Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro Rumors and Leaks
The Pixel 5 – my current daily driver – is a great phone. It is very understated, though; it does its thing and it does it well. But like a reliable Hyundai it isn’t designed to drop jaws and impress. Instead, it focusses on value for money and getting the core things right.
In 2021, however, we could be due a shakeup to how Google does Pixel phones. The Pixel 5a is coming – and will almost certainly be a combination of the Pixel 4a and the current Pixel 5 – but we also have the Pixel 6 to think about.
And because I use the Pixel 5, I often find myself wondering what the Pixel 6 will be like?
Here’s everything that is currently known about the Pixel 6, including all the latest leaks and updates – all the newest updates are at the top (and we’ll be updating this post regularly, so bookmark it if you wanna stay on top of the Pixel 6 rumors).
Latest Pixel 6 Leaks & News
March 10th – Pixel 6 To Feature Centrally Mounted Selfie Camera
The latest rumor about the Google Pixel 6 relates to its front-facing camera. According to leaked data, the Pixel 6 – unlike all Pixels before it – will feature a centrally-mounted front-facing selfie camera.
Like the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a, the Pixel 6’s selfie camera will be of the hole-punch variety, sitting squarely in the middle of its OLED display at the top of the phone. Previously, on the Pixel 5, it was located on the left side of the screen.
Nothing has been said about spec improvements for the Pixel 6’s selfie camera but we’d expect Google to up the megapixels and perhaps include some fancier bells and whistles of the kind found on Xiaomi’s new Mi 11 phone.
February 28th – Google Might Revive XL For Pixel 6, Hopes For Pixel 6 XL
Google ditched its XL models last year, focussing instead on delivering value for money and a simpler, stripped-down buying journey. You basically had two options (and three potential phones): the Pixel 5 or the Pixel 4a, or, if you wanted a budget phone that also had 5G, the Pixel 4a 5G.
In 2021, however, this could change with the return of the Pixel 6 XL, if rumors are to be believed. Given that Apple now makes a massive iPhone, and Samsung has one too, as well as Xiaomi, it would make sense for Google to follow suit.
Android fans, especially, like their phones on the larger side, so not having an XL option for its new Pixel phone doesn’t make much sense. Google’s decision to not do a Pixel 5 XL was based on the fact that its previous XL models hadn’t sold too well.
But the Pixel brand is now more established, so it is entirely possible that we’ll see a Pixel 6 XL launch in 2021, alongside the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 5a.
After using both the Pixel 3 XL and the Pixel 2 XL, I’d certainly be one of the first in line if Google did release a Pixel 6 XL in 2021.
February 20th – Will New Pixel 6 Feature Snapdragon 888 CPU?
Hopes about Google upping its CPU game in 2021 don’t look good. If you want a top of the line CPU, and you want an Android phone, Google’s current Pixel phones will not be on your list – they run on Qualcomm’s 765G platform.
Meanwhile, phones from Samsung and Xiaomi use the newer – and more powerful – Snapdragon 888 CPU. Could Google switch to a flagship CPU in 2021 with its Pixel 6 line-up?
Don’t count on it! Word on the street suggests the Pixel 6 will run on Qualcomm’s as-yet-unofficial Snapdragon 775 CPU.
February 14th – Could The Pixel 6 Be The First Foldable Pixel Phone?
Another tantalising development concerning the Pixel 6, which, if true, would be the most exciting thing that has happened to Google’s Pixel phones is the idea of foldable Pixel phones launching in 2021.
According to multiple sources, Google is actively testing a foldable Pixel 6. Whether this phone ever sees the light of day, however, remains to be seen. But given that Google is in charge of Android development, it is ideally placed to really make a foldable phone concept work.
And if it can beat Samsung and Huawei on the price front, maybe get the phone to market for less than $1000, it could well be on to a winner. Microsoft’s Surface Duo has been shown to be something of a swing and miss, but there is definitely scope for a foldable Pixel.
Google will just need to get both the price and the design right. If it can do this, it could well earn itself a few new users in the process. Plus, no one company has yet retained control of the foldable market space. Samsung is out in front but its sales aren’t great.
If Google could create something affordable and foldable that runs stock Android and get it to market with the right RRP, it could make a huge difference to how Google’s Pixel phones are perceived. Personally, I do not see this happening in 2021. Google is way too conservative with its phones these days.
Google Pixel 6 Release Date
When is the Pixel 6 coming? Based on Google’s past launch and release schedules, I’d expect to see the Pixel 6 announced during Q3 and getting a release date during October 2021 . This would be usual and in keeping with all of its previous launches.
The Pixel 5a, however, is set to launch earlier; the latest intelligence suggests the Pixel 5a will get a launch during June 2021.
