Google Pixel 6 could be the best Android phone yet — and finally beat Samsung

Google Pixel 6 could be the all-time Android phone yet — and finally beat Samsung

(Image credit: Google)

I've been reviewing smartphones long before Google entered the arena with the original Google Pixel five years ago. (Think Palm Treo). And the Google Pixel 6 represents the first flagship I've seen by the company that could actually cause Samsung to look over its shoulder.

Make no mistake. Google's market share is a pittance compared to Samsung's, and the visitor'southward YoY growth was -7% in the U.Southward. according to Counterpoint Research. Meanwhile, OnePlus was up 400% and Samsung 17%.

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But if you look at what the Google Pixel 6 promises — and I exercise mean promise, as Google has simply teased key features so far — there'south plenty of reasons to believe that Google could finally interruption through every bit the best Android phone in a globe dominated past the Galaxy.

Google Pixel 6: The Tensor departure

Clearly the tentpole Pixel 6 characteristic is Google's Tensor SoC, which is designed to have AI and car learning to the next level on phones. This is not a wholly new endeavor for Google, equally information technology redefined the camera telephone with its computational photography efforts on the Google Pixel 4. But it looks like Google volition be able to practise a lot more as it embraces its own silicon and ditches Qualcomm for this flagship.

Google will be able to practice a lot more with computational photography as it embraces its own silicon and ditches Qualcomm.

The nearly eye-catching demo Google gave some reporters of the Tensor chip's potential was the photo of a moving toddler. Samsung Galaxy phones and the iPhone struggle in these situations, merely the Pixel half dozen is smart enough to take an additional exposure from its ultra-wide angle camera and use some postal service-processing fixes. The result: A shaper image with a face up that isn't blurred.

The Tensor chip will also enable Google to utilize its computational photography magic to videos, such every bit when you're shooting sunsets. This sort of setting is specially challenging for even the best camera phones, so I'g excited to see what the Pixel 6 can do hither.

"Tensor chip is, perchance, the near interesting thing about the Pixel 6," said Ramon Llamas, research managing director for IDC. "And considering Google had a manus in its design, Google can nautical chart its course a fleck more clearly and a bit tighter than rely on different generations of other SoCs powering other phones."

The Tensor SoC has lots of applications beyond the camera. For example, you'll be able to meet instant speech-to-text on your telephone every bit y'all dictate while editing the text with your thumbs on the fly. And the Pixel 6 is also smart enough to deliver live captions of video you capture and even offer alive translations. I'one thousand sure this is just scratching the surface of what Tensor can do, and we'll learn a lot more when the telephone officially launches.

For Google, Tensor is its take chances to stand out in an Android phone space that has become a bit stale over the last few years. But unlike the Pixel 5, this fourth dimension around Google is targeting a premium price.

"Once yous're investing in your own silicon, information technology only makes sense to target the loftier end of the marketplace where you can make back some of that R&D," said Avi Greengart, founder of Techsponential.

Google Pixel 6: A truly 'new' blueprint

While it's not equally of import, I'chiliad also encouraged by the fact that Google went back to the drawing lath with the Pixel 6's design. It has a more premium glass body and a prominent photographic camera bar that runs beyond the tiptop, as well every bit a wide array of two-tone color options. It actually looks "new."

At a fourth dimension that shoppers are used to seeing the aforementioned erstwhile slabs from Samsung and others, the Pixel half-dozen looks like a jiff of fresh air. But Google will need to back up these looks with the functioning users look and adept battery life. The company has only promised "all twenty-four hours" endurance thus far.

The Google Pixel 6 will characteristic a 6.4-inch 90Hz brandish with two rear cameras, and the Pixel half-dozen Pro will sport a 6.7-inch 120Hz panel with a 4x optical zoom lens. So Google should take directly competitors to the Samsung Milky way S21 and the Milky way S21 Ultra.

Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly readying two new flagship phones of its own in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip iii, which will be unveiled August 11. I'm intrigued to see the next generation of foldables, just unless there's a dramatic price decrease the Pixel 6 will wait more like the mainstream option this autumn amidst new Android flagship phones.

Pixel 6 vs Galaxy S21: An opening for Google

Of grade, Samsung still has the Galaxy S21 series and the awesome Galaxy S21 Ultra with its powerful zoom camera. But consumers but don't seem to have responded very well to these phones.

Having something at the high end to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple is important.

Ramon Llamas, IDC

In fact, Korean publication Business Postal service reports that sales of the Galaxy S21 through the first six months are down twenty% against the Galaxy S20 and 47% compared to the Galaxy S10.

Samsung also has the rumored Milky way S22 on the way, which could offer a new RGBW camera sensor forth with a powerful new Exynos chip with AMD graphics might. Simply that's not expected until early 2022.

And information technology looks similar Google is going to try to make the most of this narrow opening. "We are fix to invest a lot in marketing and we want to grow," said Google hardware primary Rick Osterloh in an interview with The Verge. Only can Google really take on the likes of Samsung?

"Samsung is the 800-pound gorilla, and it's going to be hard to unseat information technology because the legions of users out there. Nevertheless, having something at the high finish to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple is of import," said Llamas.

Although Google has a very steep colina to climb to overtake Samsung in terms of sales, at the very to the lowest degree the Pixel 6 could start to change the conversation around who makes the all-time Android phone come this fall.

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Marker Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom'due south Guide and has covered technology for nearly xx years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at central industry events and appears regularly on Television set to discuss the latest trends. Marking was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his piece of work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.