Top camera, Android 12 and Tensor chip, but competitive price is very cost-effective

Last modified on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 08.48 EDT

The Pixel 6 is Google’s affordable flagship phone launched in 2021 and has proven to be a leader in this field. At its core are first-class cameras and new advanced chips—while reducing most of the competition in price.

The phone is priced at £599 (US$599/AU$999), which is £250 less than the Pixel 6 Pro, while still offering 90% of the price of Google’s top models.

It has a 6.4-inch 90Hz OLED screen, the screen is flat, and the sides are not curved. Compared with the 6 Pro, the display has a slightly lower definition, slower and smaller speed, but it is still very good, with excellent brightness and viewing angles.

The side is black aluminum paint, the back is glass, and there is a large-size photo strip design similar to the 6 Pro. Despite the reduced screen size, Pixel 6 is not a small phone, only 1.1 mm narrower and 3 grams lighter than its larger counterparts. Those with smaller hands will find it difficult to hold it with one hand without an attachment.

Screen: 6.4 inches 90Hz FHD OLED (411ppi)

Camera: 50MP 12MP ultra wide, 8MP selfie

Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and GNSS

Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m 30 minutes)

Along with Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6 is the first mobile phone equipped with Google's custom Tensor processor. It rivals Qualcomm and Samsung's competitors in speed, but is better optimized for Google's various artificial intelligence systems.

The battery life is good, but not very good. It can last about 34 hours between charges, which is comparable to Samsung’s competitors, but lags behind the 46-hour iPhone 13. That was when the screen was opened in various messages and notes for about 5 hours, and about 20 photos were taken with utility applications and browsers. I spent about two hours on 5G and spent the rest on wifi.

Google does not provide an expected battery life. Those in similar devices usually retain at least 80% of their original capacity after 500 full charge cycles. Pixel 6 can usually be repaired by Google and third-party repair shops. The screen repair cost is 129 pounds, the rear glass repair cost is 139 pounds, and the battery replacement cost is 89 pounds, which is out of warranty.

The frame of Pixel 6 contains 100% recycled aluminum, which accounts for about 14% of the phone by weight. The company publishes environmental impact reports for some of its products. Google will recycle all Pixel devices for free.

Pixel 6 comes with Google’s latest Android 12, which includes a large number of customization options and improvements. For more information, see the Pixel 6 Pro review.

Google will provide at least three years of major Android updates and monthly security fixes. Then, it will provide an additional two years of updates, "the frequency and type of updates depend on hardware features and requirements." Samsung provides four years of support for its top mobile phones, while Fairphone's goal is six years, and Apple provides seven years of support for its iPhone.

The Pixel 6 has the same 50-megapixel main camera and 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera as the 6 Pro, and produces very similar results. This makes it one of the best cameras on smartphones, especially under £600. It does not have an optical zoom camera. Although Google's digital zoom up to 7x is one of the best, it cannot replace optical zoom.

The 8MP selfie camera is good and can take a lot of dramatic and detailed photos, but sometimes the image is a bit soft, especially at lower light levels.

The call quality and 5G reception are very good, and the Bluetooth performance of several sets of headphones is also very good.

The bottom corner is obviously hard, and when holding it with one hand, it digs more than other devices in my palm.

The volume and power buttons work well, but they are a bit loose, making them rattle a bit.

Google Pixel 6 is priced at £599 (US$599/AU$999) and has 128GB of storage space.

In contrast, Pixel 6 Pro is priced at 849 pounds, Pixel 4a is priced at 349 pounds, OnePlus 9 is priced at 629 pounds, Samsung Galaxy S21 is priced at 949 pounds, Xiaomi 11T Pro is priced at 599 pounds, and iPhone 13 is priced at 779 pounds. Fairphone 4 is priced at 499 pounds.

Pixel 6 Pro is designed to be on par with the top smartphones on the market, while Pixel 6 provides all the features that make Google phones outstanding, while significantly reducing the competitive advantage in terms of price.

You will get excellent performance, good battery life, Google’s top new chip, and a smooth experience, which contains all the software features you can’t get anywhere else. Google’s native AI voice and keyboard input capabilities are excellent, and you will get security updates for at least five years from the date of release. In addition, this phone is also equipped with the main lens and ultra-wide-angle lens of Google's next-generation first-class camera system.

No optical zoom and the price of a slightly fussy fingerprint scanner is forgivable. The price of Pixel 6 is only 599 pounds, compared with the Chinese challenger brand, its price is closer to the top Samsung and Apple competing devices.

This makes the Pixel 6 a real bargain for top mobile phones. You have to spend more to get a better Android phone than this.

Advantages: first-class camera, excellent screen, excellent performance, good battery life, recycled aluminum, five-year security update, Android 12, impressive local AI features, very competitive price.

Disadvantages: charging is quite slow, there is no optical zoom, the fingerprint scanner may be picky, there is no face unlock option, and despite five years of security support, only three years of Android version update.

Pixel 6 Pro review: the best Google phone

Pixel 4a review: the best phone Google has made in years

OnePlus 9 review: a top smartphone at a reasonable price

Galaxy S21 review: large-screen Samsung phone, slightly lower price

Apple iPhone 13 review: a cheaper, longer-lasting, and better camera

Fairphone 4 review: an ethical repairable phone gets a big upgrade

This article was revised on November 2, 2021 to clarify that Pixel 6 also has wifi 6E connectivity.