The Pixel 6 is so great that I don't understand why I should buy another smartphone anymore

I'm sorry for those who bought other smartphones recently ...!

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are finally out. With the Google Tensor chip installed, AI functions are further strengthened, the camera is further strengthened, yet the price is low, and I feel that this is still an aggressive attitude. Take a look at Gizmodo's Sam Rutherford reporter's review below!

Until now, Google Pixel has been called a flagship, but in fact it seems that software covers too much hardware shortages such as the number of cameras, battery capacity, and old processors.

But with the Pixel 6, the Tensor chip, updated components, new designs, and smarter software combine to finally bring Pixel's potential to full bloom.

Moreover, the price starts from $ 599 (Japanese domestic price of 74,800 yen), so for those who are going to buy a new smartphone this year (especially if it is an Android user originally), does it make sense to buy another smartphone? It is a smartphone that makes you want to ask yourself.

Google Pixel 6 / Pixel 6 Pro

What is this? : Google's latest flagship smartphone with its own Tensor chip

Price: Pixel 6 is $ 599 (Japanese domestic price 74,800 yen), Pixel 6 Pro is $ 899 (116,600 yen)

What I like: Good price, unique design, Tensor chip, abundant high-end features, great camera and shooting modes, smart software, plenty of battery life.

What I don't like: The base model doesn't support millimeter wave band 5G, there is no headphone jack, and the in-screen fingerprint reader may be a little faster.

Characteristic design that is not limited to the camera bar

Google has always been enthusiastic about incorporating new designs into its smartphones, but with the Pixel 6 it's done again. Instead of the square camera module that's typical of modern smartphones, the Pixel 6's camera fits in the camera bar, which makes sense not only in appearance but also in functionality. The camera bar is an accent of the three-color coloring on the back, but with this, it can be stabilized flat without rattling when placed on the table. Thanks to this camera bar, the problems that I have been worried about for the past few years when the camera module of smartphones has become huge have been solved.

But the biggest change is that it's much more premium than the Pixel 5. With Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, Gorilla Glass 6 on the back, and IP68 waterproof and dustproof performance, you don't have to worry about daily impacts, drops, or even submersion. Both the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro have their own identities. The MUJI Pixel 6 has a matte finish with unpretentious edges (I personally like this one), while the Pixel 6 Pro has a glossy side that gives it a slightly luxurious feel.

Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are oversized. The Pixel 6 has a 2400 x 1080 6.4-inch display with a refresh rate of 90Hz, and the Pixel 6 Pro has a 3120 x 1440 6.7-inch refresh rate of 120Hz. Those who like small devices may be a little disappointed.

But if you look at the beauty of the Pixel 6's screen, you may be dissatisfied with the size of the screen. The brightness of both models is over 750 nits, the color of the organic EL display is deep, and the movement is smooth due to the high refresh rate.

The only complaint about the Pixel 6's design is the large size and height of the Pixel 6, which makes it difficult for your fingers to reach the power button. I wonder if the bottom of the volume button was good. It depends on the person, but I lock and unlock my smartphone more often than adjusting the volume.Also, depending on the content, the sound of the Pixel 6's stereo speakers could be heard a bit faint, but that's not a big deal.

The in-screen fingerprint reader is useful (especially when masks are still needed in many places, like now), but it takes about as long to unlock as the previous Samsung Galaxy S10, longer than the recent Galaxy S21. .. It's not a big problem, I hope I get used to it, but I think I should have been faster.

A new approach to flagship performance

The Tensor chip plays a very important role in the Pixel 6. Tensor is a symbol of Google's responsibility for smartphone chips, and at the same time it is the driving force behind the performance of the Pixel 6.

Google says benchmark numbers aren't everything, and you can see why by looking at the Pixel 6. In a synthesis test that looks at the performance of the entire system like Geekbench 5, the Galaxy S21 with Snapdragon 888 etc. has a multi-core around 3,600, while the Pixel 6 has around 2,700, which seems to be slow only here. But in the graphics test 3DMark Slingshot Extreme Unlimited, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are around 8,600, surpassing the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 8,594.

More importantly, the Tensor chip makes neural processing more powerful, which makes Google's specialty AI and machine learning processing even faster and more efficient. According to Google's head of hardware, Rick Osterloh, the Pixel 6 with Tensor made it impossible with off-the-shelf mobile chips, especially processing with a high-precision voice model only in the device. It is now possible. You don't have to rely on the cloud, which makes it even more power efficient (more on this later), and you don't have to worry about sensitive information being seen by Google or third parties.

Even if the benchmark numbers aren't the best, both the Pixel 6 (8GB RAM, 128GB base storage) and the Pixel 6 Pro (12GB RAM, 128GB base storage) run the app just like any other Android phone. Multi-tasking is possible (exception is a huge screen smartphone like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3). Only hardcore mobile gamers are likely to be dissatisfied with this performance, and they have smartphones for that source, such as the Asus ROG Phone 5.

By the way, the unlocked version of the unbranded Pixel 6 sold at the Google Store does not support millimeter wave band 5G, but it does support models handled by US carriers AT & T and Verizon. All three carriers, including T-Mobile, are selling the Pixel 6 virtually free of charge on the condition that they trade in their existing devices, so in the United States, the number of people who can use millimeter-wave band 5G will increase accordingly, and it will not be a premium. It looks like it's going to go.

Overwhelming wisdom of software

With the introduction of the Tensor chip, the performance of AI and machine learning is already fully open, and I am almost amazed at the smart new features of software. For example, Android 12 Material You lets you match the entire interface to your wallpaper with a single tap of a button. If you enable the theme icon setting in the wallpaper menu, you can use the minimal app icon. And this is just the beginning.

First of all, the Calling Assistant function is useful for people who are not good at automatic response of customer support of various companies. Calling Assistant tells us when the waiting time is short, displays a menu that advances with the number keys on the screen, and waits on behalf of the user when there is a waiting time for customer support of 5,000 companies in the United States. And it will notify you when a human comes out.

There is also a Voice Typing function by Google Assistant, which can be enabled by saying "Hey Google, type" on Gboard, and you can even type emoji. If the Google Assistant is wrong, you can type it in real time to fix it, use commands like "Clear" or "Stop", or send it with "Send" when you're done writing.

The techniques of Google Nest Hub and smart displays have also advanced to Pixel 6, and even if you do not say "Hey Google", you can answer the phone, stop answering, stop the alarm just by saying a command. You can snooze. Tensor makes it possible to use more accurate voice models in various apps, making the Pixel app and Recorder app (newly available in Japanese and German) more convenient. The Pixel 6's speech recognition isn't perfect, but these features work as expected or better and even feel magical.

But what I found particularly amazing was the Live Translate function, which can be used in several ways.

You can also turn on Live Captions to translate audio and video in real time, or use Interpreter Mode or Google Lens in the camera app to help with conversations while traveling. I like the Live Translate feature for messaging, which is a variety of messaging apps (Google Chat, Android Messages, Snapchat, LINE, Signal, Twitter, Facebook Messenger, etc.) in 11 languages ​​(English, French, Japan, etc.) Can be used for languages, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Russian).

Since my mother is Taiwanese, she feels that she can't speak Chinese fluently. I've been studying Chinese for a year and a half in Taiwan, but I can't learn it completely. I just returned to the United States). So it was difficult to keep in touch with my relatives in Taiwan, but thanks to this AI, the language barrier feels much thinner than before.

However, Google itself is not perfect in Chinese (for example, "Yuzu" in Chinese means "Buntan" in Japan, which was translated as "Grapefruit". ), But there are times when it's just a little help. For me, it's a pity that Pixel 6 only supports Simplified Chinese so far, and there is no Traditional Chinese, which is the official language of Taiwan. There are many Google offices in Taiwan as well.

The camera and shooting function are amazing

The power of hardware and software lives on in the Pixel 6 camera. Both Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are equipped with the same 50 million pixel main camera and 12 million pixel ultra wide-angle lens, and Pixel 6 Pro is also equipped with a telescope camera with 4x optical zoom, making it the first Pixel to have a telescope and ultra wide-angle lens. Both are installed.

Compared to Apple and Samsung smartphones that have both telephoto and ultra-wide-angle lenses for a long time, why? You might think that. But with the Pixel 6, it feels like Pixel was the first to focus on hardware. It was worth the expectation so far.

From what was taken in bright light to the night view taken with Night Sight, the Pixel 6's photos were crisp and clear, always capturing finer details than other smartphone cameras. The second photo of the red tree below captures the color of the leaves and veins better than the iPhone 13 Pro, and the color of the surrounding lawn is deeper and more accurate. In the first photo of the alley, the Pixel 6 Pro captures the dynamic range exactly, while the iPhone 13 Pro has almost all the upper leaves and part of the sky fluorescent. In the third flowerbed photo, the Galaxy S21 has the problem of being too saturated, which is common with Samsung cameras, but the Pixel 6 Pro has a natural color.

Google's Night Sight continues to be the best, as it's no longer comparable in the dark. I'm not sure why the iPhone still doesn't have a dedicated low light mode, but the image above clearly shows the need for that mode. The Pixel 6 Pro captures sharper, more colorful nightscapes with less lens flare than the iPhone 13 Pro.

The Pixel 6 Pro's 4x optical zoom is about the same as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra's 4x zoom, which is great for users like me who want to shoot farther with a smartphone camera. However, this zoom can be expanded up to 20 times in combination with Google's Super Res Zoom technology, but since the Galaxy S21 Ultra can up to an optical zoom up to 10 times, Samsung is still one step higher in zoom power.

But the Pixel 6 is packed with fun camera features like Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, Action Pan, and Long Exposure. Magic Eraser isn't as powerful as Adobe's "content-based fill" or stamp tools, but it's easier to use and just posts to social media. The same goes for Face Unblur, which will be a divine tool for parents taking pictures of their children. I also have a two month old child, and I haven't taken a picture here, but it was much easier to take a picture of a child who didn't stay still.

But I think the most fun camera functions are Action Pan and Long Exposure. Both are functions that enable one-tap techniques that would otherwise require hours of practice or the need for appropriate tools to shoot properly. With Action Pan, a photo of a normal car looks like a capture from a racing game. When I took a picture of a New York ferry using Action Pan, the plain picture became a much more interesting one.

Long Exposure, on the other hand, changes the tone of the landscape altogether. A simple waterside photo can become a smooth glass-like river photo. These photos can be refined with expensive mirrorless cameras, tripods and editing software, but it's not easy. All you need for smartphone photography is that it's quick and easy to take, and the Pixel 6 does just that. With Pixel 6, you can now shoot videos in HDR, so the colors of the videos are shining.

Long battery life and charging function

In terms of battery life, both daily performance and video playback test results are excellent. Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro always had 30-40% battery left at the end of the day. Even on days when I tried the same feature many times for testing, I always had that much left over. There is no doubt that the Tensor chip contributes to the energy efficiency of the Pixel 6. This high energy efficiency will be very important as everyone will continue to utilize AI / machine learning functions.

In the battery test, the unbranded Pixel 6 lasted 18 hours and 56 minutes, the second longest smartphone I saw this year after the iPhone 13 Pro Max's 19 hours and 30 minutes. The Pixel 6 Pro is relatively short at 16 hours and 45 minutes, but it's as long as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and it's quite long compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro's 13 hours and 54 minutes.

Battery-related upgrades to the Pixel 6 aren't just about longevity. The charging speed has also been increased to 30 watts by wire (30 watts, USB-PD 3.0 charging adapter required), and 21 watts or 23 watts when using the upcoming 2nd generation Pixel Stand wirelessly. Even if it is not a genuine wireless charger, it is not bad at 12 watts wirelessly. In addition, you can use the Pixel 6 for reverse wireless charging if the battery of another device is about to run out when you're on the go.

More security

Nowadays, I'm wondering how to manage digital security, but one of the great things about the Pixel 6 is the new Titan M2 coprocessor and Security Hub. This makes it easier to see security holes on your device and online. Security Hub will notify you when your password may have been compromised, give you tips on how to improve your security, and give you your overall security score.

Google has a five-year warranty on the Pixel 6 security update, which is the longest of all Android phones. The OS upgrade is also guaranteed for 3 years, so you don't have to worry about it becoming unusable soon. For those unfamiliar with fraudulent or phishing messages, it also warns you if you get a message asking for your password.

By the way, as a general rule, don't tell others your password no matter what. A decent company usually has multiple methods of identity verification without having to send passwords without encryption by email or message, and that should be the case.

The best smartphone for this price

When I first glanced at the Pixel 6 in August of this year, the most memorable thing was that Google was the most confident Pixel I've ever had. And when you actually use it, you can immediately see the basis for that confidence. More than any Google device to date, the Pixel 6 embodies the power and potential of machine learning and ambient computing. Performance isn't just about numbers, it requires both clever software and sophisticated hardware to take advantage of that software and features. And the Pixel 6 has both.

If you want the best smartphone for your spending, the Pixel 6 is for you. Everywhere, it's a flagship. The fresh looks are not mistaken for other smartphones, and it is attractive even with a case. There is a new way of thinking about performance, improved security, and the best camera in the smartphone.

And the price of Pixel 6 is 599 dollars (Japan domestic price 74,800 yen), which is 200 dollars less than iPhone 13 and Galaxy S21 (the price difference in Japan is around 24,000 yen). As for the Pixel 6 Pro, it's a more affordable Galaxy S21 Ultra, with more software improvements at the cost of eliminating the stylus.

To be honest, there is nothing I don't like. For those who want the best smartphones that make money, it seems like there's no reason to buy a smartphone other than the Pixel 6.