Google Pixel 6 Pro review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is Google's 2021 large flagship and the debut of the Tensor platform: a 6.7-inch 120 Hz OLED, a 50 MP stabilised main camera with a 4x telephoto, and Google's computational photography stack. It launched at $900; 12/256 GB units now sell for around $174 — the cheapest entry into a Pro-tier Pixel in the catalog.

Display and design

The 6.7-inch OLED refreshes at 120 Hz — screen quality 56/100 on our axis — in a 210 g curved-glass body with compactness at 74/100 and IP68 sealing. The camera bar design started here and still reads as current.

Performance

The original Tensor prioritised on-device intelligence over raw pace, and our gaming score of 20/100 shows it: playable with settings care, warm under sustained 3D. Everyday responsiveness scores 72/100 — the day-to-day experience was never the problem.

Camera

The camera system is the purchase argument: a stabilised 50 MP main sensor, a 48 MP ultrawide, and a 12 MP 4x telephoto, with video to 4K at 60 fps. Our camera score of 47/100 remains competitive years later, because the processing — Magic Eraser, Real Tone, Night Sight — aged as software, not silicon.

Battery and charging

The 5,003 mAh battery scores 40/100 on battery life, reliably a full day, while 30 W charging scores 12/100 on our axis — slow by any current standard.

Verdict

At around $174 used, the Pixel 6 Pro is the budget philosopher's flagship: Pro camera hardware and Google's software stack at a fraction of launch pricing, with a thin but functioning used market. Modest silicon and slow charging are the trade-offs accepted. The Pixel 8 Pro adds seven years of updates and a newer Tensor for more; the Pixel 9 Pro is the fully current platform.