Google teases Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro with new Tensor AI chip
Google has teased its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones ahead of a launch later in 2021, smartphones using a new custom-designed Tensor chip.
Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Posted to Twitter on Monday, the thread offered quite a few details about Google's upcoming smartphone launches, replacing the current-generation Pixel 5 series. Rather than a complete device breakdown, the posts focused on the imaging capabilities, as well as its processor.
For the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google is opting for a "Camera Bar," a black bump that stretches across the width of the smartphones, with metal accents at the top and bottom. While the Pixel 6 will include two cameras, the Pixel 6 Pro will have three, adding a telephoto lens with a 4x optical zoom.
The releases will also be the first to use Google's first own-designed system-on-chip, the Tensor. Akin to Apple's use of the Neural Engine on the A-series chips in the iPhone, such as the A12, the Tensor will be able to process "Google's most powerful AI and ML models directly" onboard the device.
Google claims the chip will help enhance the image processing capabilities of the camera, as well as speech recognition and other features. For speech recognition, Google touts advances in voice commands, translation, captioning, and dictation.
Google also says the Pixel 6 is built "with the most layers of hardware security in any phone," clarifying it is "based on count of separate hardware security layers." The thread doesn't go into detail about what this entails.
The thread also promoted the Material You UI that Google introduced at Google I/O, which it plans to use on the smartphones.
As for when to expect the release, the search giant says the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will arrive in the fall. This would put it directly against the "iPhone 13," which Apple is expected to introduce in its annual fall event.
Read on AppleInsider
Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Posted to Twitter on Monday, the thread offered quite a few details about Google's upcoming smartphone launches, replacing the current-generation Pixel 5 series. Rather than a complete device breakdown, the posts focused on the imaging capabilities, as well as its processor.
For the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google is opting for a "Camera Bar," a black bump that stretches across the width of the smartphones, with metal accents at the top and bottom. While the Pixel 6 will include two cameras, the Pixel 6 Pro will have three, adding a telephoto lens with a 4x optical zoom.
The releases will also be the first to use Google's first own-designed system-on-chip, the Tensor. Akin to Apple's use of the Neural Engine on the A-series chips in the iPhone, such as the A12, the Tensor will be able to process "Google's most powerful AI and ML models directly" onboard the device.
Google claims the chip will help enhance the image processing capabilities of the camera, as well as speech recognition and other features. For speech recognition, Google touts advances in voice commands, translation, captioning, and dictation.
Here's a sneak peek at the newest Google Phones powered by Google Tensor - the brand new chip designed by Google, custom-made for Pixel.
Meet:
#Pixel6
#Pixel6 Pro
Both are coming later this year.
We'll tell you a little about them in this
(1/13) pic.twitter.com/SRhzvRA7WC-- Made By Google (@madebygoogle)
Google also says the Pixel 6 is built "with the most layers of hardware security in any phone," clarifying it is "based on count of separate hardware security layers." The thread doesn't go into detail about what this entails.
The thread also promoted the Material You UI that Google introduced at Google I/O, which it plans to use on the smartphones.
As for when to expect the release, the search giant says the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will arrive in the fall. This would put it directly against the "iPhone 13," which Apple is expected to introduce in its annual fall event.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
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I'd take that bar over the wobbling that the squircle creates when you put your iPhone on a table. Probably makes it less likely for your thumb to enter the edge of a picture, too.
Great point. It's way too easy and common for a finger (or shadow from one) to get in the way of an image.
And case makers will have a fun time wrapping around that bar.
It's part of the Pixel phone. It'll communicate in the same or similar way to how any other camera on any other smartphone communicates with the phone that it is the camera for.
How does the iPhone camera communicate with the iPhone? The Pixel camera bar will do that.
I'm not sure what you've misunderstood here.
But...
There will be no camera bump wobble for those who dislike that, and once encased in your favourite case, could look much more modern.
To be fair, Apple's later iPhones with their big corner humps and multiple lenses and sensors look no less dorky. I do look forward to the day when smart phones can have smooth backs again, instead of hanging all the junk outside of the trunk for all to see as we've been dealing with over the past several releases. Yeah, I know the physics and optics can only be dealt with in so many ways, but I believe they will eventually find a better way to to make it all work and also be aesthetically pleasing once the limits of current battery technology no longer place such high internal volume demands on device designs.
Unlike some others here who are concerned about a case, I believe that the right kind of case, a leather one that's flush with the camera bar, would significantly improve the backside look of this phone.
It's got that going for it.