Back in 2021, Google released the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. These phones really flipped the company’s in-house phone script and ushered in a new era for the brand.Those wondering how the older generation is holding up now that Pixel 7 smartphones are out There is also This is a retrospective review of Pixel 6.
We have to do this retrospective primarily because the Pixel 6 phone was the testing ground for Google’s new hardware. First of all, this was the first phone since the Pixel 2 to use the new camera sensor. But the biggest example is the Tensor Chip. This is the first processor designed by Google and we need to know how this new hardware has aged. So let’s dive in.
Let’s start with performance
I’ve been using my Pixel 6 as my daily driver since November 2021, so I’ve been to the moon and back with this phone. Out of the box, it was a very smooth experience.From using the app to navigating the interface, everything was smooth and trouble-free.
I am glad that this is still the case today. Google’s Tensor Chip has been performing well for over a year since its introduction, which bodes well for his Tensor Chip in the future. The app loads quickly, the interface is smooth to navigate, and there are no noticeable lags.
The only area where I see dips is when the phone boots. The Pixel 6 boots up quickly, but over time I’ve noticed that apps take longer to appear on the screen. When I power it on, I see a blank screen for about 5 seconds before all the apps and widgets pop up. However, after that point, everything is snappy.
game
When it comes to gaming, the Pixel 6 was no beast to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, it runs all modern games (yes, including Genshin Impact).
Either way, we didn’t see any dips in gaming performance. Running graphics-intensive games isn’t too much of an issue with this phone. Games like CoD Mobile, Sky: Children of Light, and Asphalt 9 all run smoothly. Playing Genshin Impact on its highest settings slowed the phone down a bit, but it was still more than playable.
All in all, the first generation of Tensor Chips has been on the market for over a year now. The phone is as snappy as the day you took it out of the box.
camera
As such, Pixel phones are known for their camera performance, and the Pixel 6 was no exception. This phone uses a dual camera setup. There is a 50MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture and 1/1.31 inch sensor size. The secondary camera is a 12MP 144° ultra wide angle camera with f/2.2 aperture.
There has been a lot of competition in the form of the latest phones from Apple, Vivo, Samsung and even Google itself with its Pixel 7 phone. However, the Pixel 6 is his one of the best camera phones available today. There are two main reasons for this.
First off, the Pixel 6’s camera has been great from the start. It topped the pecking order in several categories throughout 2022. Second, there hasn’t been a quantum leap in camera technology since October 2021. As such, the Pixel 6’s camera is still a top-of-the-line camera by today’s standards.
But why is it In many cases good camera? video. Using the video capabilities of this phone is an exercise in frustration. Sure, the colors are great and there’s a decent dynamic range. The main ones are noiseTurning the lights down even slightly produces a ton of annoying and distracting noise.
This almost eliminates the idea of using this phone indoors. It’s a shame because low light photography is so good with this phone. So it’s important to note how this has aged.According to Juan Carlos Bagnell, Google has made some improvements to improve low-light performance and confirmed that the noise has decreased . But it is still not accepted.
screen
As for the display, it’s the same story as the camera. OLED technology is pretty much the same as it was then. This phone still has a gorgeous 1080p+ display. More importantly, is there screen burn-in? The display is as clean as the day you took it out of the box.
battery life
So far, this retrospective is full of praise for this Google handset, but all good things must come to an end. My Pixel 6’s battery drained quickly. When I first used the phone, I was able to get decent battery life.It definitely didn’t sweat all day. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was fine.
But now the story is very different. These days he struggles to run four hours on this phone. I fully charged it, streamed a movie, and saw it drop about 30% during that time. Not only does it have poor battery life while in use, but the standby time is terrible. I would just sit idly by during work hours and slowly watch him drop between 10% and 15%.
Neither AI battery optimization nor power saving mode helps anything. The only thing I can do to fix the battery life is to replace the battery.
Is the Pixel 6 Still Worth It?
In a nutshell: yes! The Pixel 6 has been my daily driver since I got it. I’ve swapped to a few other phones for review but always missed this one.When I reinserted the sim card and turned it back on he would always go home when the Pixel launcher appeared I felt like I was in
A year and two months after getting it, the phone still feels snappy and responsive. It can be used as the main gaming device and the main content consumption device. It is also the main camera. I use it for content creation, but videos need special attention.
The only drawback is battery life. Google really dropped the ball with how it handled the battery on this phone. Hopefully the company can do better with future devices.