Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro appear to be the company’s first real attempt at competitive hardware in a long time. Here’s what we know so far.<\/b>
\nThe latest tech news Your sardonic source for consumer tech stories Human-centric AI news and analysis Driving the future of sustainable mobility No-nonsense stories about startup growth Inside money, markets, and Big Tech The hottest new jobs in tech Help build the bank of the future Coding for Public Service Small country, big ideas Google\u2018s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will officially be launched on October 19, and in typical fashion, we know a ton of details about the phones well before their release. That\u2019s in part due to unintentional leaks, but also because Google itself has already told us a ton of information about the device\u2019s hardware. There\u2019s a lot to be excited about with the Pixel 6, as it seems Google is taking hardware for the first time since\u2026 well, ever. Pixel phones have always been vehicles to show off Google\u2019s software and AI chops as opposed to hardware showcases, but the Pixel 6 appears to be a dramatic pivot in the specs department. While we do still expect Google to keep some surprises up its sleeve \u2014 at least, we hope so \u2014 here\u2019s what we know about the phones so far. To keep your expectations in check, we\u2019ve divided this list into the details that we know directly from Google and what we\u2019ve learned from the rumor mill. By far the biggest news about the Pixel 6 is the confirmation Google has designed its custom processor, dubbed Google Tensor. The chip will be present in both the regular and Pro models of the device, and it\u2019s supposed to enable many cool new software tricks. Google Tensor will be \u201ccompetitive\u201d in raw processing power, but its real strength is AI and machine learning tasks, which Google claims will improve the camera, voice commands, translation, captioning, and dictation. Pixel phones have essentially looked the same since 2019\u2019s Pixel 4, with a \u2018squircle\u2019-shaped camera bump and a matte body design. The Pixel 6 takes a completely different direction with a massive \u2018camera bar\u2019 that indicates the phone will finally use a larger camera sensor, as well as a two-tone color scheme above and below this camera bar. Current Pixel phones have managed to remain competitive due to the sheer efficacy of Google\u2019s image processing, but the company can\u2019t keep the competition at bay with software alone; it\u2019s about time Google used camera hardware to match its software chops. I think it looks pretty snazzy, but hey, looks are subjective. Before we delve deeper into the realm of rumors and leaks, here are the other details that Google has officially revealed in advance of the phone\u2019s launch: While we listed what we officially know about the processor above, leaks have given us a bit more detail about what might make this processor more unique. I go into more detail in this article, but one of the most fascinating rumors about the chip is its use of dual high-power \u2018Cortex X1\u2019 cores. Most current flagship Android phones use three core types \u2014 low power Cortex A55 cores, medium power Cortex A78 cores, and a high power Cortex X1 core. The Google Tensor appears to be the first phone to use dual X1 cores, which could lead to great performance in tasks that require high clock speeds. On the other hand, the rest of the cores appear to be weaker than what you\u2019d find on other Android flagships, so it\u2019ll be interesting to see how Google balances performance and battery life with this unique arrangement. And this is to say nothing of how the AI-focused part of the chip will be designed. For the last few years, Google has been using a relatively puny camera sensor, at least among flagship phones. In fact, the 1\/2.55\u2033 camera sensor hasn\u2019t changed since the Pixel 3, and that sensor was actually smaller than the one in the Pixel 1. In other words, Google has barely made a meaningful upgrade in the primary camera sensor\u2019s image quality since 2016. That might as well be a millennium in the tech industry. But with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the company finally appears to be using camera hardware worthy of its software. Google will likely use Samsung\u2019s GN1 sensor, a massive 50MP,1\/1.31\u2033 imaging chip that would be among the largest on the market \u2014 and nearly four times the size of the Pixel 5\u2019s. Just for reference, here\u2019s how on leaked marketing image shows off the size difference: As noted above, the new sensor-lens combo will be able to capture 150% more light, and a larger sensor also tends to come with corresponding increases in dynamic range and color accuracy. The sensor is also supposed to be capable of shooting 1080p slow-mo at 400 fps, although it\u2019s up to Google to implement that feature. Of course, Google is upgrading its camera software too. In fact, the Google Tensor chip is supposed to enable some of the most interesting camera shenanigans yet. Leaked marketing materials show a \u2018Magic Eraser\u2019 feature that will make it easy to \u201cremove strangers and unwanted objects\u201d with just a few taps. Some other notable camera improvements: A new wireless charger (with a fan for cooling) would make the Pixel 6 duo some of the fastest charging phones in the US market. Rumors have pointed to either 23W, which would put it behind only OnePlus\u2019 50W charger. By comparison, most phones charge wirelessly at 10 or 15W. Likewise, the phone will reportedly be able to charge at 30W via USB-C, which isn\u2019t remarkably fast when you have 100W phone charging these days, but it\u2019s still a welcome improvement over the 18W charging of prior models. It\u2019ll reportedly charge to 50% in 30 minutes, and reverse charging is still in tow. On the other hand, Google will apparently follow the trend of not including the charger in the box. Phones often seem to be built with the intention of making you upgrade every year, but Google is reportedly planning to supports its new phone for at least four Android updates, with 5 years of security patches. That\u2019s practically unheard of in the Android industry. It\u2019s just another sign that Google is finally taking hardware seriously, and it makes Android phones more attractive to those who appreciate Apple\u2019s (relatively) long-term support of older iPhones. It\u2019s hard to keep track of all the leaks, but here are some of the other specs we\u2019ve seen reported thus far: The Pixel 6 will launch on October 19 via an announcement video that goes live at 10 AM PT \/ 1 PM ET. As one might expect, you\u2019ll be able to watch the launch on YouTube: Stay tuned to Plugged as we cover the launch. Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 and you can subscribe to it right here.<\/p>\n