Pixel 6/6 Pro Review: Almost Incredible!
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Promos
Finally. A Google flagship. Pixel 6 is the real deal! ICONS for Pixel 6: dbrand.com Android 12 Features: youtu.be MKBHD Merch: shop.mkbhd.com Tech I'm using right now: amazon.com Intro Track: youtube.com Playlist of MKBHD Intro music: goo.gl Phone provided by Google for review. ~ twitter.com @MKBHD @MKBHD
Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro sit at the center of Google's big milestone for their smartphone lineup, aiming to be the first truly flagship-grade Pixel in years. The review frames the devices as a clear step up in hardware, software, and overall polish, driven by Google’s own Tensor chip and a bold camera system that advances beyond the previous Pixel generations. The design language centers on a distinctive camera bar that is both a visual identity and a practical grip improvement, while the interior hardware promises more capable machine learning, AI features, and on-device tasks thanks to Tensor. The display options skew toward large, high-refresh-rate panels, with the Pro offering a 6.7-inch 1440p screen at up to 120 Hz and the vanilla model a 6.4-inch 1080p/90 Hz panel, both delivering strong color, brightness, and responsiveness for the price. Battery life remains a mixed bag: decent on the non-Pro but not the all-day powerhouse seen in some competing flagships, leading to a consumer calculus about charging needs and brick inclusion, especially since the box omits a charger. Across the camera and software experiences, the Pixel twins leverage Android 12 and Tensor-driven features like improved speech-to-text, live captioning, and the new Magic Eraser in Photos, painting a picture of a phone that is increasingly self-sufficient and AI-enabled while still facing trade-offs in HDR processing, color accuracy, and everyday reliability compared to top-tier rivals. The verdict is that Pixel 6 is a strong, almost incredible phone value at its price, but the 6 Pro, while more powerful and feature-rich, doesn’t automatically overpower competing flagships, making this a strategic pivot for Google rather than a universal slam dunk. The reviewer remains enthusiastic about Google’s direction, promising continued coverage and software refinements that could push the camera and battery experience toward 10/10 territory with future updates, while acknowledging that right now some performance areas still lag behind iPhone and Galaxy competition. Overall, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are compelling entries that redefine Google’s stance in flagship smartphones, delivering a smart, capable, and increasingly ambitious package that may persuade many buyers to choose software and AI-forward innovation over pure hardware supremacy.
Topics · technology · mobile phones · reviews · google · android
Questions answered
- What is the price difference between Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and what do you get for the extra money?
- Pixel 6 starts at 599 USD, Pixel 6 Pro at 899 USD. For the extra 300 USD you get a larger 6.7 inch 1440p display with 120 Hz, a telephoto camera, a wider front camera, more RAM, and a higher resolution main camera setup, plus a curved screen design whether you prefer it or not.
- How does the Tensor chip influence the camera and AI features?
- Tensor enables advanced on-device AI such as improved speech to text, better live captioning, and enhanced photo processing. It allows higher ISO preview performance and keeps processing power available for complex tasks like the Magic Eraser, which leverages the camera pipeline and Tensor for real-time image editing and edge detection.
- What are the main weaknesses of the Pixel 6 Pro according to the review?
- Battery life on the Pro is described as average to slightly disappointing for a flagship, with no charger in the box and relatively slow wired and wireless charging. There are also some HDR processing quirks and color shifts at the edges of curved displays that can affect perceived image quality in certain scenarios.
- How does the Pixel camera compare to iPhone and Galaxy flagship cameras?
- The reviewer finds the iPhone 13 Pro to have more consistent results and overall better reliability, with the Pixel delivering outstanding sharpness and strong night shots in some situations but sometimes producing over-processed or HDR-heavy results. The Pixel excels in some shots but does not always match the consistency of top rivals.