Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will use Google’s self-designed “Tensor” processor

Generally speaking, a new generation of smartphones will appear in the fall, but Google unexpectedly had news to share with us today. The company has just announced that not only will the Pixel 6 arrive in the fall, but it will also make the first Google-designed SoC chip called “Tensor.” It uses Google’s AI technology to achieve stronger and more integrated machine learning capabilities on the device. At a Tensor demonstration event, the editors of the main site got a chance to see the real face of the Pixel 6. Although they weren’t allowed to take pictures and film video, and Google didn’t share all the hardware specifications, we already know firsthand about the new generation of Pixels. Some new features have been added.

Firstly, the new generation Pixel will be split into two series, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google hasn’t provided the exact size of the two, but the larger Pro is about the same size as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Both are similar to the previously leaked renderings, but they are definitely more three-dimensional and reflective. At the center top of the back, there is a horizontal stripe about 2.5 cm wide in black, lime green or peach, and a black camera protrusion below it. According to Google’s blog post, the improved sensor and lens are too big to fit in a traditional “box.”

Of course, this means you still can’t hold the Pixel phone on the desktop, or it will tilt to one side as the camera protrudes, but at least it won’t tilt into a corner like the previous Pixel phones, and left and right. Won’t move right. The rest of the back is in lighter shades of pinkish green and pink to echo the horizontal stripes above, but the black version is still black.

As for the Pro product line, the contrast between the top and bottom of the back isn’t that strong, but the edges feature an Osterloh “high-gloss metal trim” design, and the edges of the camera protrusions are also highlighted. The available colors for the Pixel 6 Pro are black, white and light orange, and all Pixel 6 series seem to have glass back panels. The edge of the front screen has a slight curvature, and the front lens has been moved from the top left corner to the top center. It looks like Google doesn’t have a good name for color yet, but Osterloh said the marketing team is working on it.

As for the camera, Google is not ready to share information about the number of pixels or the size of the photoreceptors, only that they use larger photoreceptors than the previous generation, and the resolution will be even higher. Osterloh said that the Pixel 6’s main lens can amplify the amount of light by up to 150% compared to previous Pixel cameras, and both series also offer an ultra-wide-angle lens outside the main lens. It’s only 4x optical zoom. The telephoto lens, which is only available in Pro only, found it on the spot.

In addition to previous upgrades to the camera hardware, which have remained unchanged for several years, the Pixel 6 will also benefit from Tensor and have better photo processing capabilities. This includes how moving objects can be exposed more clearly and accurately in photos and videos. Google may also apply AI techniques, such as HDRNet, to video, to make use of even certain scenes with great contrast between bright and dark. Get the best balance.

Google has redesigned its speech recognition software and launched a new platform called SODA (Speech on Device API), which allows apps to use Tensor processors to bring about data center-level speech recognition. Not only that, it consumes only half the power in the past in the process of processing. Osterloh featured a new real-time subtitles plus real-time translation function. Not only can it directly add subtitles to all sounds on mobile phones, but also translate almost synchronously, without the need for cloud computing power.

There will also be a lot of upgrade in the listening and playing part. On the Pixel 6’s GBoard, you can press the microphone button once to complete spoken text, and then use voice commands like “send” or “clear” directly to trigger mobile phone actions . You can use the touch keyboard to correct typos while the microphone is still listening.

Hardware-related information such as CPU/GPU cores and clock, RAM size, battery size and usage duration will be announced at a later date, but Osterloh said Google knows that users will at least need to be able to run a full day of power. Hopefully, he is working hard in this direction as well. Osterloh also confirmed that the Pixel 6 will support 5G, but did not specify which frequency bands.

Although it’s not an official announcement, Google has told us a lot about the Pixel 6 series today – it includes a new design, a new camera, a new UI (Android 12), a new chip, and more. Osterloh is extremely excited about the arrival of the Pixel 6, and considers it the “definitive version” of the Google mobile phone, the ultimate goal product that Google has been trying to achieve for several years.