Google Pixel 6 vs Pixel 5: What’s The Rumoured Difference?

nixs_admin
Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Google has confirmed it will announce the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones “later this year”, succeeding the Pixel 5 that arrived in October 2020. 

We’ve compared how the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could compare based on the speculation in a separate feature, but here we are focussing on how the Pixel 6 might stack up against the Pixel 5.

Design

Pixel 5: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm

Pixel 6: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm, 11.8mm with bump

Pixel 6 Pro: 163.9 x 75.8 x 8.9mm, 11.5mm with bump

The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will offer a complete redesign compared to the Pixel 5. Both will have a rectangular camera housing that stretches across their entire width, compared to the square housing positioned in the top left corner on the Pixel 5.

It also looks like the punch hole camera at the top of the display will move to the centre in the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, repositioning from the top left corner on the Pixel 5.

The other big change in design appears to be the introduction of an under-display fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 6, rather than the physical sensor on the rear of the Pixel 5. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are also a little more exciting in terms of colours, with blocks of colours on the rear based on the official teaser images from Google.

In terms of physical measurements, it looks like the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will both be larger than the Pixel 5, as well as thicker. The Pixel 5 has an IP68 water and dust resistance, and we’d expect the same from the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. 

Display

Pixel 5: 6-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz

Pixel 6: 6.4-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz

Pixel 6 Pro: 6.67-inch/6.71-inch, Quad HD+, 120Hz

Rumours suggest the Google Pixel 6 will come with a 6.4-inch display and the Pixel 6 Pro with a 6.67-inch display or 6.71-inch display. If true, both devices would be bigger than the Pixel 5’s 6-inch display.

It’s thought the Pixel 6 will likely come with a Full HD+ resolution, a flat screen and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 6 Pro meanwhile, will come with a slightly curved display, and it is thought to have a Quad HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Pixel 5 has a 6-inch display that has a Full HD+ resolution at 2340 x 1080 for a pixel density of 432ppi. It offers a 90Hz refresh rate and it has HDR support, which the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are both likely to offer too.

The Pixel 6 will see a number of upgrades from the Pixel 5.

Hardware and specs

Pixel 6: Google chip, 5G, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4614mAh

Pixel 6 Pro: Google chip, 5G, 12GB RAM< 128/256/512GB storage, 5000mAh

Pixel 5: Qualcomm SD765G, 5G, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh

The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will run on an in-house chip called Tensor. The chip is claimed to have a raw performance somewhere between the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and the Snapdragon 865. It’s expected to offer 5G capabilities.

It’s said the Pixel 6 will have 8GB RAM and storage options of 128GB and 256GB, while the Pixel 6 Pro is said to have 12GB RAM and the same storage options, along with a 512GB model too. The Pixel 6 will apparently have a 4614mAh battery, while the 6 Pro will have a 5000mAh battery capacity. 

The Pixel 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. There’s no microSD support. The battery capacity is 4000mAh and the Pixel 5 supports fast charging and wireless charging, both of which we would expect on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Camera

Pixel 6: Dual camera

PIxel 6 Pro: Triple camera

Pixel 5: Dual camera

The Pixel 6 will have a dual rear camera, and rumours suggest a 50-megapixel main camera coupled with a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. 

The Pixel 6 Pro meanwhile, will have a triple rear camera and it is said to have the same 50-megapixel main sensor and same 12-megapixel ultra wide angle lens as the Pixel 6, but with the addition of an 8-megapixel or 48-megapixel telephoto sensor too. Google has confirmed the telephoto lens will offer 4x optical zoom.

The Pixel 5 has a dual rear camera comprised of a 12.2-megapixel dual-pixel main camera with 1.4µm pixels and a f/1.7 aperture, along with a 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens with 1.0µm pixels and an f/2.2 aperture.

The front camera on the Pixel 5 is an 8-megapixel sensor with 1.12µm pixels and an f/2.0 aperture. It’s said the Pixel 6 will also offer an 8-megapixel front camera, while the Pixel 6 Pro is said to up this to 12-megapixels.

Conclusion 

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will offer a big redesign compared to the Pixel 5, and speculation suggests they will also have larger displays, faster refresh rates and upgrades in hardware. 

It also looks like the camera offering will be more advanced on the Pixel 6 and certainly the 6 Pro with the addition of a telephoto lens, but details are still scarce for the make up of the lenses. 

You can follow all the rumours for both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in our separate round up features.

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