To Pixel 6 or to Pixel 6 Professional? That’s the query.
By now, you have little doubt heard lots about Google’s latest and greatest Pixels. So reasonably than repeat what you have already seen in a number of dozen different locations, I assumed we would deal with a purely sensible, real-world comparability for anybody torn between the 2 Pixel 6 fashions. I have been carrying round each the common Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Professional and dwelling with ’em for practically two weeks now, and I’ve collected some fairly telling observations that could be a bit completely different from the extra spec-oriented comparisons you have pored over elsewhere.
At the start, I would say this: A lot of conventional tech evaluations are likely to deal with measurement minutia and place the best emphasis on numerically pushed, goal variables. It is comprehensible, as that is a part of the job of the standard tech reviewer — and developing with an authoritative evaluation is actually simpler when you’ve got constant variables so as to add up and evaluate.
However I would additionally say this: That type of considering incessantly misses the forest for the bushes. As an precise tech-totin’ human, the quantity of RAM in a cellphone or the variety of pixels in its show will not imply a lot for you. All that actually issues is what the cellphone is wish to use in your day-to-day life. In distinction to all these goal measures, determining which cellphone is value carrying is an inherently subjective, experience-based judgment.
And that kind of considering is 100% what we’re gonna get into right here.
Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6 Professional: The muse
Earlier than we get going, I wish to step again for a second and rapidly run over the technical variations between the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional — simply to verify we’re all on the identical web page and to offer us a place to begin for this dialog. Then, we’ll break down how a lot all of those measurements do or do not matter and what you will really discover when utilizing the telephones in actual life.
On paper, the first variations between the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional are:
- The screens: The common Pixel 6 has a 6.4″ FHD+ show with a refresh charge that goes as much as 90Hz, whereas the Pixel 6 Professional has a 6.7″ QHD show with a refresh charge that goes as much as 120Hz.
- The dimensions: Together with the Professional’s bigger display comes a bigger physique, at 6.5″ tall by 3″ extensive and 0.4″ thick in comparison with 6.2″ by 2.9″ by 0.4″ on the common Pixel 6.
- The RAM: The Pixel 6 has 8GB of RAM whereas the Professional has 12GB.
- The cameras: The Professional has a higher-quality front-facing digicam together with an additional telephoto lens on its again aspect.
- The storage: The Professional goes as much as 512GB as an possibility for native cupboard space, whereas the common 6 tops out at 256GB. (Each telephones begin at 128GB.)
- The battery: The Professional has a 5003 mAh battery inside it, whereas the common Pixel 6 has a 4614 mAh energy middle.
Aside from that, the telephones are kind of the identical — similar Google-made processor, similar distinctive Android expertise, similar considerate and genuinely sensible characteristic additions, similar unmatched level of ongoing software support, and similar lack of added nonsense that you just see in most different Android gadgets (y’know, the always-fun stuff that compromises your privacy and makes for a messy, disagreeable, and often unprofessional virtual environment).
Bought it? Good. Now, with all of that in thoughts, let’s dive into how the telephones really differ.
Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6 Professional: The display and the physique
We’ll begin with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional shows and total sizes, as a result of that is the place you could be probably the most stunned by a few of these gadgets’ real-world variations. First issues first, the Professional’s show is certainly noticeably bigger than the common Pixel 6’s, although not by any kind of huge, experience-changing margin. It is also extra pixel-dense, however we’re speaking a degree of distinction that nobody with out Superman-level imaginative and prescient might discover.
I will take that very same considering a step additional: Typically, I do not suppose any regular individual would give any of the quality-related variations between the gadgets’ shows an oz of thought. Even when wanting on the two telephones aspect by aspect, I think most people would say, “Okay. The Professional’s display is a bit bit greater. Cool?”
JR Does dimension matter? The bigger Pixel 6 Professional, at left, and the common Pixel 6, at proper.
The identical holds true for these attention-demanding refresh charges. The Pixel 6 Professional’s 120Hz determine might sound spectacular on paper, however you are nearly actually not gonna discover the distinction between that and the Pixel 6’s 90Hz refresh charge in real-world use.
As for the concept of the Pixel 6 Professional supplying you with extra display area, here is an sudden actuality: The Pixel 6 Professional’s display really tends to be much less information dense than the common Pixel 6’s. In different phrases, in case you’re wanting on the similar precise net web page, e mail, or doc on each telephones, you will usually see barely extra of the content material on the common 6’s display than you’ll on the Professional’s (regardless that the person characters and parts are a bit bigger on the Professional).
JR Paradoxically, you find yourself seeing extra textual content on-screen on the similar time with the common Pixel 6, at left, than you do with the Pixel 6 Professional, at proper.
That apart, one factor you will completely discover is the form of every cellphone’s show. Extra particularly, the Professional’s display curves over on the edges — and that makes a really noticeable and significant distinction in what the machine is like to make use of.
First issues first, credit score the place credit score’s due: The curved smartphone display actually seems to be futuristic, cool, and becoming for a “premium” product. Heck, it is type of a technological surprise! The issue is that from a sensible perspective, it really makes the cellphone significantly much less pleasant to each your fingers and your eyes.
JR Livin’ on the sting: The Pixel 6 Professional’s curved display, at left, subsequent to the common Pixel 6’s flat show.
Visually talking, the curved show incessantly causes textual content to be more durable to learn and pictures, movies, and different content material to be awkwardly sloped over at their edges. This impact is not distinctive to the Pixel 6 Professional, both. It is simply the character of the know-how. It is a hanging instance of prioritizing form over function, and it is nearly a aid to return to a flat show after spending time with a curved one.
The opposite impact the Pixel 6 Professional’s curved display causes is an especially noticeable distinction in what the cellphone is like to carry in your sweaty meat-hooks in comparison with its smaller sibling. On account of that curved display, y’see, the Pixel 6 Professional has a a lot smaller straight-edged space of its body on the cellphone’s sides. For the reason that display is curved, the machine’s perimeter has extra of a slope to it and finally ends up feeling nearly uncomfortably sharp towards your palm once you maintain it.
This is a photograph exhibiting the Professional on prime and the common Pixel 6 on backside. See how the realm you really maintain towards your hand is a lot smaller and extra angled on the Professional in comparison with the common Pixel 6?
JR Aspect view: The Pixel 6 Professional, on prime, and the common Pixel 6, on backside.
On the common Pixel 6, the whole perimeter is mainly flat, and that’s what rests in your palm once you’re holding it. On the Professional, it’s only a tiny strip of flat perimeter with sloped edges main into it.
JR The a part of the cellphone that rests towards your palm on the Pixel 6 Professional (prime) vs. common Pixel 6 (backside).
Mixed with the Professional’s further top and width in comparison with the common Pixel 6, I’ve really discovered that my hand begins to cramp after holding that cellphone for some time — with one-handed use particularly however even once I’m hanging onto the factor in a single hand and actively swiping or tapping with the opposite.
And yet another factor on this similar topic: On the Professional, the floor of that body on the cellphone’s sides is shiny and shiny, which makes the fabric noticeably extra slippery than the common Pixel 6’s grippy, matte-finished various. For those who’re planning to place the Professional in a case, that’d masks most of that (apart from the curved show’s look, in fact). However in case you’re planning to make use of the cellphone with out something round it, you would possibly wish to give it some thought.
Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6 Professional: The digicam, the battery, and past
In order that’s the place the Professional seems like a little bit of a step down in comparison with the common Pixel 6. The place the Professional comes out forward is completely within the realm of the digicam.
Each telephones take phenomenal pictures, following within the custom of Google’s Pixel line — with some refined however significant enhancements over Pixels previous, each within the core high quality of the photographs the gadgets seize and within the instruments they supply you for fine-tuning and enhancing these pictures after the actual fact.
While you wish to zoom into one thing distant, although, the Pixel 6 has an enormous benefit.
I imply, simply look: This is the identical shot from the common Pixel 6:
JR A daily shot taken from the Pixel 6. (Click on picture to enlarge.)
…and from the Pixel 6 Professional:
JR A daily shot taken from the Pixel 6 Professional. (Click on picture to enlarge.)
Just about an identical, apart from the ever-so-slightly completely different positioning of my hand — proper? However then you definately zoom into Mr. Turtle, and — properly, here is what you get once you zoom all the best way in with the common Pixel 6:
JR A totally zoomed-in shot taken from the Pixel 6. (Click on picture to enlarge.)
…after which with the Professional:
JR A totally zoomed-in shot taken from the Pixel 6 Professional. (Click on picture to enlarge.)
So, yeah: a particular, vital distinction in relation to longer-range zooming. No query about it.
As for the remainder of the contrasts between the 2 gadgets, the RAM is nearly actually not gonna be one thing you will discover in common day-to-day use. I actually have not. Once I requested Google for context on what distinction the Pixel 6 Professional’s further 4GB of RAM would possibly make for anybody in sensible phrases, a Pixel workforce member advised me that 8GB is mostly lots for on a regular basis use and that the Professional’s extra reminiscence is generally there to assist energy the bigger, high-resolution show, which requires extra graphical assets. They did say there could be some impact with having the ability to preserve extra issues in lively reminiscence and thus change between apps extra rapidly when you’ve got numerous stuff open without delay, however any such distinction has been pretty refined and troublesome to detect for me.
That very same caveat is value retaining in thoughts in relation to the battery dimension as properly. Sure, the Professional has a bigger battery — but it surely additionally has bigger energy necessities. I’ve seen some assessments, in reality, that give the common Pixel 6 the stamina edge. In real-world phrases, there are tons of variables concerned, and it actually comes right down to how, precisely, you are utilizing the telephones on any given day. In my nonscientific real-life observations, I’ve discovered the Professional to have a slight edge over the common Pixel 6, however they’ve usually been in the identical fundamental ballpark. And each telephones have executed properly; even with heavy use and a number of other hours of lively display time, I’ve but to expire of juice on both mannequin earlier than the tip of the day.
Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6 Professional: Placing all of it collectively
Whew! That is numerous information to chew over, I do know.
Let’s put all of it collectively as merely as doable: The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional are each beautiful gadgets, and Google is well positioning the bigger, higher-priced possibility not simply as the larger model however because the “pro-level” expertise — the “absolutely loaded,” most “premium” cellphone out there for the “extremely technophile,” as the corporate has put it.
That branding is good. It actually made me wish to get the Pixel 6 Professional — up till I really hung out utilizing each fashions for prolonged durations in the actual world.
Primarily based on my experiences with the common 6 and the Pixel 6 Professional, I would not say that the Professional is any extra suited to skilled use than the common Pixel 6 mannequin. In actual fact, I feel it comes with some significant productiveness disadvantages in comparison with the common 6 — particularly round what its display is like to take a look at and the impact its curved-edge, glossy-framed building has on the consolation of its use. What the display seems to be like and what the cellphone is like to carry are fairly consequential components, in case you ask me, they usually deserve an terrible lot of weight.
So all thought of, I would say this: If the Pixel 6 Professional’s distinctive photo-zooming functionality is necessary to you — and/or in case you completely want the highest-level 512GB storage possibility that it alone gives — then think twice about whether or not that outweighs all the pieces else and makes the Professional worthwhile in your wants.
In any other case, I would strongly counsel going with the common Pixel 6 as a substitute. You will save your self 300 bucks — a 150% value distinction! — and you will get the higher all-around expertise, even when you do not get that spectacular super-zooming energy. The true query to ask your self is how usually you’d use that telephoto zooming and the way a lot it really issues to you, particularly with all the pieces else within the image.
For most individuals and particularly professionals, the common Pixel 6 is the very best all-around expertise yow will discover on Android (and arguably past) proper now. When you think about its value and its actual per-year value, nothing else even comes near evaluating — and that features each the Pixel 6 Professional and the lower-priced Pixel 5a.
See? We weren’t kidding after we stated these telephones could change everything. And what we’re seeing now continues to be solely the beginning.
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