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On October 19, 2021, Google lifted the curtains on the Pixel 6 Pro during a virtual Made By Google event, marking a significant milestone in its smartphone lineup.

The Pixel 6 Pro represents Google’s most luxurious and advanced smartphone offering to date, introducing the “Pro” moniker for the very first time. This shift comes after the last Pixel XL model, the Pixel 4 XL, appeared in 2019, signaling a new direction in Google’s naming strategy.

Notably, the Pixel 6 Pro is the inaugural device to be powered by Google’s bespoke Tensor SoC, signaling a bold step into hardware innovation with promises of at least four years of updates, among other advantages.

Dive into the essential details about the Pixel 6 Pro as we explore what makes it a landmark device in Google’s smartphone evolution.

When can I buy the Pixel 6 Pro?

Pre-orders for the Google Pixel 6 Pro will start on October 19, and be available in stores and online starting on October 28 in the US.

Other countries will likely get availability for the Pixel 6 Pro in the coming weeks.

How much does the Pixel 6 Pro cost?

The leaks were wrong. Many leaks had the Pixel 6 Pro pegged at well over a grand, but that’s not the case. Google is selling the Pixel 6 Pro starting at $899. With the 256GB model likely for $999 and the 512GB at $1099. That makes the Pixel 6 Pro pretty competitive with other flagship smartphones on the market. For example, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is $1099, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is $1199.

Google says that the Pixel 6 Pro sets a new bar for Pixel phones, but it’s still the same price as the Pixel 4 XL was two years ago. The Pixel 5 wasn’t available as a high-end, larger smartphone, so we will compare it to the Pixel 4 XL.

Should I wait for a price drop?

Normally, we would say yes, wait for a price drop. Pixel smartphones typically drop in price pretty quickly after they go on sale in stores. However, this year, things are a bit different. With the global chip shortage, supply is likely going to be very constrained for the Pixel 6 Pro. And it wouldn’t be crazy to see scalpers buying them up and selling them for much more. Like they have done with the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X.

So our recommendation is, if you need a new phone, pre-order the Pixel 6 Pro. Or the Pixel 6 if you want the smaller phone. And don’t wait for Black Friday, as there may not be any available by then.

Where can I buy the Pixel 6 Pro?

Like previous Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 6 Pro will be available at all of the usual retailers and carriers. That includes the Google Store, Best Buy, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Carriers will most likely have some special deals for the Pixel 6 Pro. Make sure to check out their website to see what deals they have. As these will change pretty often. But we’d expect to see some sort of BOGO when you add a line and trade-in your current phone.

You will be able to finance the Pixel 6 through the Google Store if you purchase it on Google Fi. Otherwise, you’ll need to order it through a carrier to finance it.

What carriers will support the Pixel 6 Pro?

In the US, all three major carriers will support the Pixel 6. This includes AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. The Pixel 6 will support mmWave and Sub-6 5G networks. So you will get fast speeds from all three networks, on 5G.

In addition to that, a number of MVNO’s will also support the Pixel 6. That includes Straight Talk, Mint Mobile, Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, Google Fi and more. Though some of them will not sell the Pixel 6, so you will want to buy it unlocked from Google. We do know that Google Fi will sell it, but you can also bring an unlocked Pixel 6 over to Google Fi.

What colors does the Pixel 6 Pro come in?

The Google Pixel 6 Pro will be available in three colors this year: Stormy Black, Cloudy White and Sorta Sunny. Slightly different names from Google’s usual color names, but still pretty easy to tell what is what.

These are all two-toned finishes, which leaves the stormy black as a black and dark gray color. While the cloudy white is a white and a very light beige. Finally, there is the Sorta Sunny, which is yellow with a very light orange.

They are pretty unique colors this year, but still mostly sticking to Google’s usual options of having a black, white and a special color. In this case, the Sorta Sunny is the special color.

Pixel 6 Pro Group Image — Google Pixel 6 Pro colors

What about the specs?

Here are the specs for the Google Pixel 6 Pro.

	Google Pixel 6 Pro
Screen size	6.7-inch QHD+ OLED 90Hz
Dimensions	163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm
Weight	210g
Processor	Google Tensor SoC
RAM	12GB
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Cameras	50MP (Main), 48MP (Telephoto), 12MP (Ultrawide)
Battery	5000mAh; Qi wireless charging
Security & OS Updates	5 Years of Pixel updates
Colors	Stormy Black, Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny
Price	$1049
Release Date	October 28

What updates has Google Pixel 6 Pro received?

Google has pushed out several updates to the Pixel 6 Pro since it was released in October 2021. Google has also promised that the Pixel 6 Pro will get Android updates until October 2024, meaning Android 15 is likely to be its last. And Security Updates until October 2026.

November 2021: The November Security Update was pushed out.
January 2022: The January Security Update as well as a huge bug fixing update was released.
February 2022: Google released the February 2022 security update.
March 2022: Google pushed out the latest security update.
April 2022: Google pushed out the April 2022 security update, which was based on Android 12.1.
May 2022: Google’s May 2022 update was pushed out to Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.
June 2022: The June 2022 update was pushed out along with the latest feature drop.
July 2022: The July 2022 security update made it out to the Pixel 6 series.
August 2022: The August 2022 security update and Android 13 was pushed out to Pixel 6 Pro.
September 2022: Google pushed out the latest security fixes.
October 2022: Pixel 6 Pro received the October 2022 security update.
November 2022: The November 2022 security update was released.
December 2022: Google released the December 2022 security update and the latest Feature Drop for Pixel 6 Pro.
January 2023: Google released the January 2023 Security update.
February 2023: The February 2023 security update was released based on Android 13.
March 2023: Google released yet another Feature Drop, along with the March 2023 Security update.
April 2023: Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro received the April 2023 security update.
May 2023: Pixel 6 series received the May 2023 Security update.
June 2023: The June 2023 security update was released, along with a new Feature Drop.
July 2023: Google released the July 2023 security update to Pixel 6.
August 2023: The August 2023 security update was released.
September 2023: The September 2023 security update was released, and was supposed to come with Android 14 but that was delayed.
October 2023: Google released Android 14, along with the October Feature Drop and the October 2023 Security Update.
November 2023: Google released the November 2023 Security Update, based on Android 14.
December 2023: The final update for 2023 arrives in the form of a security update.
January 2024: Google releases the January 2024 security update, along with the first Feature Drop of the year.
February 2024: Google pushes out the February 2024 security update.
March 2024: The Pixel 6 series receives the March 2024 security update and a new Feature Drop.
April 2024: Google releases the April 2024 security patch for Pixel devices.
May 2024: The May 2024 security patch starts rolling out to Pixels.
June 2024: Google releases the next Feature Drop for Pixel devices, including Reverse Phone Number Lookup
July 2024: The July 2024 security update starts rolling out.

What new features did Google add to the Pixel this year?

Google really focused on the camera this year, which makes sense. That’s because this is the first year that Google has actually updated the camera sensor in the Pixel since the Pixel 2, which was released back in 2017. So there are a lot of changes to the camera this year, and a few new modes, too.

New camera features

The camera has always been a big focus of the Pixel smartphones. And this year, there are a few new features available to help you take full advantage of these new sensors.

First up is Magic Eraser, which is an AI-powered tool that will automatically suggest objects to remove with just a tap. Google will also allow you to manually circle and object to remove it. Allowing you to get rid of those photobombers after you have taken the photo.

Google has also announced Face Unblur for the Pixel 6 series. This will allow you to change the blur after you take the picture to make sure that the face is not blurred. This can be an issue if you are taking a photo with people at different distances from the camera.

Real Tone is here to help you photograph all different skin colors. Typically, cameras will show a bias towards those that are lighter skinned. With the Pixel 6, Google worked with a diverse set of expert image makers and photographers to tune their Auto White Balance, AE and stray light algorithms to ensure that Google’s camera and imagery products work for everyone. This feature cannot be disabled, however.

Google has also improved video this time around. Thanks to the new chipset that Google designed for Pixel, HDRnet is able to be processed live on 4K video. That is going to provide you with rich, vivid colors, improved night time performance and enhanced tone mapping.

There are also a few features that are exclusive to the Pixel 6 Pro. That includes 4X Optical Zoom. This is exclusive because the Pixel 6 does not have a telephoto sensor. Allowing you to shoot at 0.7x, 1x, 2x, or 4x. And you can take ultrawide selfies along with 4K video on the front-facing camera.

Material You

This is not exclusive to the Pixel 6, but Material You is here with Android 12. Basically, the theme of your Pixel 6 will change based on your wallpaper. The operating system is designed to take out some highlight colors and use it for the clock on the lock screen, the quick toggles in the notification shade and even within apps.

So you can change your wallpaper and really completely change your entire phone’s look and feel.

Privacy Dashboard

This is another Android 12 feature that will be available on every Android 12-powered smartphone. However, the Privacy Dashboard will clearly show you what permissions were used in the past 24 hours. You can see how often something like your location was used. By clicking on each permission, you can see what app used it and when.

Additionally, Google has also added indicators to the status bar, that indicate when the camera and/or microphone are being used. This will help you find those apps that are using those permissions and shouldn’t be.

Recorder

Recorder is one of our favorite apps that debuted on the Pixel 4 two years ago. And now it has gotten even better. It now supports English, Japanese and German. Recorder also allows you to share a video clip to social media.

How long will I get updates for?

One of the issues with Android smartphones has always been updates. Most smartphone makers do promise two years of updates now, and Samsung moved to three years starting with the Galaxy S21 this year. But Apple is killing everyone, having updated its iPhone 6S to iOS 15. That is a 6 year old phone.

Google is finally catching up to Apple though, this year. Promising at least four years of OS updates, and at least five years of security updates. That means that your Pixel 6 will get updated at least until Android 16 in 2025.

That’s pretty impressive for Google, but how is this major jump possible? One word. Tensor. Now that Google is controlling every bit of hardware and software on the Pixel 6, it can guarantee updates for longer periods. Unlike when they used Qualcomm chipsets, they would have to wait for Qualcomm to release binaries for those SoCs before they could work on an update. That is the case for every manufacturer too.

That’s something that Apple had over Google and the rest of Android. It makes every part of the iPhone from hardware to software. So it can really dictate how things are done. And now we’re starting to see that from Google starting with the Pixel 6.

Now, Google says four years of OS updates, but in all honesty, you might see even more. The Pixel (the original Pixel) was only supposed to get two years, but got at least three years of updates. So this is huge for Google.

What cases are available for the Pixel 6 Pro?

Google will of course offer its popular cases for the Pixel 6 Pro. And they do sort of match the colors of the Pixel 6. But there are other cases available too. Here’s a small handful of Pixel 6 Pro cases that you can pick up for your new phone.

Google Case

Google is not releasing fabric cases anymore for the Pixel. Instead, it uses a plastic case that is made from 100% recycled material. So you can pick up a first-party case and protect your Pixel, and it’s also good for the environment.

These cases come in three different colors, for each Pixel 6 Pro model. The Pixel 6 Pro cases come in Stormy Sky, Light Frost and Soft Sage. The soft Sage is a really nice color, and would look great on last year’s Pixel 5 in Sorta Sage.

Spigen Liquid Air Armor

The Spigen Liquid Air Armor is another popular option, and it’s under $20. This is a matte black case, so if you’re not one for colors, then this is a good option too. This is a pretty slim case, and has military grade protection. So you can drop your phone and not worry about it breaking. As this case will keep it in tact.

Spigen Liquid Air Armor - Amazon

Caseology Vault Protective Case

If you want a case that is a bit more protective against the elements and potential drop, there’s also the Caseology Vault case. This is a case that they make for just about every phone. And it looks really nice. It adds a nice bit of grip to the back, and comes in sage green, black and grey.

Caseology Vault Protective Case - Amazon

Spigen Ultra Hybrid

If you decide to get the Sorta Seafoam or Kinda Coral options, then this is the case you’ll probably want. It’s a clear case from Spigen, so you can still show off the color of your new Pixel 6 smartphone. It does have reinforced sides and corners. So that if you do drop your new Pixel 6, you’ll be covered.

Spigen Ultra Hybrid - Amazon

Should I buy the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro?

Now, the big question is whether you should buy the Pixel 6 or the Pixel 6 Pro. There are some major differences between the two, actually.

You should buy the Pixel 6 if you don’t want to spend a grand on a new phone if you want a smaller screen, and if you don’t want a telephoto camera. If money isn’t an issue, and you want a bigger screen (and battery), then the Pixel 6 Pro is going to be the better option for you.