Review of the Google Pixel 6 smartphone with flagship photo and video shooting quality

The Google Pixel 6 is a fresh release from the software giant, continuing the well-known series of "branded" Google smartphones with an absolutely clean OS interface, untouched by the interference of third-party developers and manufacturers.
The device is not perfect—on the contrary, it is quite controversial in many aspects.

 

Main characteristics of the Google Pixel 6

SoC Google Tensor, 8 processor cores (2×Cortex-X1 @ 2.80 GHz + 2×Cortex-A76 @ 2.25 GHz + 4×Cortex-A55 @ 1.80 GHz)

GPU Mali-G78 MP20
Operating system Android 12
AMOLED touchscreen display, 6.4", 1080×2400, 20:9, 411 ppi, 90 Hz
RAM 8 GB, internal storage 128/256 GB UFS 3.1
No microSD support
Nano-SIM support (1 piece), e-SIM
Networks 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G, 5G
GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4/5/6 GHz)
Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
NFC
USB Type-C 3.1, USB OTG
No 3.5mm audio output
Cameras 50 MP + 12 MP (ultrawide), video 4K
Front camera 8 MP
Proximity and light sensors, magnetic field, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer
Under-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
Battery 4614 mAh, fast charging 30W, wireless charging
Dimensions 159×75×8.9 mm
Weight 207 g

Appearance and usability

The design of the Google Pixel 6 smartphone is quite strange. It can't be called beautiful, and its slippery glossy body is not practical either.
After the ergonomic options seen in previous Pixel models, seeing such a glossy finish is quite surprising.

Moreover, the appearance with this long strip protruding across the entire width of the body is quite specific.
The only justification is that with such a wide insert, the body lies stably on a hard surface, not wobbling when working with the screen. However, the aesthetic side of the issue leaves much to be desired.
It is also practical, by the way. This is the only smartphone of its kind where the developers swapped the power and volume buttons, raising the unlock key to the top of the right side.
As a result, the ingrained reflex forces the finger to unlock the screen by adjusting the volume, while reaching for the upper power button is simply inconvenient, especially for left-handed users.
The creators of the smartphone seem to have forgotten about the existence of people who use their left hand as the primary one.
In terms of size, the smartphone comfortably fits in the palm.
The screen is 6.4 inches, and the weight of the device is considerable (207 grams), but the screen is elongated, the smartphone is long but quite narrow, and the body is not very thick.
If it weren't for the excessive slipperiness of its glass glossy back, there would be no other complaints.
Unfortunately, due to this back, the smartphone slips out of hands and quickly gets covered in fingerprints. The back surface is made of Gorilla Glass 6, while the screen is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus.
The camera block, of course, protrudes significantly; the developers emphasized this by highlighting the block with color and a sharp change in thickness. It turned out to be undoubtedly original, but is it beautiful? At least from the top edge, it looks quite unremarkable, especially in the black variant, which we had for testing. In the colored variants, it looks somewhat more interesting.
The side buttons protrude very little beyond the body, but due to their width and sharp edges, they are surprisingly easy to find by touch. The button travel is stiff, but overall, there is only one complaint: their confusing placement.

The front camera is installed behind a small round cutout in the screen matrix at the center. There is no LED notification indicator.

The fingerprint scanner is installed under the screen glass. The location is not constantly illuminated; you need to touch the screen for the scanner to "appear." The sensor works flawlessly, but you have to hold your finger on the scanner for a moment. However, there is no face unlock feature.
In the slot at the bottom of the left side, you can install a Nano-SIM card; there is no place for a second card or a microSD memory card. Hot swapping of the card and the use of eSIM are supported.
At the bottom edge, there are a speaker, a microphone, and a USB Type-C port. There is nothing on the top edge except for an additional microphone. The 3.5mm audio output for headphones is absent.
The Google Pixel 6 is available in several colors: bluish-green, pink, and black (Sorta Seafoam, Kinda Coral, Stormy Black).
It has protection against moisture and dust according to the IP68 standard.

Display

The Google Pixel 6 smartphone is equipped with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400, covered with flat glass without curved edges, Corning Gorilla Victus. The physical dimensions of the screen are 67x148 mm, the aspect ratio is 20:9, and the pixel density is 411 ppi. The width of the bezel around the screen is 4 mm on the sides, 4 mm on the top, and 5 mm on the bottom. The screen supports HDR10+ mode and a refresh rate of 90 Hz.