Tech
Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to launch September 13, reports suggest
The new phones are expected to return the Pixel line to its best-in-class status.
We’re still waiting on word of when Google will release the latest smartphones in its Pixel lineup, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Expectations are that the phones, which Google itself has teased, will be released in September. New reporting out of China pegs a specific global release date of September 13.
The Pixel 6 is supposed to be a return-to-form for Google’s halo brand. Pixel phones were always intended to represent the best that an Android smartphone could be, with premium hardware and minimal modifications to the operating system. But in recent years Google lagged behind other smartphone makers, and its Pixel phones started to lose their luster. Better phones could be had from the competition, and often for less money.
Google cares again — This year is supposed to be different. Of the new things we know for sure, the Pixel 6 will have a striking new design, courtesy of images the company released. It will also be Google’s first smartphone with a processor that was developed internally, which it claims will help improving image processing. The larger phone, the Pixel 6, will include a telephoto lens for far-away shots; both phones will be available in three colors.
We don’t know much else about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro at this point. Some rumored specs include 8GB and 12GB of RAM in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, respectively. They could also have 33-Watt fast charging.
Pricing isn’t known either, but The Verge says Google intends to offer the Pixel 6 at a “premium price.” For those who want a no-frills, budget smartphone, the company recently released the Pixel 5a (5G), a revamp of 2020’s Pixel 4a with improved specifications and a lower price of $450.
More soon — The new reporting on a Pixel 6 release date comes from a posting on the Chinese social network Weibo, which other websites have picked up.
Google may be able to beat Apple to the punch this year, if other reporting is true which indicates that company won’t release the iPhone 13 until September 24. Not that anyone is really switching from iOS to Android in droves, but Google could win over some people ready for something different. Android is strategically important for Google because it’s a vector through which to promote its vast services from Search to Maps.
