[Poll results live] The Pixel 6 is Google's chance to finally make a mark in the U.S. smartphone market

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Original story (from Aug 01) follows:

The Google Pixel 6 is shaping up to be one of the most high profile smartphones coming out later this year.

The hype has been there, as always, and in fact, we’ve had leaks of the design, specs, and features that Google is reportedly lining up for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro or Pixel 6 XL, whatever name is picked.

Unless you aren’t a Pixel fan, you’ll know that Google hasn’t released a flagship-level smartphone since 2019 when the Pixel 4 came out. Perhaps this is what’s causing the hype.

After five years in the Pixel business, one would argue that Google is now ripe for top-end competition against the likes of Samsung and Apple.

We all know the kind of splash Google’s first Pixel phone made back in 2016. Ever since, though, many will agree that inconsistencies have been the order of the day with the search giant’s smartphones.

As noted, the 2019 Pixel was the last premium phone Google released. And while the Pixel 5 kept up with the superior photography we’ve gotten used to from previous Pixels, it missed out on the high-end features to compete against the Samsungs and iPhones of this world.

Compare the current top offering to previous Pixel phones and you can quickly see that Google’s smartphone trajectory hasn’t been what many of us expected from such a massive entity.

With the Pixel 6, though, it seems Google is ready to make amends. Are the days of overpromising and underdelivering finally coming to an end? Only time will tell.

As pointed out earlier, rumors about the Pixel 6 have been flying around over the past few weeks. If believed, then we are in for a treat. And that too a delicious one.

Google is known for how good it can be with software, so this isn’t a concern for any current or future Pixel owner. In fact, things are getting better thanks to the new 5-year support window Google is promising Pixel 6 buyers.

Sure, the search giant might not be a popular name when it comes to quality hardware, but if there’s one area that Pixel phones need to desperately upgrade is the camera hardware.

Computational photography is no longer Google’s strength now that the likes of Apple and Samsung have caught up. To make matters worse for Pixels, the competition is far ahead in terms of camera hardware.

So, after years of re-using the same 12MP sensor in multiple phones, a reboot to the Google camera hardware was inevitable, something that truly justifies the rumored bump to a 50MP lens on the Pixel 6.

Mate this huge sensor with Google’s proven camera software and you have a device that promises some of the best photos in any smartphone.

Even more interesting is the alleged use of a Google-designed GS101 chip in the Pixel 6. Dubbed Whitechapel, word on the street has it that the silicon boasts superior horsepower than the midrange Snapdragon 765G that powers its predecessor.

Having been dropped from the Pixel 5, the new chip may also see the return of the Neural Core probably as part of the “deep tech investments” the CEO recently mentioned, thus translating to more data and possibly a bigger processing brain.

In short, 2021 could herald the return of a much more competitive Pixel camera boasting a wide array of premium features after what was a relatively conservative year.

Who knows, maybe this could even see Google massively improve on videography, an area that Pixels have traditionally lagged behind Apple and Samsung.

Speaking of, both Apple and Samsung have been the go-to smartphone brands for many in the U.S. for years now, but tables are ever so slightly turning. A recent report by Counterpoint Research further adds more weight, stating that Google lost ground by 7% in H1 2021.

In comparison, OnePlus recorded over 400% growth during the same period, with devices like OnePlus N200, N100 and N10 5G helping propel the company to these great heights.

Since Google has the likes of Pixel 4a, 4a 5G, and Pixel 5 that are priced competitively yet still got outdone by equally budget OnePlus phones, it’s clear that price has never been the issue with Google phones.

For years, Google has been overpromising and underdelivering with its Pixel phones. And maybe the Pixel 6 might just be the reboot the smartphone lineup needs.

But it comes down to just how hard Google will push for it. Luckily, it seems the big G picked up a thing or two from the competition, with reports that CFO Ruth Porat suggested the company may finally get serious with marketing its products.

Going by the Counterpoint Research report, Americans have no problem buying pricier Apple and Samsung devices and if on a budget, OnePlus, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung brands are preferred to Google Pixels, so again, pricing has never been the issue here.

With the many rumors, however, I can’t help but feel this is the year Google is prepared to make a mark in the smartphone market.

The specs of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro/XL look great. The inhouse ‘Whitechapel’ processor should help with providing much longer software support and unique AI processing.

With Google making its own chip, there’s also the matter of cost saving since Google doesn’t have to buy from Qualcomm, something that would transfer this cost to the final price of the phone.

Granted, this cost-saving should easily trickle down to the final price, meaning the Pixel 6 could be one of the most affordable flagships this year.

One little problem, though, is that I just don’t know if Google has ever been any serious about phones or if it’s just one of those “me too” things they do yearly to showcase their inhouse software.

My hope is that this year will be different and that Google will finally deliver the best of Android. Unfortunately, we’ve been hoping for this every year.

Will the Pixel 6 series ultimately put an end to this long wait? I’d like to know your thoughts on this in the comments section below. Also, be sure to drop a vote/comment on the Twitter poll below, with results to be shared after a week.

Featured image source: FrontPageTech.com

The results for the poll are live. There’s a tie between the options ‘Most definitely’ and ‘Time will tell’, with both getting 39.5% votes.

Over 18% of those who voted said ‘Dissapointment awaits’, while the remaining are of the opinion that Google should “Stick to software development”.

In case you missed the poll, you can still share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom.

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