Pixel 6 and 6 Pro: Google announces Tensor-powered phones

Google doesn’t typically announce new Pixel phones until later in the year, usually around October. But, in 2021, nothing makes sense anymore. Google on Monday announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google didn’t unveil the price or a specific launch date for the pair of phones — but the search giant did reveal quite a bit about the latest additions to the Pixel line in a blog post that was primarily aimed at revealing some details about the phones. More importantly, it announced Tensor, Google’s first mobile processor. 

Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will forgo using a Qualcomm processor, opting for a chip that Google designed in-house instead. Google’s referring to its own chip as Tensor and the company touts the ability to customize the chip and its features as a reason for the move. For example, the Tensor processor is customized for Pixel’s computational photography features, giving Pixel users what they’ve grown accustomed to, but also pushing the features further. 

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro also boast a new design with a camera bump that goes across the back of the phone in a single line, instead of the camera square array we’ve seen on most smartphones as of late (including the Pixel 5). The reason for the change is due to larger sensors and lenses. By switching to the new design, Google has enough room in the so-called “camera bar.”

Google stopped short of publishing an official spec sheet for both phones but did reveal some of the features we should expect when these phones hit the market later this year. 

For example, the 6 Pro has three cameras, one of which is a telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom. The standard Pixel 6 has the same setup, minus the telephoto lens. There are three different color combinations for each model. ZDNet’s sister site CNET reports that the phones will come with a 6.4-inch or 6.7-inch display and are 5G capable. 

Google’s announcement said it would unveil more information, including full specifications, pricing, and release date later this year. 

Until then, what do you think about Google’s announcement? Between the new design and the switch to Tensor, there’s a lot to digest here. Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

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