Google Previews Upcoming Pixel 6 With Custom Tensor SoC, Rear Camera Bar, In-Display Fingerprint Sensor and More

Google today previewed its next-generation Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which are set to launch later this year. These are Google's new flagship smartphones, with a redesign that includes a rear camera bar and tons of other new technologies.

Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be the first smartphones using Google's custom-designed Tensor SoC that was created specifically for the Pixel phones.

Google says that the Tensor chip is designed to process AI and ML models directly on the Pixel 6 phones, which will bring improvements to camera technology, speech recognition, and more. With the Tensor chip, Google says that voice commands, translation, captioning, and dictation will be much improved.

The Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch full-screen display with a 90Hz refresh rate, while the 6.7-inch Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both phones are larger than the 2020 Pixel 5, which was a 6-inch smartphone, and have an in-display fingerprint sensor and a Titan M2 security chip.

Each of the new smartphones is available in three color combos with a rear camera bar setup. The Pixel 6 Pro is equipped with wide, ultra wide, and telephoto camera lenses, and the telephoto lens has 4x optical zoom capabilities. The Pixel 6 lacks the telephoto lens, but both phones have an updated sensor that lets in 150 percent more light.

A Material You user interface will provide what Google says is a "fluid" experience for the colors, camera, and form factor of the new device.

Several sites, including Gizmodo, The Verge, and Business Insider were able to either test out the Pixel 6 or speak with Google executives about its capabilities, so those reviews are worth checking out for those who want to know more about Google's upcoming smartphones. The Verge has suggested that this is Google's first true attempt at a "competitive flagship phone."

Google has not yet provided a release date for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, but these new smartphones will directly compete with Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 lineup featuring the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Pricing is not yet available, but the Pixel 5 that came out last year cost $699, so Pixel 6 pricing could start at a similar level.