Will the 6th try be the right one?
At its inception, the Pixel range aimed to strike a balance between performance and price, distinguishing itself especially by the photo with a “pure” version of Android.
But after high-priced Pixels 3 and 4, then a more affordable mid-range 5th edition, Google unsheathed its new generation on Tuesday.
With a homemade chip, promising photo sensors and aggressive prices, the Pixel 6 (from 649 euros) and the Pixel 6 Pro (899 euros) has big ambitions.
First impression: heavyweights with a divisive design
The photo bar will not be unanimous. Google has integrated its new sensors into a very thick module that covers the entire width of the back cover. Placed on a table, these new Pixels are therefore slightly tilted but without being wobbly. In practice, this choice does not unbalance the phone when you hold it in your hand. At over 200 grams, the Pixel 6 (6.4-inch display, 1080x2400-pixel resolution) and 6 Pro (6.7-inch, 1440x3120 pixels, 120Hz adaptive) are clearly in the heavyweight category.
Overall, the two smartphones offer a divisive design but consistent in its finish. The Pixel 6 Pro's curved edges give it a premium look, but its little brother benefits from more playful colors. With the arrival of Android 12, Google is also relying on color continuity. The dual-tones of the pixels (black, white, red, yellow and green) find a pleasant echo in the wallpapers and the “Material you” palette of the menus.
For the back cover, Google has chosen a very shiny glass coating.
Fingerprints are therefore particularly visible there, a problem that disappears with the addition of a protective shell (which also has the advantage of fitting the photo bar).
Google has, this time, opted for a fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen and no longer on the back.
Convenient to unlock your phone on your desk, but much less when you catch it blind in your pocket.
At last,
The convergence of hardware and software
For the first time, Google offers a homemade chip, called Tensor. We will have to wait for the test for a verdict on its raw performance against the power of Apple's A15 bionic chip or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888. But Google assures that with this tailor-made hardware, it was able to optimize the software, particularly the artificial intelligence functions. Voice dictation, in particular, or the processing of photos, is now done at lightning speed.
In the photo, Google is particularly expected around the corner.
With a period of stagnation, the new sensors could allow the Pixel 6 (and especially the 6 Pro, which benefits from a x4 zoom and can film in 4K) to take back the crown ceded to Apple and Samsung over the past two years.
The first tests in extreme conditions (against the light and half-light) let us glimpse great promises to be confirmed during the real test.
Ditto for autonomy over a full day, with XXL batteries (4,600 and 5,000 mAh for the 6 and 6 Pro) which should do the job.
Aggressive prices
To establish itself among the general public, Google is betting on aggressive prices for high-end positioning.
The Pixel 6 starts at 649 euros (in 128 GB) and the 6 Pro at 899 euros.
This is 30% less than the iPhone 13 (909 euros) and the 13 Pro Max (1,259 euros).
Google, which has struggled on the side of the production chain in the past, will he manage to find a place between Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi and Oneplus?
Verdict on October 25 in our test, with marketing three days later.
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