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Pixel 6 postmortem: How Google’s flawed reboot defined future hardware [Video]

Published: 10/30/2026, 04:05 PM

I think there are few smartphones in the past decade that have arrived carrying the sheer weight of expectation that greeted the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in late 2021. Now on life support, just what did we learn from 2021’s reboot for the brand? There was a lot of bubbling hype around ahead of Made by Google before the Pixel 6 was unveiled. I think a lot of that is due to just how flip-flop the Pixel lineup had become after years of identity crises, weird experimental gestures, compromised battery sizes, and following on from the charming but overtly mid-range Pixel 5, Google said enough was enough and finally decided to swing for the fences. I think fans hoped that Google was done playing nice and coming second to Samsung and Apple. The Pixel 6 series was built to make a statement, introducing a brand new design language, custom silicon in the shape of Google Tensor, huge camera sensor upgrades, and a shockingly competitive price tag. For more video content, subscribe to 9to5Google on YouTube. Yet, looking back with years of hindsight, the Pixel 6 duo remains one of the most polarizing Google releases, probably ever, but we can’t get away from the important fact that it laid the technological foundation for everything Pixel represents today, but it did so while putting early adopters through a gauntlet of software bugs, sluggish biometrics, thermal throttling, and atrocious cellular connectivity. So with that in mind, this is the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro: the good, the bad, the ugly, and how this turbulent reboot shaped the future of Pixel. Before the Pixel 6, Google’s hardware design wasn’t exactly tearing up trees. I’d say it was best described as understated, if not entirely apologetic. The fabric cases notwithstanding, and maybe the soft-touch bio-resin finish of the Pixel 5 aside, nothing about them screamed “I am a flagship phone” across a crowded room. I genuinely feel that the Pixel 6 changed that overnight, but without losing some of the “playful” feel that has been a hallmark of basically all Google hardware. Dominated by a bold, edge-to-edge camera visor across the rear, the design was, dare I say it, instantly iconic. Instead of an awkward off-center stove-top camera island that rocked incessantly when placed on a flat desk, the camera bar acted as a natural kickstand. It gave the Pixel line an unmistakable silhouette that Google continues to iterate on today. One thing that was interesting at the time and even more so today is how the line was separated at launch. Two distinct yet similar designs with dual-tone pastel glass backs. The Pixel 6 had a bigger dash of “fun” with the Sorta Seafoam, Kinda Coral, and the striking Stormy Black. The 6 Pro leaned into more traditional executive styling with polished aluminum rails and curved front glass, whereas the standard Pixel 6 has that flat display glass, matte black borders, and a boxier aesthetic.