Google Pixel 6 Pro

At Rs. 114,999, the Google Pixel 6 Pro offers flagship hardware for less than many newer phones, but its value depends on how long you plan to keep it.

Its strengths are a 6.7-inch 1440p LTPO display, a 4x telephoto, 12GB RAM, IP68 dust and water protection, Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides and 23W wireless charging. Its weaknesses are average battery life, a slow fingerprint reader, video that lags behind its photos, and a software support window that is ending.

The Google Pixel 7a costs Rs. 137,999 and has a newer chip and a longer update window, but a smaller 90Hz screen and no telephoto. Verdict: buy the 6 Pro only if the big screen and zoom matter more than long-term updates, and confirm its update status first.

The Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display at 1440 x 3120 resolution with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz and HDR10+ support. It is super sharp and very responsive, making scrolling and reading a pleasure.

The curved edges keep the bezels slim, but they make the very corners look slightly darker, and there is some colour shift when viewed from an angle, which pricier flagships avoid. Gorilla Glass Victus protects the front.

The in-display fingerprint reader is an optical sensor and was slow at launch, often taking about half a second to unlock.

The first-generation Google Tensor chip with 12GB RAM keeps the phone quick and responsive in everyday use. At launch, its graphics performance was about 10 to 12% ahead of the Snapdragon 888, while its CPU was slightly behind.

Tensor's real strength is AI. Speech-to-text keeps up with very fast speech, adds punctuation, spells names from your contacts and understands commands like "send". Magic Eraser removes photobombers in a few taps, and works best on simple backgrounds.

The weak point is real-time processing: the camera viewfinder looks grainy until a photo is processed, and video does not get the same treatment as stills. Haptics are excellent and the buttons feel clicky.

The 50MP main camera always combines pixels into smaller photos, with no full-resolution option. Its strength is dynamic range: shots into the sun or at night stay evenly exposed. Processing can look heavy, with strong HDR and a slightly cool white balance, and Real Tone captures a wide range of skin tones accurately.

The 48MP 4x telephoto is excellent, with presentable shots up to 10x. Portrait mode handles objects like watches and bottles well, but it cannot use the telephoto. The 12MP ultrawide is less wide than rivals, shifts colour versus the main camera, and there is no macro mode. Night mode is bright and detailed but takes about four seconds, so moving subjects can turn soft; astrophotography on a tripod is outstanding.

Video reaches 4K 60fps. Reports differ: the main camera has good dynamic range and stabilisation, but ultrawide and low-light footage look grainy. The 11.1MP ultrawide selfie camera records 4K, though opinions differ on its detail.

Despite its 5003 mAh battery, the Pixel 6 Pro delivers middling endurance for a premium phone. Heavy use typically produced 3.5 to 4.5 hours of screen-on time, which often falls short of a long day.

Wired charging is rated at 23W, reaching about 50% in 30 minutes. No charger is included in the box. Wireless charging reaches up to 23W with Google's Pixel Stand (2nd gen), and reverse wireless charging is supported.

Frequent top-ups at a desk or in the car help, but light users will get the most comfortable experience.

The Pixel 6 Pro launched with Android 12 and Material You, which matches the colours of menus, quick settings and widgets to your wallpaper. The interface is clean, with bouncy animations and large controls.

Google's official support page places the Pixel 6 Pro among phones that get five years of updates from their US release. It went on sale in October 2021, so guaranteed updates end around October 2026. Buyers now should expect few or no further updates.

Useful features include call screening, Now Playing song recognition, Live Caption for videos and calls, and Tensor-powered voice typing that understands editing commands.