Google’s new phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro , are set to launch on Oct. 19 , and although we’ve had a glimpse …
Google’s new phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, are set to launch on Oct.19, and although we’ve had a glimpse at the new Pixel right before the Pixel 5A launched, not every rumor has yet been debunked or proved true. The latest buzz says the upcoming Pixel may launch with a new subscription option to bundle your phone financing and services under one bill. The rumored offering, shared on Twitter by leaker Brandon Lee of This is Tech Today, is said to be called Pixel Pass. It’s described as a „monthly subscription that addresses users‘ mobile needs end-to-end.“ Google CEO Sundar Pichai previously said during an Alphabet earnings call that the fall lineup of devices will show Google’s “ deep technology investments.“ The company has since confirmed that the Pixel 6 line will be powered by the company’s in-house Tensor chip, previously code named Whitechapel. The Tensor chip’s introduction also came with demonstrations of its photography and dictation prowess, which will take the spotlight with the new Pixel phones. Read more: Google Pixel 5A with 5G review: Snappy performance for $449 Google’s first Pixel phone made a splash when it was unveiled almost five years ago, but since then, the search giant’s foray into mobile devices has been inconsistent. Last year’s Pixel 5 received high marks for its cameras, but the Pixel 5 lacked the premium features you’d expect from a flagship smartphone, especially for the price. CNET’s Lynn La called it “ hard to recommend.“ Compared with the original Pixel phone („pure Android at its absolute best“ and „our favorite phone, bar none“), Google’s phone trajectory looks rough. Now that Google will be taking a larger creative leap with its Pixel line, the question remains whether the changes will help the company compete against the best phones from Apple and Samsung or continue to disappoint its one-time fans. Let’s go over what we’ve learned about the upcoming devices, and the rumors about the details that are still unknown. Read more: Here are all the Galaxy S22 rumors and everything to know about the iPhone 13. Unlike Apple and Samsung, Google has overall been consistent with its phone nomenclature. The original Pixel was followed by the Pixel 2, then the Pixel 3 and so on. Google has confirmed that the 2021 phones will indeed be the Pixel 6 and — instead of an XL model — the Pixel 6 Pro. Google previously announced that both phones will have many of the same features: the new Tensor system-on-chip designed by Google, a camera bar that runs along the back of the phone, camera sensors that take in 150% more light than the Pixel 5’s and an ultrawide lens. Software improvements (more on that in a bit) will also come to both models, including Android 12’s Material You design, along with speech recognition and photography improvements powered by the Tensor. Rumors about the now-confirmed Pixel 6 Pro began when leaker Jon Prosser shared renders depicting the „Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro“ in May. Prosser’s renders were purportedly based on actual images of the phones, but released as renders to protect his source’s identity. Google’s reveal of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in August put a particular spotlight on Google’s new system-on-chip, named Tensor. Going in-house moves Google away from the Qualcomm chips that have powered its previous devices, and Google says the chip brings with it notable improvements to speech recognition and photography. „Part of the goal is to show the very best that Google can offer,“ Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of Google’s hardware division, said in an interview with CNET’s Rich Nieva. „There is a big segment of the market that wants the latest, and we love building technology. So we’re going to try to appeal to that part of the market, too.“ In a photography demo described by The Verge, an otherwise-blurry photo of a moving toddler is fixed up by the Tensor chip by combining together details from multiple photos into a single image. The Tensor chip is also described to have „data-center-level“ speech recognition in a demo described by Engadget, in which the Pixel 6 can differentiate between a dictated message and commands such as „Send“ or „Clear.“ All the while, the onscreen keyboard can be used to edit any typos or dictation errors as the microphone continues listening for the message. A language demo described by Gizmodo shows the Pixel 6 line running a live translation of a French presentation into English, combining the existing Live Caption and Interpreter Mode. Moving to the camera bar, the Pixel 6 Pro has three cameras, including a telephoto lens with a 4x optical zoom.
