We've seen leaked images of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, but some of the specific details regarding the specs for the phones have eluded us.
Not surprisingly, it is Jon Prosser of FrontPageTech that appears to have cracked nearly the full specifications for both phones. If accurate, this is great news for those that were hoping the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro would finally take the Pixel into full flagship territory.
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The typical warnings apply that these are specifications obtained from unnamed sources and can't be verified by us. While Prosser has a solid track record, he has had some notable misses as well including his recent projection that MacBook Pros would launch at WWDC 2021. With that said, the amount of corroboration we've seen for his originally leaked Pixel 6 images suggests he has a solid source on this Pixel 6 project.
Google Pixel 6 specs
Even the basic model gets a significant step up from last year's Pixel 5. It will have a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, 8GB of RAM, and a new custom "Whitechapel" processor. While rumors have pointed to it coming up short of the Snapdragon 888 on raw power, it will still be a massive upgrade from the Snapdragon 765G and Google's custom tinkering is a real wildcard.
The phone will come in two storage tiers, either 128GB or 256GB. Battery life shouldn't be a concern with a 4,614 mAh battery, which is, again, a massive jump from the 4,080mAh in the Pixel 5 and something Google has traditionally skimped on.
The cameras are the final spec offered up by Prosser with a 50MP primary wide-angle lens and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Unfortunately, he didn't offer any additional details regarding the exact sensors or apertures. However, it at least represents a break from the camera hardware Google has stuck with for years, which is encouraging.
Google Pixel 6 Pro specs
The Pixel 6 Pro earns its name with its larger 6.71-inch Plastic OLED display, suggesting this one comes from LG. Previous rumors have said this will offer a 120Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution, but Prosser had none of these specifics. The Pixel 6 Pro bumps up to 12GB of RAM and features the "Whitechapel" processor. This will be by far the largest and most powerful Pixel ever released.
The Pixel 6 Pro gets a third storage tier adding a 512GB option, the most we've seen on a Pixel. The battery also makes the jump to 5,000mAh, matching up evenly with flagships like the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Cameras are the other big differentiator for the Pixel 6 Pro which adds a telephoto lens. The other two sensors are presumably identical; Prosser lists them as a 50MP wide-angle and 12MP ultra-wide, but that 48MP telephoto makes a big difference. While Google tried to make up for the lack of a telephoto with its digital zoom in the past, I've covered why you need a telephoto zoom on your phone. Again, I'd love more specifics on these sensors, but I'm just thrilled to see changes.
The final big news from Prosser is that Google will allegedly commit to at least five years of software updates for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. While this still comes up shy of Apple's update track record for the iPhone, it eclipses Samsung's four years of security updates and three major OS updates. That would be a tremendous selling point for the Pixel 6 particularly if this means five years of major OS updates.
We'll be keeping a careful eye out for any additional news on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro and watching the calendar as we close on the likely October launch for these devices, but for now, I'll just say thanks to Google for listening to me when I said I wished it would make a flagship smartphone.
