with dual antennas for enhanced quality and connection), as well as enhanced Wi-Fi Connectivity (with support to the most common wireless standards – 802.11 ax and also Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz) included), and also support to NFC and support to Google Cast.

Obviously, since this in fact a 5G Smartphone, the Pixel 6 also features 5G Connectivity.

Moreover, the phone also features GPS Connectivity, boasting a GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, and BeiDou.

while also coming equipped with a set of sensors that include an accelerometer, a gyrometer, a magnetometer, a barometer, a proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor (this last one is what helps the phone's screen to automatically adjust its brightness settings for saving battery when possible).

On a side note, it's also worth mentioning that Google is also planning to improve their Pixel flagship phones (both the Google Pixel 6 as well as older models) by releasing new software updates every few months, which will ultimately give any Google Pixel Smartphone better ways to perform any internal operation, whether that's simply opening one of your commonly used Apps, or even trying out a newly released App.

BATTERY & BATTERY LIFE

And for its power, the Pixel 6 comes equipped with a 4614 mAh Lithium-Ion Adaptive Battery that specifically configured to both prioritize power for any of your favorite apps as well as to reduce the power consumption from Apps you use less, and this ultimately offers you an all-day battery life - meaning up to 24 hours of battery - for normal use.

On top of that, users also have the option to enable the Extreme Battery Saver Mode, which ultimately allows the Google Pixel 6 to stay powered on for up to 48 hours.

When it comes to re-charging the phone, know that the Pixel 6 features support to USB-C Fast Charging, which allows its battery to recharge from 0% to 50% in about 30 minutes (when using a Google 30 W USB-C Charger with USB-PD 3.0 (PPS) - sold separately for just $25 per unit).

Furthermore, the Pixel 6 also boasts support to Qi Wireless Charging for up to 21W wireless charging rates.

Last but not least, the Pixel 6 also boasts Battery Share, meaning that it is also capable of charging other Qi-enabled devices (such as Wireless Earbuds or Wireless Headphones) via Wireless Charging.

OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES

Security Hub

The Pixel 6 also features boasts an improved Security Hub Menu, which keeps all your security settings (including the phone's Fingerprint Unlock) in one place.

Via this Security Hub Menu, users are in full control of their privacy, while the phone's Security Hub also gives them proactive recommendations when necessary with simple steps that users can follow to improve the phone's security.

 

Not only that, but this Security Hub Menu also gives you complete control over your phone’s mics and cameras, allowing you to easily turn them on and off at any time, as well as to choose which apps can use them.

Lastly, the phone's Security Hub also allows users to configure their Pixel 6 to automatically call for help, share their location, or even record a video during any potential emergencies. More impressively, the Pixel 6 can even detect if you've been a victim of a car crash, for which the phone will then automatically call for help if you’re unable to respond to its Automated Safety Verification.

Live Translate

It's also worth noting that the phone's brand-new custom-built Google Tensor Chip makes Google's Live Translate functionality even more intelligent and more responsive, which ultimately makes the Pixel 6 capable of translating your chats in real time.

 This also includes listening to podcasts with translated captions, and even using your camera to read signs in up to 55 languages, all with no internet needed.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Google Pixel 6 is a 5G Smartphone that features a 6.4" Full HD+ Smooth Display, an IPX8 Water-Resistance Rating, a Dual Rear 50MP Wide and 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera System, as well as a 8 MP Front Camera, a 128GB or 256GB of Storage along with 8GB RAM, 5G Connectivity, and a 4614 mAh Adaptive Battery that automatically adjusts its power for all-day battery life.

In addition, the Pixel 6 also features a fairly durable construction, Fingerprint Unlock for extra security, and also a reimagined interface that's powered by a brand-new custom-built Google Tensor Chip that ultimately provides users with an 80% faster performance than the company's older Pixel 5 phone.

 

Lastly, the Pixel 6's Google Tensor Chip also works together with a brand-new built-in Titan M2 security co-processor chip, which helps to make the Pixel 6 even more resilient than older Google Pixel models against any sort of cyber-attacks.

All in all, the Google Pixel 6 is a great 5G Smartphone choice for you, a family member, or even a friend to go with, packing everything you'd expect to need nowadays, including great security and privacy settings, a decent camera setup, and a long-lasting battery life for everyday use.

If you’re interested in buying it, know that the 128GB Storage Space version goes for $599, while the 256 GB Version will cost you $699 (for just an extra $100, we'd recommend our readers to seriously consider going for the bigger Storage option), and each purchase comes accompanied by a 1-Year Warranty.

You can order yours online right now, either directly from Google’s official US shopping page, or alternatively, you can also get it from Verizon’s official website, which for the latter, customers can get up to $700 off their purchase in trade-in credit with select trade-in options (meaning when trading in older devices such as Smartphones, Tablets, or Smartwatches).

Originally published at: Gadgetgram