SIX APPEAL
Google’s new Pixel has the goods to be a contender in flagship phone market
IT REMAINS a source of eternal bafflement – why do Google’s excellent Pixel phones not lead the android market?
They have been really solid devices over the years, and have always been cheaper than their rivals. They just don’t seem to have gained momentum.
This is the week Google hopes all that will change.
In all honesty, by the time Google broadcast its launch video for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones this week, there wasn’t much we didn’t already know about the new devices.
The big change for this year’s Pixel is the Tensor chip that runs it – for the first time Google is making its own silicon to power the phone. This allows for fine-tuning the way the software and hardware work together.
Google is massively invested in computational photography, which in many ways uses software to mimic the things full-size cameras do.
A powerful chip with dedicated resources for the photo software can make things possible that were not before.
It’s not just photography where the new chip can make a difference, either – Google says it has built artificial intelligence into many aspects of the phone, and the processing power the Tensor brings makes it all possible.
Another thing the chip does is allow Google to commit to support for new operating systems going forward, which means your Pixel 6s will keep up to date with new software for longer.
They are already among the first phones to get Android 12 with its all-new look, and Google says they’ll be good for the next three years of software updates, and will support security updates for another two years after that.
In terms of the camera hardware, we’re looking at devices that are already extremely competent, even before the software gets hold of the images.
The 6.4in Pixel 6 sports a 50MP main wide camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera on the back and an 8MP selfie camera on the front, while the 6.7in Pro adds a 48MP 4x telephoto lens.
It’s all a big step up from the Pixel 5, and features a new design, with the camera units housed in a ‘camera bar’ that goes across the full width of the phone.
Two other camera related features include the first fruits of Google’s efforts to correct the bias camera software has towards lighter skin colours, which should result in more accurate colour reproduction for all skin colours.
There’s a slightly weird tie-in with Snapchat, too – if you double tap the back of the Pixel 6s, you’ll launch the Snapchat camera, ready to capture whatever’s going on for your Story…
Aside from all the technical details, there’s the other big USP for these phones – the price.
Despite being a real stab at proper flagship devices with highend features, the Pixel 6 will start at just £599 – more than £150 less than the iPhone 13 or the Galaxy S21.
The Pro starts at £849, which is again significantly cheaper than Apple and Samsung’s corresponding models.
Will it be enough to turn the Pixel into a true contender? If it doesn’t happen with these phones, then it likely won’t happen at all.
Find out more about the new Pixel 6 phones at store.google.com. Both models can be ordered now for October 28 delivery.