Google Pixel 6 evaluation – one of the best digital camera telephone at this value?

The Google Pixel 6 could be the cut price of the yr relating to smartphones. It gives virtually all the identical options because the Pixel 6 Professional, minus the 4x telephoto digital camera, however is significantly cheaper, making this premium smartphone severely good worth for cash. However there’s extra to it than worth for cash, as we have a look at what makes the Pixel 6 (and Professional) distinctive, due to some spectacular computational pictures options.

After all, for the reason that launch of the Pixel 6, the Google Pixel 7 has come alongside, elevating the bar once more for premium smartphones. However this has pushed costs for the Pixel 6 down, which is sweet information for cut price hunters ready to forgo the newest technology in tech in alternate for a considerable value saving. The Pixel 6 shouldn’t be confused with the Google Pixel 6a. This would possibly sound like a more recent or up to date model of the Pixel 6, however it’s really a stripped-down funds variant. The common Pixel 6 is turning into a bit more durable to seek out new however continues to be value seeking out, as we’ll see.

Pixel 6 At a Look

• $400 / £460, 128GB mannequin
• 50MP Octa PDAF Quad Bayer large digital camera, 1/1.31-inch sensor, f/1.85 aperture, OIS
• 12MP ultrawide digital camera, 1/2.9-inch sensor, f/2.2 aperture
• 8MP f/2.0 fastened focus selfie digital camera, 84° area of view
• 6.4-inch show, 20:9 side ratio, FullHD+ (1080 x 2400) OLED at 441ppi, upto 90Hz
• Working System – Android 12
• Processor – Google Tensor

Google Pixel 6 {hardware}, design and options

Google has developed its personal smartphone processor, the Google Tensor, and Google says that with this new, excessive efficiency, machine studying processor, it’s in a position to deliver superb new picture options, together with Movement Mode, Face Unblur, in addition to Speech enhancement and HDRnet for video. Different spectacular picture options embrace a Magic Eraser that makes eradicating undesirable objects from photos extremely straightforward and fast.

Google Pixel 6 Homescreen

Google likes to provide its telephones a novel look, not solely within the colors out there, and the Pixel 6 is not any completely different, with a gray/black mannequin (Stormy Black) out there in addition to “Sorta seaform” (Inexperienced-ish), and “Kinda Coral” (cream / pinkish). There’s additionally a novel digital camera bar alongside the again that provides them a unique look to all different smartphones. On this bar you’ll discover the ultra-wide angle digital camera, in addition to the wide-angle (normal) digital camera. Nevertheless, it’s missing the 4x telephoto digital camera that the 6 Professional options. This digital camera ‘bar’ would possibly show divisive as a styling characteristic, however it helps distinguish the Pixel from rival manufacturers.

The primary digital camera on the rear makes use of a 50MP 1/1.31-inch sensor, and f/1.85 lens, with OIS, and Laser AF. The primary digital camera and the ultra-wide cameras each output 12MP photos, regardless that the primary digital camera has a 50MP sensor. Like most fashionable smartphones, it makes use of a pixel-binning (pixel combining) course of to provide photos for on a regular basis use. The entrance, selfie digital camera is an 8MP f/2.0 fastened focus selfie digital camera, with an 84° area of view.

Google Pixel 6 digital camera bar

The digital camera bar provides a superb space to grip on to when holding the telephone, however the rear, sides and display are all notably slippery, so a rubberised case is extremely really useful if you would like the machine to remain on desks and different surfaces you place it on, in any other case it’ll be fairly completely happy to slide off.

The Pixel 6 comes with 128GB storage, and 12GB RAM. With the 6 Professional you get the choice to have extra storage, however on the 6, the one possibility is 128GB presently, and with no MicroSD reminiscence enlargement out there, this may very well be a difficulty for some folks, relying on how you employ your storage.

Google Pixel 6 lock-screen

The display is a 6.4inch OLED show with a 20:9 side ratio, a FullHD+ decision, and a variable refresh charge as much as 90Hz. The display is flat, and the borders are fairly noticeable, particularly compared to the curved display on the Pixel 6 Professional. Styling conventions change rapidly on the earth of smartphones.

It is a flagship smartphone, so that you’ll additionally discover stereo audio system built-in, IP68 safety, in addition to scratch resistance claimed to be 2x higher than earlier Pixel telephones, due to the usage of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Nevertheless, as with different glass telephones, a case is extremely really useful, not simply to guard the telephone from injury but in addition to make it rather less slippery to deal with.

Google Pixel 6 digital camera bar / bump

Wi-fi charging is supported, and Google say the brand new Tensor chip means decrease energy consumption in comparison with earlier Pixel smartphones. Nevertheless, we discovered battery drain appeared fairly fast when the ‘all the time on’ show characteristic was used.

We additionally discovered the telephone was notably fussy when it got here to charging, rejecting a Huawei charger, automotive charger, and automotive stereo with USB, that means we had to purchase a brand new charger, regardless that Google is attempting to “save the planet” by not together with a charger within the field.

Google Pixel 6 Efficiency – Picture High quality

The Movement Blur characteristic provides you the choice of Motion Pan or Lengthy Publicity. We centered on the lengthy publicity choice to create long-exposure waterfall photographs.

Certain, you may most likely do that with a smartphone with guide controls, and maybe an ND filter for those who might work out methods to connect it, plus a tripod and cellular adapter, however the easy capability to level this telephone at a scene, maintain the digital camera handheld, and take superb blurred motion photographs is unbelievable. The one different precise digital camera that makes this virtually this straightforward, is the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with built-in Stay ND.

The Google Pixel 6 movement mode provides you a alternative of “Motion pan” or “Lengthy publicity”, right here we used lengthy publicity. The digital camera retailer each the blurred picture (proper), and the unique (left). Curves adjusted, click on to enlarge.

This raises an attention-grabbing level about smartphones vs common cameras. Not solely are smartphones extra handy than cameras, being smaller, simpler to make use of (for essentially the most half), they’ve significantly better sharing options. Being consistently linked to a cellular community means you’ll be able to simply share photos right away, for a begin. Smartphones additionally beginning to chip away on the areas of pictures that had been beforehand solely attainable with a “correct” digital camera.

If digital camera firms don’t begin embracing computational pictures, then individuals are going to start out asking questions like “Why do I would like to make use of a devoted digital camera to attain this, when my cell phone can already do it? And it’s considerably simpler as effectively…” The Google Pixel 6 can be cheaper than most ‘correct’ cameras, although in equity the lowered picture high quality and controls and the dearth of interchangeable lenses must be taken into consideration too.

Google Pixel 6 Night time sight shot, 1/11s, f/1.85, ISO299

Along with Movement, the digital camera additionally contains a Night time sight mode which has been a characteristic on Google Pixel telephones for a very long time. The evening sight mode allows you to take low-light evening pictures with out the necessity of a tripod, resembling pictures of the evening sky filled with stars, or different low-light scenes. Utilizing the evening sight mode, which mixes a number of photos, you’ll be able to typically find yourself with a picture that has a hyper-HDR look, relying what’s in your scene, as proven above.

Night time stars, handheld, night-mode, 1/3s, f/1.8, ISO3759, 24mm equal

Launched with the Google Pixel 4 was an extra astrophotography mode that might ship much more spectacular star pictures, and the digital camera will robotically detect when it’s secure, after which enable for even longer exposures capturing extra element. Utilizing the smartphone on a tripod, the digital camera determined to take a 4 minute publicity, producing the picture beneath utilizing a a lot decrease ISO velocity, which is enormously improved over the hand-held shot, As well as, the digital camera robotically produced a brief timelapse of the celebs transferring throughout the sky!

Pixel 6 Astrophotography mode, tripod mounted, 16s, f/1.8, ISO129, 24mm equal (click on to enlarge)

The portrait mode provides a powerful stage of background blur (or bokeh), and for essentially the most half this works effectively sufficient, giving a extra spectacular trying picture in comparison with an ordinary picture, however for individuals who are used to utilizing portrait lenses on “actual cameras” the impact received’t be as enticing, notably across the topic’s hair, the place tremendous element can typically be blurred, giving an unnatural look.

Portraits additionally profit from improved pores and skin tones and hues as a part of Google’s new “Actual Tone” designed to raised replicate the great thing about all pores and skin tones. Nevertheless, saying this, photos and pores and skin tones can look overly HDR’d at instances, and selfies can lack element (as a result of 8MP selfie digital camera). In case you do use the LED flash, then this has a yellow tone which can provide your photos a hotter look.

Bishops Home: the digital camera provides heat tones right here. 1/2463s, f/1.85, ISO37, normal wide-angle digital camera (24mm equal)

Because the digital camera takes a number of photos for every shot and merges them collectively, you get considerably extra dynamic vary than you’d with a standard digital camera. The Pixel 6’s processing can imply that your photos look overly “HDR” and hues also can look a bit bit “off” for those who’re used to utilizing normal cameras and non-HDR settings. You do get the choice to shoot uncooked and JPEG photos, however no possibility to change off HDR, as even the uncooked DNG information usually are not true uncooked information, however as an alternative have HDR baked into them. You do not less than nonetheless get the advantages of computational pictures when opening uncooked information in Adobe Digicam Uncooked and Lightroom and so on.

Google Pixel 6, ultra-wide digital camera, 1/1176s, f/2.2, ISO51

The ultra-wide-angle digital camera doesn’t supply as large a view as a number of the most important rivals, with the iPhone 13 Professional providing a wider ultra-wide lens. Nevertheless, photos do look excellent, with colors matching the usual digital camera.

Google Pixel 6, large digital camera, 1/1011s, f/1.85, ISO38

The primary digital camera gives as much as 7x “Tremendous decision zoom” combining a number of photos to provide photos with extra element than normal digital zoom would. Nevertheless, we’d say that past 2x zoom, photos don’t look notably good, and so they aren’t a match for a real smartphone telephoto digital camera.

Google Pixel 6, 2x zoom, 1/348s, f/1.85, ISO38

Video gives 4K 60fps recording, with good picture stabilisation, in addition to good low-light efficiency. Whereas the digital camera robotically information video in HDR, it doesn’t supply the identical options as another smartphones. Google stated it was engaged on the video high quality, which was initially discovered to be barely missing in Jon Devo’s Google Pixel 6 Professional evaluation. Google says this can be a long run mission, and it could take a while to enhance.

Google Pixel 6 Verdict

General, the Pixel 6 takes glorious photos on a stage with flagship smartphones costing nearer £1000. Sure, you miss the telephoto digital camera on most different premium flagships, however for those who can stay with out this, you’re making a powerful saving, in addition to benefiting from a few of essentially the most spectacular computational pictures options appear on any digital camera, not to mention a smartphone.

The ultra-wide-angle digital camera provides nice outcomes, 1/1453s, f/2.2, ISO44, 16mm equal

One space the place the Pixel 6 might enhance, is by giving extra management to the person, as it will be good to have the ability to tone down the HDR look of photos, and a completely guide mode could be helpful, particularly if you wish to be taught extra about methods to take pictures, nonetheless, it appears to be like like this isn’t very seemingly. The selfie digital camera additionally lags behind some, as Samsung’s flagships supply AF, quite than fastened focus, and 4K video too.

Video is one other space the place the Pixel 6 is considerably missing. It is going to report 4K 60fps video with nice picture stabilisation however different smartphones supply extra, with the iPhone 13 collection and Samsung S21 collection main the way in which, providing numerous background blur and cinematic choices, in addition to 8K video on the Samsung.

However for stills pictures, the Pixel 6 nonetheless has imaging applied sciences to compete with costlier smartphones and, by way of intelligent computational imaging, common cameras.

Google Pixel 6 Specs