Google’s new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro both seem poised to rival the iPhone 13 and the Galaxy S21 as the best phones …
Google’s new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro both seem poised to rival the iPhone 13 and the Galaxy S21 as the best phones of 2021. They boast impressive cameras, fast processors and stylish designs. Where Google appears to differ from its Apple and Samsung rivals, at least on the first day of preorders, is in whether its new phones will work with the latest 5G networks. The short answer? It’s very complicated, particularly if you’re looking to buy a phone directly from a carrier or unlocked from Google itself, or from a third party like Best Buy. Whereas you can buy a new iPhone 13, put your SIM card in and know that it will be able to use the latest networks from your carrier, the same can’t be said right now about the Pixel 6. At issue appears to be interpreting a mix of several unclear web pages from the search giant. Google’s main Pixel 6 and 6 Pro tech specs pages all list two different models: one that supports all flavors of 5G — millimeter-wave and “Sub-6” (which is a term that encompasses midband and low-band 5G) — and another that supports Sub-6 networks but not millimeter-wave. A support page, meanwhile, says that the Pixel 6 will support all flavors of 5G in the US while the 6 Pro will be limited to just the millimeter-wave flavor. It’s a mess, but here is what we know right now and what you should know if you’re thinking of buying Google’s latest phones. With the Pixel 6, Google appears to be sending mixed messages. Depending on which page and fine print you look at, the device may or may not work with all versions of your carrier’s 5G network. And there does seem to be a discrepancy, both in the devices and the pricing. Verizon confirmed to CNET that buying a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro directly from Verizon will get you a phone that works on all of its flavors of 5G, millimeter-wave and Sub-6.
