Pixel 6 Pro performance expectations, screen specs, and more emerge

Pixel phones are prone to leaks. We’ve known it for years at this point and with the leak-fest that was the Pixel 3 and 3XL, things have only continued to drip out about Google’s hardware well before release dates ever happen. With 2021 in full swing and the fall months not really that far off (sorry, I know we’re just starting summer, but let’s face it: 4 months just isn’t far away), it makes sense that Google’s hardware lineup is already starting to make the rounds in leaker culture.

Jon Prosser kicked things off with the first renders of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, followed by 91Mobiles and @OnLeaks showcasing CAD-based renders last week. The specs have been minimal up to this point, but we do know that we can expect what looks to be a 6.67-inch Pro and 6.4-inch standard Pixel. There are 3 cameras on the big one and 2 on the smaller, but we’ve not had any other specifics for either device before now.

On the Mobile Tech Podcast, Max Weinbach weighed in on what he knows about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro from insiders he’s connected to. While Max hasn’t outright published anything on the new Google phones just yet, he has corroborated many of the reports that have already gone out and made it quite clear that not only are the phones legit, the processors inside (Whitechapel GS101) and the accompanying Pixel Watch are as well.

On the podcast, Max goes a bit deeper on the Whitechapel GS101 processor, noting it is indeed based on a 5nm process, it is made by Samsung, and it should slot itself between the Snapdragon 865 and 888 from a sheer numbers perspective. While some outlets like Tech Radar feel that is a bit of a letdown, I actually see this as a win. This is Google’s first in-house SoC for a phone and I wasn’t exactly expecting them to demolish Qualcomm on the first try.

What needs to be noted is the fact that this chip isn’t being built for 20 different phone models: it is being built for one. With this in mind, though, the on-paper speed of Whitechapel may fall a bit beneath the Snapdragon 888 on paper, but it could best it in real-world performance because of the vertical integration Google will have with Pixel phones this year. Remember, Qualcomm makes the Snapdragon chips and phone makers must bend to what Qualcomm decides to do with their cores. With the GS101, Google will have full control of how the chip is to be leveraged, and that’s a big deal when it comes to actually using a device.

Apple’s awesome M1 chip isn’t always better than 11th-gen Intel devices on paper, but when it comes to actually putting it through the paces in Apple’s own MacOS on Apple’s own Macbooks, the performance is staggeringly fast. Chips from vendors like Intel and Qualcomm can be insanely fast but lose performance benefits when actually deployed to real-world devices and used by everyday people. Vertical integration of SoCs, hardware, and software can leverage silicon in unique ways and make the experience of using the device better than you’d expect from a spec sheet.

Additionally, Wienbach reports the larger Pixel 6 Pro will also come equipped with a 120hz screen and employ a QHD resolution versus the smaller Pixel 6’s FHD screen. Finally, the Pixel 6 Pro will also be getting a 5000mAh battery, so all-day battery should be no issue whatsoever. Add this stuff to the existing knowledge that Pixel 6 and 6 Pro should come with all-new camera setups and under-screen fingerprint scanners and you have a package that should make a big splash come this fall. I don’t know about you, but that gets me really, really stoked for Google’s next phone!

VIA: Tech Radar