what has changed between Android flagships

The Pixel line update in 2021 changed the reference cell phone of the Android ecosystem both in terms of aesthetics and hardware, with highlights including the new design, the debut of Google's own Tensor processor and a photographic set that finally received a resolution upgrade.

But before we address the differences point by point (pixel by pixel?), we have prepared a table comparing the technical specifications of the devices:

	Duel of generations
Model
Photo
Screen	6.4-inch OLED 1,080 x 2,400 pixels (411 DPI) at 90 hertz	6.0-inch OLED 1,080 x 2,340 pixels (432 DPI) at 90 hertz
SoC	Google Tensor 2x ARM Cortex-X1 @ 2.80 GHz 2x ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2.25 GHz 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.80 GHz 20x ARM Mali-G78 (GPU)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 1x ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz 1x ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2.2 GHz 6x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8 GHz Adreno 620 (GPU)
Memory (varies by region)	8 GB LPDDR5 128 GB or 256GB UFS 3.1	8GB LPPDR4X 128GB UFS 2.1
Micro SD	n/d
Main camera	50 MP | f/1.85 | 25mm | 1.2 µm | 82° FoV | OIS (Samsung GN1 sensor: 1/1.31'')	12.2 MP | f/1.7 | 27mm | 1.4 µm | 77° FoV | OIS
Ultra wide angle	12MP | f/2.2 | 16.3mm | 114° FoV	16 MP | f/2.2 | 16.5mm | 107° FoV
Telephoto lens	n/d
Video	4K @ 60fps (rear) 1080p @ 30 fps (front)	4K @ 60fps (rear) 1080p @ 30 fps (front)
Selfies	8 MP | f/2.0 | 1.12 µm | 84° FoV
Audio	Stereo speakers
Battery	4,614 mAh	4,080 mAh
Wired charging	Max 30 watts	Max. 18 watts
Wireless charging (Qi)	Max 21 watts	Max 12 watts
Pros	Striking design Well-calibrated 6.4-inch 90Hz AMOLED display High-performance Tensor CPU without overheating Pixel-like photo rendering Good battery life 5 years of security updates IP68 + wireless and reverse charging Competitive price (abroad)	Great camera Improved autonomy of use Software and hardware optimizations Compact size
Cons	Photo module not versatile enough without telephoto lens Slow charging and no adapter in the box Unnatural Night Mode for Night Photos 128GB storage without microSD reader Only 3 Android updates	Performance below flagships Zoom is not that efficient No facial recognition unlocking Refresh rate of “only” 90 Hz
Assessment	Go to review	Go to the review (in English)
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Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 5: Models and Prices

In addition to including a Pro version of the Pixel 6, Google has segmented the options for sale, both in terms of colors and storage, according to the (few) countries where the phone is sold. But generally speaking, the regular Pixel 6 is available in two storage versions, compared to just one for the Pixel 5.

The price was one of the points that caught the most attention at the launch of the Pixel 6. There was an expectation that the use of a top-of-the-line processor — instead of the intermediate Snapdragon 765G — could make the device more expensive, along with the other upgrades, but that was not what happened.

While in Europe the 2021 model is slightly more expensive than the Pixel 5, in the United States the Pixel 6 costs $100 less than its predecessor. And needless to say, neither of them are officially available for sale in Brazil.

Pixel 6 vs Pixel 5: Focus on the camera

Although the Pixel 6's biggest upgrade is likely to be in the SoC — which we'll cover later — the Pixel line has become famous for its cameras, so it's worth starting with the changes to the camera setup of the last two generations of Google phones.

In addition to the all-new look of the camera module, the Pixel 6 features different sensors and lenses than its predecessor, while still maintaining the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle duo of the Pixel 5. For the first time in the family, Google has left behind the 12-megapixel main sensor, equipping the Pixel 6 with a 50-megapixel resolution.

Unlike what happens in mid-range cell phones, the increase in resolution was accompanied by a significant increase in the size of the sensor — which can explain not only the different layout of the cameras, but also the thickness of the photographic module —, the Samsung GN1 with a measurement of 1/1.31'', resulting in a reduction in the size of individual pixels from 1.4 µm (Pixel 5) to 1.2 µm (Pixel 6).

In practice, the Pixel 6 uses the Pixel Blending feature (pixel binning) to generate 12 megapixel images (with “2.4 µm” pixels), and the results are very good, something highlighted in the review by my colleague Antoine Engels, with a good level of detail and good control of the dynamic range and colors.

In addition to the larger sensor, the computational resources of the Tensor processor bring exclusive features to the Pixel 6, for example the option to erase unwanted people and objects, Motion Mode and the Face Unblur feature, which promises to say goodbye to blurry faces in photos.

Pixel 6 vs Pixel 5: Tensor SoC debuts

Even with all the attention given to the camera, the biggest leap forward for the Pixel 6 over its predecessor is probably the processor. In place of the mid-range Snapdragon 765G, there's the Tensor, a truly top-of-the-line processor designed by Google.

Despite having the same two Cortex-A76 cores as Qualcomm's chip, Tensor differentiates itself from the Snap 765G by replacing two power-saving Cortex-A55 cores with two high-performance Cortex-X1 CPUs, offering performance on par with the Snapdragon 888 chip found in most 2021 Android flagships.

The performance difference should be more noticeable in heavy tasks such as video processing, applying filters to high-definition images and especially games, in which the Pixel 5 had lower performance even than the Pixel 4 — equipped with the Snapdragon 855 SoC.

For everyday tasks, the Pixel 6 leaves the Pixel 5 behind not only by using more powerful CPUs, but also by using the UFS 3.1 storage standard, which is more modern and faster than the UFS 2.1 on the Pixel 5, which should result in faster app opening times.

Another big difference between the Pixels, literally, is in the dimensions, the Pixel 5 looks like a compact smartphone next to its successor. The 6-inch screen of the 2020 model gave way to a 6.4-inch display on the Pixel 6, influencing the measurements of the devices.

The Pixel 6 is about 10% taller and deeper, and nearly 6% wider, while weighing 37% more. The increase in dimensions allowed for not only a larger OLED display (with equivalent resolution and refresh rate specs), but also a larger battery.

Pixel 6 vs Pixel 5: Battery and other differences

The Pixel 6's battery capacity is 4,614mAh, which is nearly 13% more than the Pixel 5's 4,080mAh. Not only is the battery bigger, but the Pixel 6 supports higher charging wattages, both wired (30W vs 18W) and wireless (21W vs 12W). Both phones offer reverse wireless charging, which is designed to power the charging case of Qi-compatible headphones, such as the Pixel Buds.

Other important points to consider are the new location of the fingerprint reader, which for the first time has moved from the back of the device to be embedded in the screen. For those who care about symmetry, in addition to the changes on the back with the camera, the display now has a centered cutout for the selfie camera.

Conclusion

The Pixel 6 marks an important evolution for Google's smartphone lineup, not only due to the considerable leap in specifications and camera features, but mainly due to the adoption of its own processor, leaving behind the intermediate Snapdragon shared between the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G/5a 5G.

Even more importantly, the improvements were achieved without a radical change in prices, which in some markets have fallen considerably. The model also gained an option with more storage space, although still without the possibility of expansion with memory cards.

For some people, however, the increase in size and weight of the Pixel 6 — and even more so in the Pro version — may be a negative point of the new generation of Google's flagship phone. But by all indications, this is an irreversible trend.