This Google Pixel 6 vs Google Pixel 6 Pro comparison is exactly what you need if you’re struggling to choose between last year’s flagship Google phones. These two phones have now been succeeded as flagships by the Google Pixel 7 and its bigger sibling the Google Pixel 7 Pro, which we think is one of the best phones around. But that doesn’t mean the older versions aren’t great devices, especially when you consider that they’re now dropping in price. In fact, while the Pixel 6 and 7 both start at the same $599 starting point, we’ve seen the Pixel 6 deals as low as $199 in the past, which represents incredible value for money. But first, you’ll need to decide which Pixel 6 to choose.
If you’re undecided as to which generation of Pixel you want, you’ll want to read our Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6 breakdown. Otherwise, read on.
We were impressed by both devices in our Google Pixel 6 review and Google Pixel 6 Pro review. In general, the Pixel 6 is a massive step up from its predecessors, featuring the Tensor chipset as well as a sleek new design, powerful cameras and some hardware and software tweaks to tie everything together. Obviously, as you’d expect from its “Pro” moniker, the Pixel 6 Pro contains a heftier battery, a bigger display and a telephoto camera.
There are lots of other differences between the two, though, so we’ve laid out the features, prices and tech specs below to help you decide between the two.
Google Pixel 6 vs Pixel 6 Pro: Price and release date
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are arguably a bargain compared to their contemporaries like the iPhone 13 or the Samsung Galaxy S21, but there’s still a $300 price gap between the two Pixel phones.
The base 128GB Google Pixel 6 starts at $599, with the option to pay more for 256GB of storage. The Pixel 6 Pro costs $899, with the option to pay for extra storage; only the Pixel 6 Pro goes up to 512GB.
Pre-orders for the Pixel 6 are now live if you’ve already made up your mind about the phone. The release date was 28 October 2021. See our Pixel 6 deals(opens in new tab) page for the biggest savings.
The two Pixel 6 models look fairly similar with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back and a prominent camera bar on the back that separates two color blocks.
You have different color options for the two phones. The Pixel 6 comes in Stormy Black, Sorta Seafoam and Kinda Coral, while the Pro model has Stormy Black, Cloudy White and Sorta Sunny.
The two models diverge in a couple of areas. The most obvious would be size, with the Pixel 6 sporting a 6.4-inch OLED display and the Pixel 6 Pro offering a 6.7-inch panel. The other big difference is the camera total — the Pixel 6 has two cameras on the back, while the Pixel 6 Pro gets three.
Aside from the sizes, the displays on both phones also differ. The Pixel 6 sports a 90Hz refresh rate, while the Pixel 6 Pro goes to 120Hz. You get an FHD+ resolution panel on the base Pixel 6, whereas you get a shaper QHD screen on the Pixel 6 Pro.
In our lab tests, the Pixel 6 turned in an average brightness reading of 497 nits with adaptive brightness turned off and 843 nits with the setting turned on. The Pixel 6 Pro turned in a similar 495.3 nits and 842 nits, respectively.
The Pixel 6 panel registered 100.9% and 70.1% of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, while the Pixel 6 Pro hit 104.2% and 73.8% on the same tests. And the two phones were equally matched in terms of color accuracy with scored of 0.28 and 0.3 on the Delta-E test (where 0 is perfect).
The basic Pixel 6 features two cameras on its back: a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The Pixel 6 Pro adds a third camera to this: a 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom. The standard Pixel 6 has up 7x digital zoom.
Both phones use single 12MP cameras on the front, but with different fields-of-view. The Pixel 6’s camera has an 84-degree FOV, while the Pixel 6 Pro gets a 94-degree FOV to fit more in frame.
There are new software abilities for these new cameras, too. Google has introduced a new Magic Eraser to help eliminate unwanted parts of photos, a Motion mode for long exposures and action shots, and Face Unblur to help bring definition to people’s faces that the camera didn’t quite capture.
There’s lots to dig into with the Pixel 6 range’s cameras, so check out our in-depth guide to all of the Google Pixel 6 camera upgrades. And be sure to check out our Pixel 6 review and Pixel 6 Pro review for photo comparisons with the iPhone 13.
