With the Google Pixel 5 launch last year, we were a little underwhelmed as the Pixel 5 didn't really offer enough to make it stand out from the busy flagship market. However, with the Google Pixel 6, it's a whole different game!

Brilliant photos, Excellent in low light, Price, Compact size, Easy to use camera, Standout design

No telephoto lens, Limited storage, Built-in zoom can still be improved, No headphone jack

Back on top. With the Pixel 6, Google positions its flagship smartphone in the premium segment again; not only does it provide it with a unique design, but also with a completely redesigned camera setup, the first in-house chipset, and an enormously long update promise.

bright 90 Hz OLED, fast SoC, IP68 certification, powerful dual-camera setup, long update cycle

no storage expansion, thin voice quality in speaker mode, USB without image output

The Pixel 6 Pro is Google’s heavy hitter in its new smartphone lineup for 2021, but the Pixel 6’s lower price — $599 rather than $899 — makes it considerably more tempting for most people. But now that we know how good the Digital Trends’ Editors’ Choice-winning Pixel 6 Pro is, does the cheaper version still make sense given the hardware trade-offs? If you only give them a cursory glance, there’s not much to differentiate the Pixel 6 from the Pixel 6 Pro, especially if they’re both facedown. Look more closely, and it’s obvious which is which, as the Pixel 6 has a smaller section of body above the camera module compared to the 6 Pro. If the light’s right, you’ll see the Pixel 6’s camera module doesn’t contain a periscope zoom camera, either. Pick the Pixel 6 up, and the flat screen design gives it a more “classic” in-hand feel, and there’s actually better grip than with the curvy Pixel 6 Pro. I haven’t had to juggle the Pixel 6 as much as I did with the Pixel 6 Pro, and I’ve generally f...

Great camera; Screen is colorful and vibrant; Latest Android 12 software; Years of software updates;

Flakey connectivity; Fast charger not included;

Where the Pixel 6 Pro is about competing on an equal footing with the top smartphones on the market, the Pixel 6 offers all of what makes Google phones great while significantly undercutting the competition on price.

Pros: class-leading camera, great screen, excellent performance, good battery life, recycled aluminium, five years of security updates, Android 12, impressive local AI features, very competitively priced.

Cons: fairly slow charging, no optical zoom, fingerprint scanner can be picky, no face unlock option, only three years of Android version updates despite five years of security support.

The Google Pixel 6 gets a lot right and on the whole, you get excellent hardware and software for a reasonable price. However, the question is largely whether the design is a step in the wrong direction or not.

Good value; Great cameras; Excellent software; 90Hz OLED screen;

Divisive design; Big and heavy; Slow charging;

So many great software features; Nice array of colours; Strong camera hardware for the price;

Some jank in the software; The display lacks the 120Hz refresh rate of many similarly priced rivals; A couple of odd design choices;

Google's Pixel 6 is a sophisticated midrange phone that replaces the good, but uninspired Pixel 5. It takes a spot between the company's high-end flagship, the Pixel 6 Pro ($899), and the more affordable Pixel 5a With 5G ($449), and offers quite an impressive feature-to-value ratio for $599. With its combination of strong camera performance, long battery life, and unbeatable Android software, the Pixel 6 easily bests the competition and replaces the Pixel 5a as our Editors' Choice winner for midrange phones. The Future (Or Google’s Idea of It)  The Pixel 6's combination of curved edges and severe right angles makes the phone seem like it would be right at home in Tomorrowland. It maintains many of the influences that underscore Google’s design language, but an element of mid-century futurism is also thrown into the mix. We like the look, but it probably won’t appeal to everyone. At 6.2 by 2.9 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and 7.3 ounces, the Pixel 6 is more manageable than the bigger Pr...

With fast performance, all-day battery life, and an innovative camera, Google's affordable Pixel 6 is the midrange phone to beat.

Excellent battery life; Bright, crisp display; Fast performance; Durable build

Fast wireless charging not supported at launch; Wait Time and Direct My Call features are hit or miss

The Google Pixel 6 isn’t the most powerful phone on the market, but its new Tensor chipset elevates its photo-taking capabilities beyond that of rival handsets. While it lacks a telephoto lens, and its battery life isn’t anything to brag about, it’s a big phone with a 6.4-inch display, a radical new design, and a price that can undercut rival Android phones – although carrier-specific versions might be pricier.

Fantastic photos; Good price; Intriguing design;

No zoom lens; Middling battery

The Google Pixel 6 is the new "value" king in the world of smartphones.

New camera sensors are impressive, Battery life is still very good, Larger size, Flat display, Incredibly priced

No charger in the box, 5G is weird, but not as bad as with the Pro, Display is only 90Hz

The Google Pixel 6 is an exciting phone that could compete with pricier flagship phones, but we still don't know enough about its Google-designed Tensor chipset to make the call now. As it is, the Pixel 6 is a bold new direction in design, cameras, and software with Android 12 out of the box, and we're eager to test it fully and deliver our final verdict soon.

Tensor chipset has lots of promise; High-megapixel main camera; Bold new design with large 6.4-inch display;

Big size and weight makes it a bit cumbersome; No telephoto camera; Camera block feels vulnerable to damage