While Google’s first push into the smartphone world began as an endeavor to bring great software and performance at a more affordable price, the Pixel series has moved away from that in its primary devices. Now, they often cost the same as (or even more than) other budget-friendly devices that offer better paper specs and hardware options. With rumors of Google’s Whitechapel chip swirling, and leaks that point to a complete redesign of the phone’s outer body, we finally might get a true flagship contender from Google. The biggest question will be whether the company can pull it off without charging flagship prices.
Peak Performance
One of the most exciting things about the Google Pixel 6 is the possibility that Google finally will launch a smartphone featuring an internally made silicon chip, in the same vein as Apple’s Bionic A-series or even the M1 chip. If Google can create a chip in-house that is as powerful as the leading options from companies like Qualcomm and MediaTek, it could put it at a significant advantage over the competition. Furthermore, having a chip designed in-house, just for its phone, could allow the company to create different ways for its phone and software to take advantage of the chipset’s power. It also could lower costs, overall, since the chip wouldn’t be purchased from a third-party source, allowing Google more room to work with the performance it offers. Of course, nothing is official just yet, but there is hope that an announcement soon will shed some light on the Pixel 6 and the future of Whitechapel chipsets.
Rudderless No More
Despite trying to set itself apart on the software side of things, Google Pixel devices have been some of the most notorious for simply being black rectangles with screens on them. On top of the simple design, in recent years, the Pixel phones have become more and more difficult to distinguish amongst themselves, making it difficult for consumers to figure out which would best fit their needs. That could all change soon, though, as renders from Jon Prosser, a well-known leaker, have given us a glimpse at a completely new design for the Pixel 6 that finally could make it stand out from Pixel devices of the past. Prosser debuted the new design using renders created by @RendersByIan in a YouTube video, where he showcases a horizontal camera bump situated across the back of the phone. The back panel fingerprint scanner that has long been a staple on the Pixel phones reportedly will now be replaced by an under-display fingerprint scanner, similar to those seen on other Android phones. Much like the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, the Pixel 6 will include a circle-cut camera in the center of an almost bezel-less screen that reaches from edge to edge on the device, Prosser says. He also reports that the Pixel 6 will include two phone models (as is standard with Pixel devices), but instead of the usual XL branding, Google will go with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. No specs are known just yet, but even a change in the phone’s overall design could lead to some positive moves in the future. We’ll know more as soon as Google releases an official announcement (but who knows when that will be). If the rumors and leaks we’ve seen do play out to be true, we could be seeing a complete refresh of the Pixel lineup and a move away from the more budget-friendly devices that we’ve seen in the past. Which, honestly, I don’t think is entirely a bad thing, so long as Google continues to offer that more affordable option for those who want it.
